Tales of Malteria: Enemy Lines (part one)
Standing in the low light of the evening sun as it shines through the mosaic window of the house of lords meeting room Javare, a man of some note in Norastrah, waits for the lords to enter the room and reveal why it is they have summoned him. This man is no true river folk, born in sanctum in the shadow of Oberon, said to be a truly auspicious birth. He made his way to Norastrah when he was adopted by a Wave Guardsmen and his family. His true parents died sometime before he came of age and he never truly knew them as such raised a true Norastrahan he grew up with a strong national pride in his city and country. He grew from spindly young boy to the man he is today. Stocky, with a solid portly build he was a prime candidate for the Indagators.
Javare pushes his golden hair from his ebony-copper face, his hazel-green eyes darting up to the series of podiums now field with the council of the house of lords. A tall thin woman stands with a stern look on her face, almost belied as she speaks with a soft yet firm voice "Javare, of the fifth Indagators unit. You've served this council, military and nation for many years now, from serving in the field against the Dark Wardens, Slaying a wrymling with the Hunters, and even assisting in the fight for the road to Luthericburg last year. Quite the record for a servicemen." Javare chuckles to him self and with a grin replies "You need not hang on my every accomplishment councilmen, please business before pleasure, tsk tsk." without even reacting the councilmen, Lady Comina Dresk, snaps back at Javare with deathly poise to her voice "Yes yes Javare, my point was not that you are impressive. It was that you are a asset to the Nation. Your feats have been, in the past, a great value to bolstering the morale of the river lands people during our messy and arguably failing war with the Dark Wardens. Cutting to the chase we are sending you on another mission to boost morale." now leaning against the wall across from the grouped councilmen Javare lights a smoking pipe taking a long draw off of it, so long the Councilmen begin to shift at their podiums trying to make know their agitation at the long pause. Javare takes yet another long draw and lets out a plume of smoke before speaking "Aged tobacco mixed with a dried and powdered berries sweet as can be, Now that I wasted your time quit wasting mine." Lady Dresk barks back in a low guttural hush "Listen here Javare, You are still a soldier of the state. The mission may be of political nature but it still serves your nation! I'll here no more of this tripe, you'll be paid for your extra service same as always. Now may we continue?" a low chuckle escapes Javare as he walks near the base of the Dias that the podiums litter. "Fine, fine, let me hear of this mission." He bows respectively with his words.
Lady Dresk leads the briefing of the mission. "When the Dark Wardens first appeared back in the realm, first in northern Malteria, then swiping down towards the River Lord border when we had our first initial meeting with the Dark Wardens happened at the battle at the northern border fort. After which during our recoiling from the fight, the Heads of each river land city managed to set up a very hush hush meeting with the in region leaders of that particular army of the Wardens. The meeting was to set up a DMZ from one side of the Bleakwoods to the other it would be a thin non-essential area, or one in which we would be willing to give up. We settled on a strip that covered a good chunk of our north-western flank, it contains frontier home-steaders who were lead out on a mission to settle more land in the name of our nation ten years before the Dark Wardens first assault. The home-steaders were lead by the first son of the Baron of Ackers, will call him Talon his first name, and his wife and child. Unlike his father we know that Talon is a devote countrymen who we have been in contact with. He wishes for he and his family to be brought back to the city proper, we see no need not to do this. The home-steads are self sufficient and self governed until we can reclaim the land. Doing this would bring a great public figure to the city bolstering morale and we can get first hand Intel of Dark Warden activity." Lady Dreak finishes with a long breath waiting in silence for Javare to respond. Tapping the map with his pipe "So how am I too get three people out of Dark Warden territory, as one man? And last I recalled DMZ's have guarded gates that check travelers. And with need of a permissive note. How am I managing either?" Javares inquiry if answered swiftly by a short older man, Sir Riven Namble, a retired Wave Guard given the sit on the council as an adviser. "You see sir, the sides of the DMZ is guarded by an agreed upon third party. The Lady of Roses, and her band of Bleakwoods Mercenaries. They have fort gates on either side, you can surely work your way through will give you a few things for payment as securing a permissive note from the Wardens is currently not an option. And as of how to get that many people out you need only get them into the DMZ to a predetermined point on a map we have here for you. That and Talons wife has been missing for years now. Shortly after the Home-steads were settled. So its just him and his daughter. You will be supplied out of the Hunter lodge in the field before the DMZ and strip yourself of all river lord emblems and clothe and dress squarely in unmarked garb. Any further questions?" Javare clears his smoke pipe and smiles sheathing his knife "Time frame?" Dresk answers "None, but ideal ASAP we dont want to risk the Wardens using this to strike harder, or break the DMZ." Javare begins to walk out of the room "You'll hear from me in three days time."
