Private Tales The culling

A private roleplay only for those invited by the first writer
king dac'are

king dac'are

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we set up camp on the edge of falwood the city of furless still in site. using distortion magic here would only attract attention and moving into falwood would put us at a disadvantage a night attack is not an option do to the amount of soldiers i brought

"my lord is this not a difficult position, we know not were the furless folks elegance lies should we not move into the woods of fal so as to not be seen?"

my general says in an urgency i've not heard from him before.

"general ta,fa do i sense fear in your words?"

he stiffens defiantly.

"of course not my lord, its just this climate. its making me uneasy i prefer the dark cold caves of our home land"

i nod towards the Forrest.

"if we were to enter now we would be in there territory and the savages of falwood are much less friendly to outsiders than the furless folk, we shall camp here till morning. the warriors and mages must rest, besides 50 lionmen shouldn't scare any self respecting lord of this land and if it does then ive over estimated these folk greatly." i point to the city and its walls "they build monuments to there success as if it pleases the land they walk on, i have no doubt that they see us no little more than a flea and at most they will send a small amount of men to check what is happening here. in an event of an altercation the mages will use their magic to wipe any army's that attack off this land, we will retreat into falwood and use distortion magic to make our escape." what i didnt tell him was that an attack would result in a loss of half of our woman soldiers and although i have confidence in them, a loss of that many would be devastating to future generations however if we end up stuck in falwood at night the losses would be total so ill take my chances.

i pull out some maps of falwood and lay them on the table that sits in the middle of my tent. the map had battle plans and troop deployment schemes as well as casualty calculations written all over.

"we will openly share our plan with any of the lords to this land, and if i'm correct they will welcome a culling of the falwood savages."

he still looks at me hesitantly.

"my lord you trust to much in the idea that other folk will think rationally"

i growl under my breath. "if i wanted a royal adviser id have made you one now hold your tongue boy before i remove it!" i snap. having to deal with such young men in command makes me almost want a woman in charge of things. the young of our people will not be of conscripting age for another 5 years so replacing him is not an option.

"go get me a report on the status of the perimeter"

"yes my lord" he says bowing then exiting quickly.

i understand the boys hesitation he was made general not 4 full moons ago and although he has some battle expiance at only 16 cycles i fear his command may lack.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------@ perimeter: sergeant sha . {pov}------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------


being sent out to the perimeter nearest to the woods of fal is not what i signed up for. the woods give me the creeps too many high points for an enemy to pounce from. i miss the cold dark caves were sent becomes sight. there are too many scents here for me to easily pick up an individual out of the crowd of other scents.

suddenly a spear shoots from the bushes and pierces my thigh i howl in pain but quickly pull the spear out. i shout. "rah,cic,ka fade,iea" a simple clearing spell that sent the bushes, rocks and even blades of grass flying, creating a ten foot circle of bare ground around myself, and also leaveing a very bewitherd savage standing cover less in front of me.

"rae,sedi,fa" i say immediately upon locking eyes with him he loses consciousnesses as soon as the words leave my mouth. i can feel my head swimming as i hear help coming to my aid then darkness sets in

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------king dac,are {pov}-----------------------------------------------------------------

i could here commotion stirring in the camp so i decide to exit the command room and see whats happened. i exit just as my soldiers lash the savage to a log that's been stuck in the ground upright. i smile we already got one and we have only been camped for a few hours. i see one of my women soldiers being carried to the medical tent.

"what's happened?" i ask a private looking quite meek that im even talking to her.

"well S.G sha was stabbed by a spear then she lost consciousness after performing a sleep spell on the savage. the wound will not hinder her duties"

if your not careful during a sleep spell that required eye contact the will of the person your using it on will reflect the spell back onto yourself, shes just lucky she didn't do this on the battle field death would surely bring her the the ever darkness for sure

"be sure that it doesn't,you may return to your duty's private" she give me a salute and marches away. there's now a small group of soldiers watching the savage with fascination. not many of our kind have seen the brutes up close. i approach the beast as it sleeps and whisper "sadi,cia" he awakes immediately.

he begins struggling as i eye him with a smile on my face.

"release me white devil"

he spit's through gritted teeth

i scrape my claws down his face opening 3 large gashes that run vertical from the top of his matted mane to his bottom lip

"you will not speak to your superior blood in such a manor" i hiss.

i turn to my soldiers.

