Shadows over Nothross | Page 5

It takes a longer time than that to truly destroy something we spent centuries to build, don't you think? Over the two years we've taken considerable time and effort to reorganise things to mount a counterstrike. Can you imagine how hard it is to destroy the monsters of each and every significant location of the most treacherous and hostile quarters of our kingdom, especially during an economic recession? I've felt the chilly grip of poverty grabbing my shoulder."
"So you had to trade the golden forks to mere silver ones?" Facyr grinned weakly, and even when Aleln looked at him with a bit icy look, his grin calmed the elven lord enough to bring him to good humour once again.
"Worse than that, really, I had to sell most of the little other possessions we had. For a time I was lodged in the summer residence of Duke of Westholt, and, you know, he's known for collecting the most boring books ever written. I received a heavy blow to my senses every time I stepped in the library, which connected every room in that manor", the duke said, and everyone present chuckled. "In any case, war effort is now progressing well. We've made great progress over the past year, and the recent offensive solved almost all of our problems. All that is left to do is to destroy whatever monsters stand in our way in one fell swoop, reclaim my castle and destroy the usurper. It is these few last steps that have proved to be quite difficult."
"I'm just curious," Faira said. The black-clad, raven-haired lithe woman stretched and sat up in a bit more suitable position on her chair in the corner of the room. More suitable, in this case, meant that she finally got her legs off the table - that had clearly been an etiquette breach when there were nobles in the house, though she had long ago figured out they didn't mind. "How and why did you come to choose us for this mission? Isn't the world full of really nasty mercenaries anyway?"
"Ah", Aleln said with a smile. He looked at Faira, not sure if she just feigned ignorance, or was just honestly curious. "Two reasons, actually. Firstly, the Varmhjelmian diplomats recommended you. The King has the habit of discussing about really bad news that cannot be solved immediately over the supper. I was visiting the capital to explain the current situation in Nothross, we were discussing various people who had already failed in the task, and the Varmhjelmian ambassador recommended you. He holds you in high regard, saying he respects the heroic deeds you did during the Varmhjelmian Revolution and the war that followed."
"Very kind of him to think so", Facyr said with a big smile. "I was already worried people would have forgotten us. Seems to me the memories of most folks don't stretch all the way back to three years ago!"
"Then there was another reason - Duke of Bluebrook holds you in high regard, having good... even cordial relationships with you", Aleln continued.
"Well, that is true", Facyr said with a smile. While he had not met Thalimve Lucien yet, Gnedrnygr had spent a lot of time in the vast libraries of Castle Bluebrook before the war, and despite all sensibility - love is blind, they say - it seemed the Duke and Faira were getting along rather well. Facyr pondered this for a few passing seconds, and then decided to skip to more pressing matters. "Can you tell us what exactly are we up against? I have only heard vague rumours about the state Nothross is right now. City in ruins, monsters everywhere?" he asked Aleln.
"Actually, it isn't quite as bad as it sounds. Late in Springbreak, I led three regiments of Mighty Lancers to the city, and it remains in our hands now. Half of the city is still desolate, uninhabitable battlefield. The other half is being rebuilt, and people are returning to their homes. Our real problem is the castle where the wizard plots and his monsters multiply."
"Can't you just lay siege on the castle?" Facyr wondered.
"It's pointless. The creatures don't seem to come out of there except when they're trying to raid the village. And they seem to be getting supplies somehow. Perhaps there's a tunnel we don't know of yet. They also seem to be getting supplies by air. Last month, we found from the woods a broken kite-like machine that seemed to be light enough for one of these creatures, perhaps able to carry a considerable load of supplies. We also shot one down merely two weeks ago, it was piloted by one of the small creatures, wearing some kind of a mask to allow them to breathe, and it was hard to shoot down since they were flying high