the sketches

[steuben]

the captain watched as the demon gently laid her body down and stood, picking up his sword.  the army began to gather round the demon and the woman on the ground. he looked at the woman.

"you two," he told off two soliders."carry her back to the others."

"which ones?" one of the soliders said.

the captain looked over at the demon. "ours for the moment."

the demon focused on the captain. covered in blood and mud, he looked much like his name sake. the captain caught site of the ring on the demons finger, despite the blood and mud the ring still gleamed.

"the marshal wishes to talk with you. it will be simpler if there aren't any distractions."

the demon didn't respond and simply looked towards the clot of yliaki moving through the crowd. the marshall's guard broke though the ring surrounding the demon. the marshall stepped in to the open space. his uniform was bright, crisp and clean. it only showed the mud on the pants that had accumulated in the walk there.

"so this is the fearsome demon," the marshall said. "the yliak that has held whole armies at bay. i somehow expected someone taller. but, no matter. general viscosa, i come with a proposition for you. you are defeated. your forces are dead or fleeing. you are surrounded. surrender to me, and you will live. i can't promise that you will be comfortable." he chuckled. "actually, i promise that it will be uncomfortable. but," he gestured around, "considering the alternative not a bad offer."

he waited for a responce. the demon simply looked at him. a note of frustration appeared in the marshal's face and voice. "you have lost. you have nothing. surrender to me!"

again he waited. again the demon simply looked at him. "why do you continue to fight me?!" rage now apparent in his voice.

"for those who stand behind us," the demon responded quietly.

the captian looked over the demon to the villages beyond. he looked behind himself to the villages. the marshall turned in full fury. "kill him," he shouted. the clot of his surrounding gaurds moves back to the camp.

the captain raised his sword and takes a half step forward. the others close in. the captain paused. the others moved around him. he droped his sword. the captain turned and walked away. the sound of the demon fighting feicely reached him. the combat seemed to be in his favour. he didn't regret fighting the demon. he regreted fighting against him.

[steuben]

"no," the diaboli cried as she stumbled back against the wall

"come now,' the ynnwn placed his hand against the wall bloocking her one escape. his two companions stood blocking the other. "we protect you when the monster come, don't we?"

she nods.

"so you want to make sure that they don't get you, right?"

she nods again.

"well, what could a pretty little thing like you have that you could offer us to make sure that the monsters don't get you?" he leers at her.

she shakes her head. "nothing."

"really? i can think of one thing."

he reaches for her. she slaps him on across cheek. he stands up straight.

"really now," he raises his hand to strike her. before he can start the swing his wrist is grabbed. he starts the swing before he realizes it. the force swings him halfway around. the ylian holding his wrist releases it as the ynnwn turns the rest of the way around. his compagions spring alert when they notice the arrival.

"so who are you?" the ynnwn says. "and what business do you have interfering with the guards' business?"

the ylian just stands there looking at the ynnwn.

"the quiet type, huh? maybe this will loosen your tongue?" he hits the ylian the the stomach twice and then throws an upper cut. ylian flys and lands backwards in the mud.

"::nameless::" she cries as the ylians lands.

the ynnwn turns back to her. "now where were we?"

"boss?" one of the other two says.

"what?" he turns and sees the ylian standing behind him. "ha, can't take a hint?" the ylian looks at him. "well maybe something a little less obvious." the other two had slipped round behind the ylian. the ynnwn nods. the other two each drive a punch to the kidneys. the ylian staggers to his knees. the ynnwn steps to the side and drives a roundhouse kick between the shoulders. when the ylian hits face first in the mud the ynnwn steps on the back of his head. "now, will i have to make myself clearer?"  he takes he foot of the ylian, and turns back to the diaboli. "now that, that is finsihed."

he catches the ylian rising out of the corner of his eye. the ylian rises up looking like something the mud itself had spawned. "very well," the ynnwn growls. he pulls out a dagger. the other two follow suit. "perhaps i shall have to make my point."

"no, i go," the diaboli.