"beat him within an inch of his life then we will see what he knows." the whole camp could hear the howls of this savage but he would not know true pain until he gives up the location of his camp and i make him watch as i burn his village and cull his people i will wipe ever last one of these sky worshipers and restore the noble name of the lionmen
 
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Wendolyn had been traveling for sometime, and was interested in visiting the city to see what adventures lay in store for her. Ever since she had set off to find the lost pieces of Lore that made up the teachings of the Rune Priests, she had been excited to see all corners of the world. What wondrous things would she find today?

Out in the distance, it looked to be some kind of encampment. Strange, she thought to herself, that there was a group of people out here just outside the city? Hopefully it wasn't a group of bandits, the very thought of which made her nervous. Thankfully she was wearing her armor, her shield strapped to her back while her hammer stayed at her belt.

Then the sound of screaming could be heard, and she felt this gut reaction about it. Running towards the sound, the scene before her left her stomach crawling. Several lion men were beating on another, who was chained to a log.

Using her index finger she drew a symbol on her throat, creating a Rune of the War Cry, from the ancient battle God Balnazor. It was a circle with three lines at different points all joining together at the bottom.

"STOP ATTACKING HIM!"

It thundered, shaking the ground around her, and she felt the wear it placed upon her body. Every Rune had its cost, and Wendolyn knew if she used too many at once, she would collapse. Judging by the look of anger and confusion on those turning towards the lone dwarf, she had a feeling she might have need of more than one rune.
 
the command came at me as if i were the speakers inferior and i could feel the magic pull me and the she warriors attention to the small creature now standing several paces away from the camp. so much for the border patrols. the captured savage looked just as confused as us.

a few of the women around me realize were they are as if coming out of a daze. they leap on the loud creature pointing there swords in her direction surrounding her in a semi circle but still keeping a respectable distance. the half circles opening was of course the end facing me.

i frown and point to the whimpering savage

"are you defending IT? IT wouldn't think twice about ripping your flesh open and feasting on your innards given the chance."

i wipe my blood stained claws on the fur of his mane. then a i grab hold of his head and turn it to face the dwarf.

"you see those eyes? those are the eyes of a killer a monster"

i let go of his head and look into his eyes as i speak the next part of my point to her.

"it doesn't have feelings, it doesn't have morals, nor a soul. its an animal. if it wasn't for its resemblance to our kind, if it looked on the outside how it is on the inside , you would not interfere. you would rejoice at ever slash given"

i turn to the dwarf.

"the only reason i haven't sicked my women upon you is that i have no quarrel with your kind"

"your majesty we should just kill this little thing and get it over with!" pipes in one of my soldiers while taking a pointed jab at the dwarf intended to scare it "why must you explain to it why we hate these savages it knows not of our gods nor our ways"

i growl and she stands stiffer but becomes silent

"every sole deserves the wisdom of the darkness, the gods teach not to attack unless attacked and as far as i can tell her little spell only confused us but did no real harm."

i look the dwarf in the eyes.

"your welcome to watch but i will finish this interrogation and IT will give me the information i want to know, but fear not it will not die our mage medics will see to that" i smile a toothy grin at the savage.

"you will never find my people, you can rot in the darkness below!!"

the savage screams while spitting blood my way

one of my soldiers hits him in the gut. to quiet him. i smile and do a mocking bow to the dwarf. my general whos been watching from behind me growls slightly while starring daggers at the dwarf.

"may i have your permission to continue with the interrogation or do you have something you wanted to scream in that mighty tone of yours"

i place my hand on the hilt of my sword ready for an attack if one came my way.
 
There’d been scattered, almost hushed, reports of a group of beastmen near the very walls of Vel Anir. Faerlin had snorted when she first heard them: the Anirian Guard wouldn’t tolerate an enemy force so close to their walls, so either these ‘beastmen’ were so inconsequential they didn’t pose a real threat or they didn’t exist. The paladin bet on the latter.

So she was quite surprised when her superiors sent her and a small group of scouts out to the Falwood to check it out. She’d called a halt when she saw something unusual in the distance, and the scouts had scattered; so long as one reported back, that was all they needed, and they had a better chance of doing that if they split up than if they went as a group.

Then someone screamed and her eyes darted towards the sound. A dwarf was yelling—somehow with a voice that shook the ground—and charging towards some encampment. Which, Faerlin was shocked to discover, was actually filled with lionmen. Or, well, she didn’t know what they were, but they were some unholy meld of man and beast.

Her stomach roiled at the abominable sight, but she kept it under control. Faerlin was a consummate professional, and she wouldn’t let her own feelings get in the way of the mission. She’d also be an idiot not to take advantage of this opportunity, so, while all eyes (and ears, obviously) were on the dwarf, she snuck into the camp, avoiding their sentries with contemtuous ease.

