Accursed Wars of Immortalis

Chapter 2: Aftermath

Reaching their destination would take a few hours; the day before, they had made it three-quarters of the way between Bastionette, a village close-to-dead-centre of Luxurum, to their destination in the space of three days. There was no road linking the two villages, since people hardly travelled between them; had the builders of the kingdom known that it would have served well during the Third Chaos Outbreak, they would have made one. Instead of marching on an even road, the war-band had to traverse the highlands. The region was high above sea level, but also relatively flat. There were only a few places where the carts were forced to take a detour around a ditch or steep hill. While it slowed down the war-band, it was faster than following the road that went west to Prosperia and then travel east to their destination.

Flann had been conversing with a fellow legionnaire for the last hour. Her interlocutor was Ragnhild of Vitalus, a vanguard; she was an able and strong-bodied woman who stood taller than most men and almost as tall as the shorter Maledicti. She, unlike most vanguards, was given a full set of Luxurite plate armour, and she was the only person Flann had ever seen wearing the armour with such ease – most would not travel on foot with it for very long, nor would they wear it unless headed to battle. Ragnhild wore her legionnaire tabard over it to ensure to be properly distinguished from the few among the soldiers of Luxurum who were wealthy enough to have the same armour. She carried her great helm in hand and a shield, upturned-tear-shaped and 45-inches tall, strapped to her back. Her only weapon was a longsword, tucked in its scabbard hanging on her belt. She had short black hair and rugged features. She was once a beautiful woman, some would say, while others would claim that she still is, but now, she has many scars from the war against the demons.

Together, they were speaking of the fate of their home towns.

"My hometown's the furthes' village east, along Axius River," said Ragnhild, "Was torn down and built again many times during the war against Valand."

"Is that why you became a warrior? To defend your village?" asked Flann.

"Yes. Then I joined the legion, as a guardian. Was the only way to get any armour in my village," she explained. "Our village was never attack, so I became a vanguard, and went to war."

She looked at Flann, hesitant. For a moment, she looked every which way, silent, before asking: "What about your village, Flann?"

"Mine was destroyed many years ago. All were killed or cursed."

"It's true you were saved from the Realm of Chaos?"

"It is."

"What about the rest of the village... your family?"

"Most of my family is in the Sea of Flames, eternally suffering. One of my brothers is dead, so I was told. He was one of the few bodies that could be recognized in my home village."

"Sorry to hear..."

"Thanks to the noble knight Chaosbane Akarin, I was rescued along with Walgen and Caron. That is why I decided to join the fight."

"The High Priest? He's also from little Mirthenhelm?"