Re: Oblítus
We stood there for a moment, not sure how to respond. The general was a force of personality to be reckoned with, and I did not think she would appreciate further interruption. I gather the others thought the same as I, because it was she who broke the silence.
-Gargonn-
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Divide to Conquer
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General Bared lifted her hand up to her face and rubbed the bridge of her nose with thumb and forefinger. “Lady and gentlemen, I can assure you that as foreboding as that prediction is, it’s no exaggeration. But since you’re all looking at me with dumbfounded expressions, maybe I should start from the beginning.
“Some of you may be aware that there was a misunderstanding between us and Ghren-Dhomin some time ago. The details of the misunderstanding are unimportant now, but they were of great concern at that time. This incident involved an army that was sent to threaten us, and though there was no chance they’d have truly been able to invade us, their point would have been made quite spectacularly. While we prepared our defenses within the city, this unit of conscripts foolishly went out to speak with the commander of Ghren-Dhomin’s forces. To our great surprise, the issue was solved peacefully, and the army of Ghren-Dhomin turned back.
“We immediately debriefed the unit, which as I’ve mentioned was as mongrel a group as you could find... a raptoran, a goliath, a minotaur, an orc, even a yuan-ti. They’d been thrust together into a unit of misfits, but these misfits somehow managed to turn back an army without an arrow fired or a blade swung. From this moment on, we explored their potential and used them as an exploratory force, trolling the borders and keeping the peace. They performed admirably.
“In time, we grew to trust them enough that we put them on extended assignment, allowing them to enter other territories to pursue various opportunities at their own discretion. They were diligent in reporting back – until their latest outing.”
She shrugged. “From the moment they last set foot outside Soluunar, we’ve heard nothing. There are no traces to follow. They originally traveled northeast, but the path they originally took would have taken them to the North Sea. No guard outpost between here and Nog Mhakar reports having seen them.”
She began to pace in front of the assembled party. “The composition I listed just now doesn’t reflect their last known members. The raptoran, goliath, and yuan-ti were still among them, but the minotaur chose dishonorable discharge over a dispute regarding an alliance with some brand of undead creature they found in their travels. The orc, meantime, has a rather...” She paused, as if unsure how to continue. “...I’ll say extraordinary history that led him to likewise part ways with us, in not the most amicable of terms. We compensated for the unit’s losses by adding a dwarven wizard and a jaebrin scout. They were with the team at last contact.”
She turned to her desk and pulled a stack of parchments from the top, which she then handed to Droth. “Profiles of the unit. You’ll be keeping these and studying them on your journey.”
“With the general’s permission...”
She shot a sidelong glance at Sir Cajentan. “Yes?”
By contrast, he was still staring straight ahead at full military attention. “You offer this unit considerable praise, and for all I know, it’s entirely merited – but I’m afraid I still don’t know the answer to our latest arrival’s question. What is so significant about these people that Eldht-Khan’s destruction is assured without them?”
She gave a brisk nod. “Very well. The goliath, Zelrig by name, has a gift that rarely graces this world, and has never – to my knowledge – been located in any citizen of Soluunar... clairvoyance. Or, at least, some version of it. Zelrig is plagued by nightmares which are not simply nightmares, but omens... portents of the future surrounding him. His descriptions of them are not always focused, but they’ve proven to be accurate on a number of occasions. His people couldn’t identify the reason for his nightmares and so were unable to help him cope, and so he left them to seek out a life of his own, and a means to understand the omens. It was our High Librarian, Jalen, who helped identify the gift. These ‘dark premonitions’ have predicted dire circumstances on several occasions. Some have come true due to noninterference. Some were avoided thanks to his and his unit’s actions.”
“So then it’s Zelrig we are seeking, more than the rest of this unit,” Droth supplied.
The general aimed a withering stare at Droth. “Don’t misunderstand me. I want everyone in that unit found and brought back. It’s true that no other has a gift like Zelrig’s, but they are nonetheless extremely gifted, their variety and skills unmatched by any other military unit Eldht-Khan has to offer.”
It was then that the catlike creature piped up, with a high-pitched voice that was as rough as Scar Canyon sandpaper. “Why send us, and not more military, to find them?”
“Once it was clear contact was not forthcoming from them, I did send out another unit, which likewise never returned,” Bared answered. “I think it unwise to dispatch yet another. Our militia is necessarily uniformed when on official business, whether in or out of our territory. I have to consider the possibility that they were targeted because they were identifiably Eldht-Khan militia. If I send a group of traveling mercenaries, their interceptors may not give such a team a second thought. Also, you would have more latitude, as you would bring no consequences down upon Eldht-Khan if you were to act beyond our laws and customs.”