It didn’t take her long to get to where she found what had to be the leader. The big lionman was talking to the dwarf woman, and Faerlin was appalled to see a bound person being tortured on the ground. It was past time she intervened in this situation. Knowing her fellow scouts were already bringing confirmation back to the city—and the bellowing dwarf had exposed this group to the more magical means of detection, no doubt—the paladin was significantly less worried about revealing her presence.

So she crept out of the shadow she’d hidden in. Her armor was freshly polished and her shield bore the symbols of Vel Anir and House Weiroon, though she refrained from drawing her sword just yet. Diplomacy was hardly her strong suit, but talking was probably easier than fighting her way through the entire enemy force.

Way less fun though.

Striding forward with staggering confidence, she halted just out of reach of the lionman leader. “I am Paladin Dercaiya of the Anirian Guard, representative of the shining city of Vel Anir. On whose authority have you come to our lands, and on whose authority have you taken this captive?” Her voice rang out, clear and strong; while it couldn’t compare to the dwarf’s earthshaking voice, Faerlin had been trained to be heard over the clangor of a battlefield. A mostly quiet camp was easy in comparison.

She waited for a response. Given that she wasn’t sure if it would be friendly or not, she was prepared to unleash her magic and her blade both. She’d been praying a lot more recently, and was filled to the brim with Nykios’ wrath. Now all she needed was an excuse to let it out.
 
i whip around at the sudden appearance of some random woman. the gods be damned its as if our patrols were useless i should have set up a distortion bearer. it wouldn't hide the camp but it would make people think they were heading into camp when in fact they are heading around it.

"does no one ask to enter a camp anymore?" i shake my head in frustration.

"im here with no qualms to the human kingdom that rules this land as for what authority i have in capturing this savage that seems to have gained the wrongly placed sympathy of you both" i glance at the savage before continuing.

"you of all people should know the danger this savage poses to the surrounding villages, my name is king dac,are. pure blood, ruler of all the women you see here and plenty more, i am here in the name of the gods to rid this land of the savages, IT is my prisoner we were trying to extract the whereabouts of his camp from him without doing harm to his mind. but if both of you are so worried for his outside injures id be happy to invoke a spell that will get the results im looking for but i fear his mind wont ever be the same he would go mad and kill as many of us as he could" i point to the savage. he spits a mouth full of blood at me.

"these 'purebloods' are savages in there own rights if you allow-aaakc" hes cut off by my general whos just bashed his fist into the savages stomach.

"you do not speak unless spoken to" my general growls.


i smile as diplomatically as i can,these people were getting on my nerves but i did not come here to start a war with two different peoples i will explain myself as best i can. i take a deep breath. and speak in a calm tone

"how about the both of you join me in my war room it has chairs and a table and i can have my servants bring us food, unfortunately i cannot offer meats as they cloud the minds eye if consumed before battle. ive been expecting someone from the city to show, i wasn't expecting a wondering dwarf but you are welcome to join us while we talk as well. the gods teach us that every child belongs to the dark and should be treated as tho they are one with the dark even if the dark has not consumed the child.i shall answer any questions you may have" i flick my hand to tell the guards to stand down. they return there swords to there sheaths.

"you see? we are not foe i think we may have a lot in common if you will just follow me." i make my way into my war tent. my general gives me a hesitant look. though his sword is away his hand still rests on the hilt

the war tent is larger than the rest of the tents in camp. it has a table with 4 chairs. there are furs on the ground. the table is bare. it has a hand carved engraving depicting the gods of darkness at war with the demons of light. in the middle is a praying monk sitting between the two Waring gods. the monk is clearly pure blood. the demons were regular lionmen and the gods were something else depicted more like an all consuming mist than anything else. the tables sides are lined with a strange metal polished to a shine. the chairs were elegant and matched the table with similar depictions adorned on them with more of that strange metal. to one corner of the room was a suit of armor made of the strange metal in the other corner was an old chest with an even lock keeping it shut.
 
Wendolyn was skeptical of their words, and found herself doubting the sincerity of this so called king. One had to have honor when dealing with prisoners, and this one had proven he had none.

"I'll see for myself, thank you very much. I refuse your offer, and have no wish to take part in your war council."

With that she left, heading towards the forest to see for herself just how savage the others are.
 
There was at least one woman here who was not to be ruled by this so-called King Dac’are. Probably two, if the way the dwarf stalked off towards the forest was any indication. For her part, Faerlin made no move to follow King Dick—as she’d decided to call him—to his tent. After seeing the way he’d treated his prisoner, who, near as the paladin could tell, was as human as she, and after the way he’d failed to show the proper respect and deference to Faerlin and the authority she wielded as an agent of Vel Anir, she was going to make a few things quite clear to him.