Javare walks up to two men tending the garden outside the grand lodge of the Hunters the older of the two plants his hoe in the ground to lean against, he wipes his sweaty brow and hails Javare over with a wide grin "Heeeeey, Javare haven't seen you here in years" Javare hikes up the hill at a trot and shakes both the men by the hand. "Yes, quite so time, since i watched all you kill that wyrmling hah! though the council write that story a different way!" he bellows the old man speaks again "Nay, you did more than you think. But i know why you're here please take the man to his room Yender!" The younger of the two men nods and takes Javare towards the lodge. As they walk Javare notices many scares persist on the boys body all over from face down to his toes, but what caught Javares eyes the most were two scares under either breast that ran the length of them "What manor of beast nearly tore your chest open boy? Never seen such wounds, by man nor beast." Yender stopping at the door to Javares room and showing him in stops before responding tracing the scares as he speak in a soft voice "You sir, there is a time when a person become who they truly are. These scares are what make me who i truly am, like any other i have." Javare looks the boy over and nods "Well, you are quite the strapping lad! The old man out there should be thankful he has your help, Say where is the fearless leader these days-" He pauses as he shifts to fit into his clothes, a simple set of black and brown reinforced linens with a travelers cloak, equipped with a steel sword dipped with wrymblood, and a series of knifes coated in mild poisons. "-been sometime before I've seen her" Yender looks around before leaning against the wall and wiping his brow "Ah, shes been off trying to settle more lodges around the realm. Now come on! lets have a short meal in the mess lodge before you go!" Javare nods noting how the kid was trying to avoid talking about her, Javare knew he had hurt her last they saw but wished to know where they stood.
As the two walk outside they see the older man, from the garden, knocked on the ground with a goblin standing above him wielding an ax. With a fluid motion Javare runs at it and draws a poison knife and flings it, cutting the creatures shoulder, it screeches loudly as the poison burns it. Before it can fully see who attacked it Yender has already tackled it from the side knocking it weapon out of its hand and holds it down. Javare pulls his blade out and plunges it into the goblins neck. Yender goes to help the man, as Javare cleans his blade he spots another goblin hiding who runs as it notices Javare who begins to give chase, but the old man calls out "No! leave it! We will hunt it later, probably a hive will take care of it later, you've a mission to be on" Javare nods and takes the knife from the beast shoulder, before leaving. He turns to face the Bleakwoods off in the distance a few hours before he reached it. He lights his pipe before walking off, giving good fair wells as he leaves.
Javare pushes his golden hair from his ebony-copper face, his hazel-green eyes darting up to the series of podiums now field with the council of the house of lords. A tall thin woman stands with a stern look on her face, almost belied as she speaks with a soft yet firm voice "Javare, of the fifth Indagators unit. You've served this council, military and nation for many years now, from serving in the field against the Dark Wardens, Slaying a wrymling with the Hunters, and even assisting in the fight for the road to Luthericburg last year. Quite the record for a servicemen." Javare chuckles to him self and with a grin replies "You need not hang on my every accomplishment councilmen, please business before pleasure, tsk tsk." without even reacting the councilmen, Lady Comina Dresk, snaps back at Javare with deathly poise to her voice "Yes yes Javare, my point was not that you are impressive. It was that you are a asset to the Nation. Your feats have been, in the past, a great value to bolstering the morale of the river lands people during our messy and arguably failing war with the Dark Wardens. Cutting to the chase we are sending you on another mission to boost morale." now leaning against the wall across from the grouped councilmen Javare lights a smoking pipe taking a long draw off of it, so long the Councilmen begin to shift at their podiums trying to make know their agitation at the long pause. Javare takes yet another long draw and lets out a plume of smoke before speaking "Aged tobacco mixed with a dried and powdered berries sweet as can be, Now that I wasted your time quit wasting mine." Lady Dresk barks back in a low guttural hush "Listen here Javare, You are still a soldier of the state. The mission may be of political nature but it still serves your nation! I'll here no more of this tripe, you'll be paid for your extra service same as always. Now may we continue?" a low chuckle escapes Javare as he walks near the base of the Dias that the podiums litter. "Fine, fine, let me hear of this mission." He bows respectively with his words.