“Unless we tell the people we’re acting against who we work for,” said Droth.
“And I would imagine that might hasten the demise of the very city I want to save,” she answered smoothly. “I thought the Brotherhood of Blackwood had greater wisdom than that. So far their representative has been underwhelming, to say the least. Do you wish to simply kill undead, or protect people while you’re doing it? If the former, you can go now, and be a thoughtless engine of destruction, just as your targets are.”
There was a long pause, pregnant with the palpable tension – and then, in the stiffest voice he could muster, Droth said, “The general has made her point.”
She blew a disgusted breath out through her nose, but that was the last of the spar. “Now, with regards to our High Librarian... she’s not simply a learned colleague of the greater echelons on Eldht-Khan. She’s kin to copper dragonkind, and alliances with metallic dragonblood are rare and extremely valuable, as you should know. Loremistress Jalen has served this city extremely well as a historian of unparalleled education – she imparts that education most particularly and meticulously to royalty and military. It is thanks to her that we are always mindful of our past... particularly the mistakes we’ve made... so that a better future can be secured for us. I cannot stress enough how vitally important she is.”
She paused and looked at each person standing before her. “The truth is, I don’t need to convince you of her importance. All I need to do is promise you payment for either her safe return, or if that’s impractical, news of her whereabouts. Without her, and without our unit, we are made intolerably blind, deaf, and ignorant. We need them found, and brought back. This is your mission. And to demonstrate not just the seriousness, but the sincerity of this cause, I am offering each of you the sum of fifteen thousand gold pieces upon news or retrieval of all involved parties. In addition, every last bit of loot or treasure you locate in your travels will be your own – Eldht-Khan will seek no appropriation tax upon it.”
The knight called Cajentan straightened up – or he might have, if he could’ve stood any straighter. “General, due respect, I need no bribe to do my duty in the service of Eldht-Khan. You convened this unit to perform a task on your behalf, and so we shall.”
A slight, sad smirk found its way across her features. “Sir Cajentan, your nobility is admirable, but I think you misunderstand me. This mission is not approved by the Council of Mages, nor the King, but given to you by me in secret. For the purposes of your travels, you and your team will not be from Eldht-Khan, nor answerable to either me or any other military channel here.”
He blinked and frowned. “General, I’ve only ever served Eldht-Khan, and I’m not accustomed to the clandestine. May I ask why I have been chosen for such an assignment?”
“Because you’re a knight, Cajentan, meant for leadership in both diplomacy and battle. Your training didn’t prepare you for this, but nothing can – nothing except true experience. That’s why you have these others here with you now. It’s easy to lead a group of soldiers trained to follow your command... it’s much harder to lead a team whose respect you have to earn.”
She gestured to each one in turn. “Gargonn Blackmane, of the Blood Desert orcs. His monastic training, combined with his racial heritage, gives him unmatched speed and strength in battle. Keeleenoktu, of the darfellan race. His ability to travel water is beyond that of anyone else here, and his pendulum blade won’t stop until it ends his enemies. Vivian, of the catfolk, is graceful and agile not merely in combat, but also with many odd skills that you’ll find useful in your travels.”
She stopped in front of Droth. “And Droth Sai-Raiel Teásen, a wood elf of Suulonar. Despite his poor attitude, his pride in his arms is well-founded – the arrows from his double-bow will find their target and kill it before it ever has a chance to meet you in battle. I’ve heard he’s also quite capable with food.”
“Food can end disagreements in a way that words can’t,” Droth supplied.
“This seems a rather combat-oriented unit, General,” Cajentan noted. “Do you expect that we’ll encounter heavy resistance to our mission?”
Bared scoffed. “You’ve never met Loremistress Jalen, otherwise you would understand just how difficult it is to forcibly take her anywhere she doesn’t want to go. It’s not just the copper blood within her, either – her magic rivals that of the archmages.”
“Yet magic is not represented as an ally of this team.”
The phrase had been uttered by the one called Keeleenoktu, who until this point had remained aloof – his voice was a baritone that rivaled Gargonn’s, and carried with it an undertone that was equal parts anger and sorrow. His white eyes sought out the general’s gaze. “Was this intentional, or an oversight?”
“That isn’t entirely true,” she returned. “Droth’s elven blood and his training as a member of the Brotherhood of Blackwood has endowed him with a spread of magical abilities, beneficial spells he can cast on allies.”