She unsheathed her sword and stepped between the prisoner and the lionman who’d just hurt the so-called savage. Though she spoke to the king, her eyes remained trained on the soldier. “I know of no such danger posed by the residents of the Falwood. And you might not have qualms with the human kingdom that rules this land, but I’m afraid we have some concerns about you.” Her voice was hard: she wasn’t a diplomat, she was a soldier, and his flowery language did nothing to sway the paladin from her course. Even when the king told their guards to put away their weapons, Faerlin kept hers out.

Her posture remained steady and unwavering, her tone steady, as she shifted her attention back to King Dick. “Here’s what’s going to happen. You are going to release your prisoner to me. You will then accompany me back to the city of Vel Anir, alone, so we can sort this out. If you fail to do either, or if I fail to return, it will be considered a declaration of war, and we will eliminate you and your people.” It was not an empty threat, and her voice carried the certainty of that.
 
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well this human was not what i expected from the capitol one would think that ive shown the deepest respects i even invited her to see my war plans something no king would do for any outsider.

i sigh and exit the entrance to my tent. a war with the humans was not what i set out to do. i stood there for a moment to think. the women warriors looked ready to kill the human and be done with her but with my people being here on the mainland back at base camp the only people left of my tribe. i didn't have much choice.

"*sigh* i had hoped that you were of some sort of authority as to meet with me so that i may explain my reasoning and be on my way. you are treading in waters you do not know and i fear your interference will be the death of my people and our children. those savages wouldn't think twice about slitting your throat. my mission is divine and holy. if you insist that we meet in a more formal setting then i suppose i have no choice but to join you. the gods say quick to fight quick to die."

"my lord you cant be serious by the time this humans people realize shes dead for her insolence we could be slaughtering the savages then with our magic we could hide for eternity and no mage could ever find us again"

i smile at the human. pointing at my general

"from the mouths of our youth come great stupidity.only the aged know the path ahead for they have walked it many times" i begin speaking as if my general were not there.

"he may not look it but hes but a boy with a mans body no more than 16 cycles old. all of the soldiers here are of same age if not only 2 cycles older"
i turn to the human

"the savage wont go willingly they find humans distasteful its probably the smell. most human sleep spells will not work.one of my girls will accompany us to wrangle him and protect me and i suppose you as well from IT this is non negotiable he remains in my official custody until ive spoken to your leaders. sha! "

i yell the girls name she appears quickly already healed from the savages spear

"your majesty!" she says saluting me arms crossed over breasts.

"the human wishes me to talk to her rulers. sha you will accompany us, you will be in charge of the prisoner a human could never wrangle such a creature and a human woman couldn't dream of it"

"sir are you sure im ready?"

i smile and tug on her ear an honor gesture from a king often given to reassure a young ones doubts.

"you were born with magic in your heart and strength in your bones. you will be fine as long as you dont try any spells you cant handle" she nods and salutes me one more time before retrieving a pair of shackles and fitting them onto the savages hands and feet.


the savage growls but allows her to do so he looks at his new jewelry and scoffs.

"this was not how i wanted my day to go, in the company of food and demon worshipers."

he growls and spits more blood from his mouth.

i frown.

"you worship the demons not i"

he doesn't seem to struggle from my guards hold on him. he stands there unnervingly stoic. i turn to the human.

"if you plan on using that sword i suggest you do so otherwise lets be on our way. i plan to be slaughtering savages by mid sun tomorrow and i haven't the time to waste. oh and general ta,fa if I dont return before sun down tomorrow you have my permission to take command of the mission"

"if you do not return i will curse every last human with death"

i look at him sternly "such a curse would kill our people as penance do not be foolish do as your king commands and leave me with the humans should i not return"


and with that a i begin walking ahead. the savage and sha behind me.


-------------------------------------------------------------sha character pov---------------------------------------------------
i looked at the human fascinatingly my kings words were disrespectful to say the least but men tend to not know about there own disrespect especially men in power.

i lean in and whisper to her as to not let my king hear a grave sin if he were to find me speaking to her

"dont worry the darkness teaches us all children can be embraced one day. hes just a little war hungry that's all .im sure he meant no disrespect hes used to ruling over his own domain and would never take orders from a woman especially an human woman . its not our way" i try to smile but its more of a learned trait then a natural one for us so i really hoped she did not find it distaste full. i walked with the prisoner a few paces from my king who seemed in a hurry to get to the human capitol i hoped that this was not our last trek across human lands
 
As far as Faerlin was concerned—and as far as this so-called king should be concerned—the paladin was the only authority that mattered. For in that moment, she was not simply a human. No, she was the living, breathing, embodiment of the city of Vel Anir. And so far, the only savages she could see were these lionmen. “I think you are the one who is out of his depth, your majesty.” Her voice came out clarion clear.

