Gastropé gulped, audibly, and stammered, “Um, gracious lord, we... ah.. we did everything as you ordered, just like you instructed. We, uhm, we laid ambush along all the possible routes of exit and waited. We really didn’t think it likely they’d come our way, but, but they did. So, we ambushed them, they had no warning. At first it went well, the fireballs took out several wagons. But...”
“But you failed me anyway,” Exador inserted impatiently, “why?”
“Lord they apparently had loaded this caravan with all of their most powerful wizards, suddenly lighting began to fall amongst our men, and then one of their lead wizards caused the very plants around me to rise up and halt my spells. They tried to strangle me, naturally I used counter measures, but the enemy wizard was too strong, at first. Eventually I broke free, but by this time it was too late... I... stepped out into sight to get a better view, and lord...” Gastropé’s face was pale with remembrance of the frightful scene.
“Spit it out already... what did you see!”
“Lord, all of our people... dead, horribly dead. Apparently Lenamare was with them, or something, they, somehow, in the heat of battle... well I don’t know for sure... but...”
“But what?... you are really beginning to try my patience.” Exador said testily.
Gastropé gathered himself together to make the unbelievable statement. “M’lord somehow they summoned an archdemon... at least fifth order or so, perhaps a demon prince... I don’t know how... all I know, is that I had to once again use all of my power and knowledge to escape it relatively unharmed,” Gastropé finished.
Gastropé fidgeted nervously as Exador just stared at him thoughtfully. The room was silent, Exador had stopped tapping on his helmet and simply stared through Gastropé. It really made the young wizard nervous, it was as if Exador had temporarily decided he didn’t exist.
Eventually, Exador’s eyes came back into focus, and he looked at Gastropé himself for a moment then looked around at his men. “Possible, unlikely but possible, they do have that type four running around, it could have been that.” He looked at Gastropé, “Not a demon prince, or even an archdemon, you never would have escaped, I don’t even see how you could have escaped from a type four. That, I find suspicious...”
Gastropé turned even whiter, “M’lord I swear,” he fell to his knees, “all that I’ve told you is true, I escaped using my skills and magic, it was all I could do, but I did.” He really didn’t like the tone of Exador’s voice.
Exador stared a moment longer, as if assessing Gastropé’s sincerity, then said, “Be that as it may, you’ve still failed me. I reward those who succeed, those who fail...”
“Please lord, there was nothing we could do... no normal mortal can stand up to a demon of that power, and I honestly admit that I’m not a good enough wizard to defeat one in combat... what could I have done to change things?” Tears were starting to come to Gastropé’s eyes.
Exador just looked at him sourly, “Take him to the prisoner tent; it’s empty at the moment. I’ll decide what he’ll be... later.”
The guards moved in and picked up Gastropé. He was too scared to protest; Exador’s words...
As Gastropé was carried out, Exador turned to one of his higher ranking aides, “Send out a sufficient number of three’s to try to intercept the remainder of that party, and bring them back here. Then hold them for me till I get back.”
“Back? M’lord?” the aid asked.
“Back. Apparently Lenamare has somehow made it to Freehold and is petitioning against me, for invading his lands. I’ve got to go keep an eye on him, if he spills too much, all of my plans could be in jeopardy.” The aide nodded sagely in agreement. Without saying anything more Exador stood up from his throne, and surveyed his tent. Satisfied that his lieutenants could probably manage what little was left of his army while he was away; he raised his hand in a casual gesture, making a few arcane gestures for show, and vanished.
Damien leaned back in his chair perusing the missives recently delivered to him by couriers. Except for a harvest report from his steward, the messages were all from his friends in the border areas. All of which concerned an apparent disagreement between the wizards Exador and Lenamare. Which was precisely why Damien was so interested in the reports. Exador and Lenamare were bringing mutual complaints against each other before the council in three days. Damien, being an ever interested and attentive council member, was thus most interested in what was occurring between the two.