“Yet there is no dedicated sorcerer, nor wizard.”
She nodded. “I don’t trust magicians,” the general admitted. “It’s a science best explored in the high towers, not in battle. By and large, you’d be hard-pressed to find an able, sturdy warrior able to cast effective offensive magic. I believe those dedicated to magic are not dedicated to anything else, including bodily training, and that they lose something very important in that devotion. The unit you’re seeking discovered for themselves the chaos of having a spellcaster with them.”
“Your words are especially bold, General, since you yourself are also a spellcaster,” Keeleenoktu boomed. This assertion drew looks from the others in line, as well as a hard stare from the halfling herself. But he continued. “I have seen the power you wield. Is it possible you trust only yourself with this power, and no others?”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “Don’t presume to overstep your bounds, darfellan. I trust my strength in magic because mine is tempered with skill and experience in the Eldht-Khan military. My pride in that strength is no less than your pride in your pendulum blade.”
“I have good reason for that pride, General – I fought in a war. When was your last one?”
Something flared in her eyes, and for a single moment, Gargonn found himself wondering if she would attack the warrior standing next to him. But no – she had greater self-control than that, and she stayed precisely where she was, allowing no movement of any sort to betray her emotions further.
The knight dared to reintroduce his voice to the conversation. “This discussion is not about conflicts of the past, but of the present. I understand your concerns regarding inexperienced magicians, General, but I believe it may be appropriate to seek a cleric for our party, someone who can cast beneficial spells and also see to the healing of injured party members, should it come to that,” Cajentan asserted. “It would increase our chances of success, I think.”
Bared considered that statement for a long moment, then bobbed her head. “Very well. I have an ally who would serve you well on this mission... his name is Tihomir Hamza, a cleric of Calitha Starbrow. There are no temples in Eldht-Khan dedicated to her, but you can find him near the Sanctuary of Obad-Hai.”
Droth blinked. “I’m a patron to Obad-Hai.”
“Then you’ll have no difficulty finding the sanctuary.” The general rounded her desk and sat down. “Ordinarily, there would be a mercenary contract for you to sign regarding the terms of your mission’s completion and reward, but in this case, I can’t take the chance that it would be intercepted or questioned. If you accept this mission, you’ll have to trust me when I tell you I will fulfill my offer if and when you fulfill your assignment.”
“If Eldht-Khan is truly threatened by destruction, what guarantee do we have you won’t be dead by the time we come to collect?” Droth asked.
“In that event, I would think you’d all have greater problems to worry about than money.” The general sighed. “Any other questions before I sweep you all out the door?”
Gargonn chose that moment to speak. “You never mentioned how it was you know Eldht-Khan will be destroyed.”
She tilted her head, looking momentarily unsure as to whether she should answer that not-quite-inquiry. After a moment, she indulged. “Before leaving on his last exploratory assignment, Zelrig confessed to Jalen a premonition in which Eldht-Khan was, as he put it... ‘flattened by boulders and melted with purple fire’. The Council of Mages was dead and the King was nowhere to be found. Eldht-Khan had no resources prepared for whatever this attack was... but even if we have the resources for it now, we don’t know how the attack began. He became aware of it in progress. Jalen took what images she could from his mind, and was performing research on the nature of what she saw through those images when she was abducted.”
“It almost sounds like someone knew what she was up to,” Droth sniffed.
“Maybe. It could even be that there’s a saboteur or traitor in our midst... which is why I can’t afford to send any other militia or establish any further official assignments. I simply have to try to prepare for an attack whose origins and power are far beyond me. I’ve brought you all together because most of you are not of Eldht-Khan and have no interest in our territory or politics, nor knowledge of our military strength... I’m hoping I can trust that none of you would betray this city. As a respected knight with no current assignment, Cajentan can leave the city for an extended period without attracting attention.” She directed her index finger at Cajentan. “Leave the title of ‘Sir’ behind you. The farther away from Eldht-Khan you get, the more that’ll mean to strangers.”
Cajentan offered a quick nod. “I will.”
“You’ll travel light, and on foot until you leave the city behind. No horses from Eldht-Khan. But assuming you have the coin, you can purchase them from a hamlet.” She shook her head. “Beyond that... the unit went missing while traveling north-northeast from Eldht-Khan. We lost track of Jaelin’s attackers when they fled east. Whomever you find first, find them quickly.”
She gestured to the door. “Take the parchments, find Tihomir, and go. Time’s wasting.”
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