Then one of the other beasts spoke and she shot him a condescending look. “I’d like to see you try.” Faerlin could send this camp into chaos and escape with her life and only be a bit sweaty. Thankfully, the king intervened: while she had no qualms slaughtering these folks if she had to, it would require a lot of explaining to her higher ups.

She didn’t care about the lionmen’s society, nor did she believe the king’s statement about his enemies. People would say the worst things to make killing easier. Being who she was, Faerlin didn’t bother with such pretexts. However, as the king declared first, that someone else would be coming along, and second, that the paladin couldn’t handle a single prisoner, she felt compelled to speak up. “You may bring one companion.” She could handle two lionmen: despite their appearance, Faerlin felt no fear. “But I will be transporting the prisoner, not you.” In the pitiful state the bound man was in, he couldn’t pose too much trouble. She sheathed her sword, not so much at the king’s command, but to haul the prisoner away from the lionmen guards with no apparent effort on her part.

Then their small group was off. Faerlin relaxed imperceptibly when they emerged from the camp. Then the lionman female—lionwoman, the paladin supposed—began speaking. Although the other woman spoke in a whisper, Faerlin saw no such need. “I don’t care about your ways. You are in the lands held by Vel Anir, and as such are subject to all the benefits and laws that come with our protection. Including, I might add, equality between men and women.” She shot that last barb at the king himself, still feeling roiled up from the fight she’d almost ended up in.
 
sha:

equality? this was not a word i knew. she sounded more angry towards my king than i which i was glad for. she seemed like a warrior and though our people have 2 sometime 3 feet in height and hundreds of pounds in muscle not to mention the power of the gods in every warriors heart against her a fight may well still be evenly matched.

king dac are:

i snorted at the human "equality is earned women can do just as a man can in our society but they have to fight for it. if a woman wishes to leave her man she simply needs to call a trial, she will kill her owner. in this case the man whose property is now in dispute will defend it by either maiming the woman so that she is unfit to fight but can still bare children or he will cut his losses and kill the woman. if the woman's resolve is fair then she will kill her owner and gain the freedom of a man. this is the way and will of the gods the day women are equal to men is the day the land turns to a fiery hell"

the savage snorts.

"our women are equal. in fact most women choose there mates and if it doesn't work out? well they split ways and find new mates and he calls us the savages"

i growl.
-----------------------------meanwhile in the fal wood just beyond the border of the woods----------------------

"father?" ickoe says wondering were his father could be. he had chased after his brother who decided scouting was too boring and felt a butterfly was a better use of his time to chase. they had lost track of there father who was too large to nimbly climb the trees as they were. he had said to keep there eyes open and watch the ground to keep track of him. however cubs will be cubs. ickoe being the older brother finally got his younger brother lau under control by grabbing him by the scruff and yanking him down the tree. when they got down there father was gone. no they wander calling out to him.

"father were are you?" ickoe says a slight hint of panic in his voice. they had trained here many times it was usually safe the occasional human but they never seem to pick up on there scent so were could he be?

"you made us lose him" he says to lau who looks as though he may cry in a few moments.

"we will find him use your nose"

they began sniffing but didn't get far when the bushes began to rustle.............
 
"Hello? I heard voices." Wendolyn stumbled out of the bushes, laughing a bit before looking at the children.

"I'm not here to harm you, I promise! Are you looking for someone? Is it your father? I think I know where he is, but you have to follow me and trust me, okay?"
 
ickoe and lau:

"it knows were father is" crys lau. ickoe stand in front of his brother and pulls a small knife from his satchel.

"show us now, if you hurt him you deal with me" he squeaks not looking a bit more scary than a dandelion with a single thorn.

he follows the dwarf small blade in hand.

"Ichoe don't be mean! its nice." his little brother wails as they walk trying to snatch the blade making the whole ordeal more cute. then a "lionman" threatening an outsider that has his father.
 
Wendolyn smiled, leading the Cubs back to the camp where the prisoner was being held. Looking at what's going on in the camp, and was a little apprehensive.

