“My lord, the city is just gone.” Said the knight on horseback. The horse was panting heavily as it stood in front of the commanders carriage. An entire column of what looked like hundreds of soldiers and Kings Knight’s marched south on the King’s Road toward Iron Mountain Plateau. Toward the back were supply wagons carrying food and various goods.
“What do you mean its gone? An entire city doesn’t just up and disappear. There must be something there. Spit it out soldier.” Said a man in deep green robes adorned in jewelry of all kinds with an obviously ceremonial sword at his waist.
“I mean there is an incredibly open plateau where the city of Iron Mountain should be. I only noticed two things, a glowing archway made of branches and leaves and a contingent of Deep Dwellers flying the colors of House Bloodbeard. They must have come in response to the Kingdom Notification we all got from the fates.” stammered the knight regaining some of his composure.
“That simply can’t be. The city was several miles wide, it can’t just be gone. Go find the representatives of The Tower to look into that archway. I want us camped half a mile out from the city limits by the end of the day. By the ten hells, we will not return to his majesty with our tails between our legs only to say the empire has stolen an entire city!” Growled the noble.
“You should calm yourself Lord Pentecost.,” said a man seated across from him in the carriage, “You are liable to burst a blood vessel.”
“Incompetents. His grace sends me down here to ensure Desentes can hold the iron mine and that the city doesn’t fall to those power hungry Vasilly snakes. If it was important enough for me come, why send the greenest Knights in his majesty’s army? Answer me that Wotan.” fumed Pentecost
“Because there are already Kings Knight’s stationed at the Plateau and these are just reinforcements. It should be a good chance to season them with out sending them to open war. Sit and relax, this will take some time.” Answered Wotan while pouring a goblet of wine for the Minister of the Interior.
“Yes, wine should soothe my nerves. Very good, Wotan. You are a credit to the title assistant.” Replied Lord Pentecost taking his seat, no longer pacing back and forth hunched over in the carriage.
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Daskus Bloodbeard looked out over the plateau. He was second in succession within house Bloodbeard. When he received Typhus’s message about the ancient tapestry, he spent days convincing their father to send troops to accompany Typhus back home to the Shattered Teeth. His father was reluctant to commit house forces to such a long trip considering Typhus was part of a Cardinal Unit and should have no trouble returning home. He eventually relented and granted Daskus two hundred mixed troops under the condition that Typhus and this new champion of his arrive unharmed. The house psychics will want to review their memories before the appeal to the Dwellers Council on house standing. If the message is true, that tapestry could move them from the bottom spot closer to the top. None of that happens if these are found out to be lies and he will not have it.
As Daskus took in the bare patch of land where the city once stood, he worried about his brother Typhus. Did the Vasilly Empire have a new weapon they could wipe out entire towns with? Maybe it was some ancient magic ritual. The complete lack of anything but a glowing doorway made him unconsciously shudder.
“Daskus, what am I looking at here?” Asked a heavily armored stout man with a spiked mace leaning over his left shoulder.
“I have no idea. There should be a whole city here. We should check out that glowing door.” Daskus said.
“The scholars are whining about some kind of Violent Garden. They won’t go near the door.” Said the man.
“Anything else to report?” Daskus asked.
“Their seems to be a mobilization of troops from the capital. Odds are the Kingdom message spooked them into acting. The Triumvirate Accords working as intended.” Scoffed the walking suit of armor.
“I’ll ride over and meet with them. Maybe they can shed light on what in the ten hells is happening here.” Daskus replied. Just as Daskus finished saying that there was a flash of bright light and the city of Iron Mountain Plateau loomed in the distance. The walls had returned, and they could now see the tops of houses. Desentes keep was situated in the proper position and the King’s Road ran south into the gates of the city just West of the Deep Dwellers position. If it weren’t nearing morning it would have blinded them. Then they all received a notification.
Kingdom Notice-Victory! -The Griffin Kingdom has successfully repelled an invasion from the Vasilly Empire. As a reward ten percent of the defenders get to keep their free magic spell but at full mana cost. Congratulations and long live the King.
“Get everyone moving. I want to be inside that city in under an hours’ time.” Daskus yelled.
“Sure thing cousin.” Was all he said as he started yelling at everyone within earshot to get moving.