Lady Dresk leads the briefing of the mission. "When the Dark Wardens first appeared back in the realm, first in northern Malteria, then swiping down towards the River Lord border when we had our first initial meeting with the Dark Wardens happened at the battle at the northern border fort. After which during our recoiling from the fight, the Heads of each river land city managed to set up a very hush hush meeting with the in region leaders of that particular army of the Wardens. The meeting was to set up a DMZ from one side of the Bleakwoods to the other it would be a thin non-essential area, or one in which we would be willing to give up. We settled on a strip that covered a good chunk of our north-western flank, it contains frontier home-steaders who were lead out on a mission to settle more land in the name of our nation ten years before the Dark Wardens first assault. The home-steaders were lead by the first son of the Baron of Ackers, will call him Talon his first name, and his wife and child. Unlike his father we know that Talon is a devote countrymen who we have been in contact with. He wishes for he and his family to be brought back to the city proper, we see no need not to do this. The home-steads are self sufficient and self governed until we can reclaim the land. Doing this would bring a great public figure to the city bolstering morale and we can get first hand Intel of Dark Warden activity." Lady Dreak finishes with a long breath waiting in silence for Javare to respond. Tapping the map with his pipe "So how am I too get three people out of Dark Warden territory, as one man? And last I recalled DMZ's have guarded gates that check travelers. And with need of a permissive note. How am I managing either?" Javares inquiry if answered swiftly by a short older man, Sir Riven Namble, a retired Wave Guard given the sit on the council as an adviser. "You see sir, the sides of the DMZ is guarded by an agreed upon third party. The Lady of Roses, and her band of Bleakwoods Mercenaries. They have fort gates on either side, you can surely work your way through will give you a few things for payment as securing a permissive note from the Wardens is currently not an option. And as of how to get that many people out you need only get them into the DMZ to a predetermined point on a map we have here for you. That and Talons wife has been missing for years now. Shortly after the Home-steads were settled. So its just him and his daughter. You will be supplied out of the Hunter lodge in the field before the DMZ and strip yourself of all river lord emblems and clothe and dress squarely in unmarked garb. Any further questions?" Javare clears his smoke pipe and smiles sheathing his knife "Time frame?" Dresk answers "None, but ideal ASAP we dont want to risk the Wardens using this to strike harder, or break the DMZ." Javare begins to walk out of the room "You'll hear from me in three days time."
Javare walks up to two men tending the garden outside the grand lodge of the Hunters the older of the two plants his hoe in the ground to lean against, he wipes his sweaty brow and hails Javare over with a wide grin "Heeeeey, Javare haven't seen you here in years" Javare hikes up the hill at a trot and shakes both the men by the hand. "Yes, quite so time, since i watched all you kill that wyrmling hah! though the council write that story a different way!" he bellows the old man speaks again "Nay, you did more than you think. But i know why you're here please take the man to his room Yender!" The younger of the two men nods and takes Javare towards the lodge. As they walk Javare notices many scares persist on the boys body all over from face down to his toes, but what caught Javares eyes the most were two scares under either breast that ran the length of them "What manor of beast nearly tore your chest open boy? Never seen such wounds, by man nor beast." Yender stopping at the door to Javares room and showing him in stops before responding tracing the scares as he speak in a soft voice "You sir, there is a time when a person become who they truly are. These scares are what make me who i truly am, like any other i have." Javare looks the boy over and nods "Well, you are quite the strapping lad! The old man out there should be thankful he has your help, Say where is the fearless leader these days-" He pauses as he shifts to fit into his clothes, a simple set of black and brown reinforced linens with a travelers cloak, equipped with a steel sword dipped with wrymblood, and a series of knifes coated in mild poisons. "-been sometime before I've seen her" Yender looks around before leaning against the wall and wiping his brow "Ah, shes been off trying to settle more lodges around the realm. Now come on! lets have a short meal in the mess lodge before you go!" Javare nods noting how the kid was trying to avoid talking about her, Javare knew he had hurt her last they saw but wished to know where they stood.
As the two walk outside they see the older man, from the garden, knocked on the ground with a goblin standing above him wielding an ax. With a fluid motion Javare runs at it and draws a poison knife and flings it, cutting the creatures shoulder, it screeches loudly as the poison burns it. Before it can fully see who attacked it Yender has already tackled it from the side knocking it weapon out of its hand and holds it down. Javare pulls his blade out and plunges it into the goblins neck. Yender goes to help the man, as Javare cleans his blade he spots another goblin hiding who runs as it notices Javare who begins to give chase, but the old man calls out "No! leave it! We will hunt it later, probably a hive will take care of it later, you've a mission to be on" Javare nods and takes the knife from the beast shoulder, before leaving. He turns to face the Bleakwoods off in the distance a few hours before he reached it. He lights his pipe before walking off, giving good fair wells as he leaves.
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