"Excuse me, but I wish to travel alongside you. These Cubs are the children of that prisoner, I believe, and should be allowed to stay with him until the foreseeable future." She stood in determination, not wanting to miss out on this potential adventure.
 
the dwarf showed shortly after we began heading to the council of this humans masters so that i could make my case for the war that would sooner or later take place anyhow. how these humans could be so oblivious to the danger of these savages completely dumbfounds me.

behind the dwarf is two savage cubs one wields a knife of sorts. rather crude and no doubt stolen from another race. the other seems to be sparing for control of the knife. an innocent affair between siblings but i couldn't help but see two future monsters destined to rule in the favor of the demons above, unless i stop this race no one will be free. i must convince the humans of their threat.

the two cubs stop there play when they see the savage in chains the younger one bolts to his side crying. the other hangs back clearly aware that not all that were present were as inviting as this dwarf had been. i sigh.

"if they must come then they will. be warned as soon as the human lords hear of these vile beasts the 'cubs' will be added to MY prisoner list. if you want to call it that."
 
Faerlin just rolled her eyes at all the responses to her comment. They were all idiots, and she would be grateful to hand them over to the proper authorities. There was no way she was taking the so-called king to an actual person of importance, so once they got inside the city, she made her way to the guard captain she currently reported to, one Jokon Thacker. He took one look at her entourage and sighed. ”You always bring me the weirdest crap to deal with, Paladin Dercaiya.”

She just snorted. ”You think this is how I wanted to spend my day? This is someone who calls himself King Dac’are. He’s supposedly waging a war against some people he calls savages in the Falwood. Thought it best to bring him in for questioning, and to get some healing for his prison, who he tortured.”

The captain’s eyes widened at that, and he gestured for two guards to take the ‘savage’ away. ”King, I’m going to need to question you about your presence in our lands. First, however, you will cease all activity against the residents of the Falwood. I’d be happy to supply a messenger for you to convey that to your followers. You, unfortunately, will be here for quite a while.”

Faerlin stepped back, eyes watching the king and his companion. There was no telling how the beastpeople would react to being detained.
 
i was under the impression that i was to meet with top brass instead i am treated as a civilian of these lands. it was no matter. i sighed and straightened myself to my full 7 foot height. i had been slouching to seem less threatening. my current stance was that of royalty.

"my name is king dac'are ive come and settled my people in the woods of fal. we come from a isolated island near the ra gnamb sea, we came to these lands in search for sanctuary. what we found was the reminiscence of a thought extinct race one we had defeated long ago. our sacred books speak of this race as vile demons. worshiper of the sky's, this dispute falls under a private order we are an independent nation fighting another, ask any of the savage leaders that capture your citizens and feast on their bone's or further yet enslave them into indentured servants forced to work the rest of there short hours on this land. if they hold any regard for you and your lands laws"


i hold my ground as i tower over the guard. sha stands with her head down in the corner.

"stay alert we may not be able to leave here." i say to her in the old tongue so that the humans would not hear.

she stands at attention. no about going over escape spells in her head.

i turn back to the 'captain'

"unfortunately iv'e left a rather young general in charge. hes eager to begin the war not because iv'e instructed him but because he knows that the gods will it, however he lacks tact. a messenger sent to the camp even with my royal seal upon the cease hostile actions order would result in him ordering the attack anyhow. that's fifty soldiers he will order them to spread. your men even in your numbers cannot find a hidden mage if the mage does not want to be found, we have ways of hiding before your eyes. im willing to discuss the right of war on foreign lands but if i do not return by sun up tomorrow the attack will commence. there will be nothing i can do. though i do not doubt your ability to represent your people i do ask for council with who ever claims to rules the woods of fal, or someone who can officially speak on there behalf"

i sigh and stare at him for his response
 
"Excuse me." Wendolyn said, stepping forward to speak her piece. "But if anything must be done, we must stop those troops from going into the forest. As far as I know the people don't seem that savage, and maybe just need to be talked to so we can try to understand them better." Looking to the king of these strange lion faced humanoids, Wendolyn continued.

"At the very least, please allow the prisoners children to be with him. They deserve to be together, as any family should." She nodded, knowing that at the very least was the correct thing to do right now. Wendolyn couldn't even imagine her own father being so beaten and hurt. It made her blood boil, and she wanted to do everything in her power to stop this man from his slaughter.
 
Captain Thacker stared at the lionman for a long moment after the so-called king before sighing and giving Faerlin an annoyed look. She just shrugged back at the captain: this was above her paygrade, and they both knew it. Jokon straightened up in his chair, giving the so-called king an appraising look. ”Alright, King Dac’are. First, I am the duly appointed authority of Vel Anir for this particular matter, and you will not be speaking to anyone else. And I don’t respond well to threats, or to coercion and manipulation. I’m going to need you to verify your story. The city of Vel Anir is currently at peace with the residents of the Falwood, and there have been absolutely no reports of our people being killed, eaten, or enslaved anywhere within our borders. You have my word that even a rumor of such deeds would bring a swift and bloody response.”

However, even the captain knew that this was going to require a delicate and diplomatic touch. Faerlin wasn’t capable of either, so she just stayed quiet, watching the exchange between the king and his subordinate with narrowed eyes as Jokon whistled. A runner poked her head into the room instantly. ”Go prepare the second squadron.” The runner saluted then, well ran off.

Turning back to the king, the captain smiled, suddenly charming. ”I’ll still need you to release the prisoner to us for treatment and monitoring, and we’ll take his kids as well, if I’m understanding you right, miss.” Jokon nodded at the dwarf woman before returning his gaze to the King. ”I and my people will accompany you out to the Falwood to see what’s what.” With that, Jokon stood, revealing that he was a true giant of a man, well over six feet, with large muscles and a hardened body, apparent even under the armor he was wearing. He scooped up a helmet, which he put on, and an enormous mace, which he wielded one-handed and strapped it to his waist. ”If you’ll all follow me, we’ll get this sorted out.” Two soldiers and a healer would come forward to take over the prisoner and his children.

Assuming they did, indeed, follow them, the captain would lead them out the gate they’d come through. Outside of it, a hundred men and women in ranks and uniform armor would be waiting for them; despite the short notice, the Anirian Guard was ready, or at least this small portion of it. As the captain called for a halt, he gestured Faerlin forward. ”Paladin Dercaiya, escort us to the camp please."

The paladin saluted, then turned to lead them back to the main force of the lionmen.
 
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no doubt this meager show of force could cause an issue with the wrong people. i did not come here to start a war with the humans. i look to sha she seems worried. the savage that was in my custody can wait there are more pressing matters.

i pull a knife from my belt and cut symbols into my skin while speaking a warning spell. the symbols glow . the message was relayed to my general. right now he and our warriors are getting into formation 20 in a line to the front of the camp facing the human settlement. 25 will be in the camp ready to heal those that are in front. as these humans march 5 of our best will be scouting the savage lands preparing for a quick retreat if needed. i approach the captain and address him sternly.

"a show of force i see, my warriors will be lined up outside of the camp.i have sent word. they will not attack unless commanded to. i hope that we can peacefully come to an agreement. if your men attack the battle will be fierce and bloody for both sides. upon our arrival i am prepared to meet with you i want no war with the furless folk, and when you see the savage camps. you will understand that they are not only a threat to me and my people but a threat to all that cross them. just sit down with me and my general and we will show you that we mean no ill will to the furrless"
 
Wendolyn was more than dubious on the kings statement on not wishing them harm. From what she had seen, they were capable of doing much harm if they really wanted to. She hoped things didn't resort to violence, but in these matters, it was hard not to imagine it happening.

"I'm coming with you. There's no way I'm not seeing this one through, I guarantee it." She was resolute in this decision, and nothing was going to get her to change her mind on it.
 
Great. The dwarf would be coming along. Faerlin gave the other woman an appraising look, before the paladin shrugged and turned to lead the troops back to the beastpeople’s camp.

The captain, however, just smiled at the king’s statement, falling into an easy marching pace, as the troops did the same in the ranks before him. ”King Dac’are, let me assure you that this is hardly a show of force. Call it...a token of our appreciation for your presence in our lands.” Indeed, the single unit they were fielding was such a small proportion of the total force that Vel Anir could field as needed that it was laughable to think this was a show of force.

That didn’t mean the elite troops wouldn’t be enough to wipe the lionfolk out if it came down to a fight.

Captain Thacker gave the leader of the lionpeople another bright smile. “Also, humans. We’re called humans. If you’re going to reside in our lands, you’ll need to learn our laws and customs.” Faerlin was glad the captain said something, because diplomatic approach or not, if the king had said ‘furless’ one more time she would’ve skinned him.

As it was, the troops marched 10x10 until they halted with the lionmen came into view. Time to see if this so-called King Dac’are was telling the truth.
 
i can see my soldiers in a line. i could hear the chants spoken by the soldiers in back they stand in a circle reciting the spells that instill fear into the hearts of men. even now i could feel the uneasy tension in the air.


i sigh. humans are so quick to fight even when they do not know what they are fighting.

"ill give you this one chance to enter negotiations, if you refuse i will be forced to command my soldiers to attack, this will result in many of my kind wounded and every single human here dead. i did not come here to fight with you and your people but if you force my hand then it shall happen, you don't know the forces of which you are playing with. even if you were to wipe our people from your lands more will come and those that will come to these lands will be no friend of mine, my enemy's will follow me and when they find you have taken a victory they feel is rightfully theirs well, you will have another war on your hands one you will not recover from."

the chanting continues on in the background. i hear my general bark commands in our native speak.

"ready girls!"

he yells as every solider on the front line pulls there swords out.

the chanting changes from pre battle intimidation spells to healing spells. the battle will begin soon. with the amount of soldiers chanting and the amount of soldiers fighting being even, a number of 400 men would not have the ability to kill the front line soldiers. i can feel the magic begin to flow into me as they focus on my protection.in a battle regardless of the kings position efforts are taken to heal me were ever i may be. i use this opportunity to demonstrate one last time to the captain who and what we are. i do not want a fight not because i fear loss but because i fear the repercussions of killing all the men before me with what little effort it would take.

i show him my knife and immediately cut my own throat. i remain in eye contact with him the whole time

blood spews from me onto him for only a second before the wound heals its self.

"it is not me who should fear you it is you who should fear me, i was being polite when i referred to this spattering of men as a force, and you are wrong this is not a token this is a grain of sand in my boot"

i say while pointing at the soldiers behind us the humans ignorance and inability to see reason astounds me.
if its violence they want then it will be violence they get. in the end even if my people parish i will die knowing my more powerful foes are on there way to the mainland as we speak they will defeat the
humans easier than i ever could and i will smile from the darkness below and laugh
 
Captain Thacker exchanged glances with Faerlin and the sergeants in the unit. That was all they needed to start subtly preparing themselves for the possibility of a battle no one really wanted. That done, the captain turned to the king with a broad smile on Jokon’s face. ”You can put your claws away. I have no interest in fighting you. I just wanted to figure out what was going on, and I brought some troops to help me sort it out is all.”

The captain clasped his hands behind his back, looking entirely unthreatening. He tapped a rhythm on one wrist, which would alert the mages back in Vel Anir to scry his location. If the lionmen did something stupid, like attack, the entire force of the city would come out to wipe them out to the last. For her part, Faerlin stood to one side, eyes watching the front rows of troops for any sign of an attack.

Almost she was eager to test her blade and her spells against these beasts.

Captain Thacker continued smiling. "So. What is there to negotiate?" The captain was entirely at ease, a man who knew he had every advantage and upper hand here.
 
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the man looked at me smugly as if he had an advantage in an altercation if it were to come to that.

i glanced at my troops who were not too far away. i could see the healers recovering from my demonstration the power needed to heal my wound would have been tremendously taxing.

"a war will happen between my people and the savages this is a fact. when it begins is up to your people but it will begin sooner or later. if a delegation needs to be assembled to asses the savage tribes then so be it but we will wipe the savages from these lands with in a years time regardless if we have your blessings."

i look to the woods as i speak up once more

"the trees have eyes and ears captain . the savage king known as lionman will have gotten reports of our presence by now. there disdain for us is as great as ours is for them. they will organize and when they do we will have lost the advantage. they could perceive your little army as an alliance between our people. i tried to stop you but you insisted on this welcoming party now that our army's are not engaged in battle it could appear we are coming to an agreement one that will not be favorable for them, the damage is done and you have done it, by simply coming here. do you think i am a fool? placing my army here was apart of the plan, we were going to sit here allow them to become aware of us then we were going to follow there scouts to there camp and attack in the early morning. i knew there was a great chance of us meeting but i did not anticipate you would move your men so foolishly.sending a force in this size will only cause the savages more worry why do you think my attacking army is so small? if i hadnt commanded my general to hold his ground there would have been a fight, you may not have meant to be menacing but your actions are.."

i sigh and rub my temples at the sheer stupidity and lack of tact this man has, how he ever became a man with a command astounds me
i raise my arm and hold it into a fist

"stand down cease all magic acts. i am not in any danger"
i roar to my soldiers they all put the weapons away and the chanting stops

"if you wish you and two others may join me in my royal tent to discuss matters further or you and i as well as the best of your trackers can go find a village of savages and you can see the human and elf bones that decorate there villages and then you can decide for yourself weather i speak the truth."
 
Everything he spoke sounded contemptible. It was astounding, just how much condescension could be heard from his voice. How a beast could be known as king amongst his fellows baffled the dwarf, and she then decided that these beasts were no better than those they were saying they were going to fight.

Whatever happened, she was determined to see what came next. Was this madman correct in his warnings, or was he trying to trick them? Whatever it was, she was determined to fight on the side of justice.
 
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