"too late missy," the ynnwn says.

the ylian simply looks at her. sensing a distraction the ynnwn strikes. the ylian sidesteps the strike. the other two move in. he dodges the two of them. the three try to hit him. he dances around them before striking on of them that sends him hard enough against the wall to shatter the plaster. he slides to the ground unconscious. the other two shout and try to attack again. their attacks are more furious. the ylian still dodges. he seems to bend in awkward ways to avoid the blades. again he strike. the other compagin flys to the wall near the other. the shattered plaster falls to the ground in a white cloud. the ynnwn pauses and tries to strike. the ylian grabs the dagger hand of the ynnwn and pushes it to the side. his other hand grabs the ynnwn by the throat. the ynnwn drops the dagger and tries to pry the hand off. the ylian squeezes and begins to lift the ynnwn off the ground. the ynnwn scrabbles franticly at the hand holding his neck.

the diaboli rushes over. "::nameless:: no put him down," she cries. "please."

a long sword slides beside ::nameless::'s neck. "i do beleive she has a good idea," a calm voice says.

::nameless:: lowers the ynnwn to the ground. when he releases the neck, the ynnwn slumps to the ground gasping and weezing. he turns around. the guard behind him sheathes his sword.

"i am leiutenant awaru. you appear to have assulted three guards." his visage turns cold. "and were making good way on killing one of them. do you have anything to say for yourself?"

::nameless:: looks at the awaru.

"sir. this is ::nameless::," the diaboli says. "he doesn't speak. these three were about to... take advantage of their position. ::nameless:: tried to stop them. when he did they attacked him. it wasn't until they came at him with daggers that he fought back."

awaru looks at ::nameless::. "yes, quite effectively it would seem... maybe too effective." he looks at the diiaboli. "you are?"

"feiy enthiy."

looking back at ::nameless:: he says "and where are you living?"

"he's up at claz's farm," feiy says. "he works up there. sometimes he helps out at drommand's smithy."

awaru looks at the three sprawled on the ground. "it would seem that it will be a while before i get their side of the story. very well." he fixes ::nameless:: with a cold look. "don't leave town. i will want to talk to you later." his look softens a bit. "go home both of you. i'll deal with these three."

[steuben]

the lemur steps out of the carriage. "now, now ladies. i shant be too long," he says inside. "just a quick piece of buisiness and we shall be on our way."

one of the yliaki makes a moue. "but sully..." she says.

the lemur chuckles. "you've been paid for the whole night. a little while with nothing to do shall not reduce your pay."

"yes, come yusa. we can make our own fun for a while."

the lemur chuckles again. "don't tire yourselves out. we have yet a full evening ahead of us." he closes the door to the carriage with a florish.

 he walks up to the door of a well appointed house. he knocks on the door, there is a band of rust on the little finger of his hand. the door opens.

"yes?" the doorman says.

"sulus govannon. i have an appointment."

"very good. please come in." the door is opened wide and sulus steps in. the door man closes the door behind him. "may i take your jacket?"

"yes, please." he slides out of his jacket and hands it too the doorman. he hangs it in the closet.

"this way sir. they are waiting for you." the doorman gestures down the hall. they walk down the hall a short ways. he opens a door. "in here sir."

sulus steps into a darkened room. the doorman closes the door behind him. six highbacked chairs can be made out in the darkness. a shadowy form sits in each of the,. a seventh chair, completing the circle, sits in a pool of light. a small table with a small chest, and a scroll, stands next to it.

"come in, sit down." a shadow sitting in one of the chairs. gestures to the chair in the light. sulus sits down. "in that chest is your pay."

sulus picks up the chest and opens it. the gems glitter in the light. he looks at the gems. he picks out a small diamond and places it on the table. he closes the chest and places it next to the diamond. "a little bit over. but, this shall balance it as near as one can with such things."

the doorman comes in with a silver tray, a pot and cup on it. "tea, sir?"

"yes. please," sulus says. as the doorman pours the tea, "could you send this out to my driver?" sulus gestures to the chest.

"yes, of course." the doorman places the chest on the tray, and carries it out.

"now," one of the seated shadows says after the door has closed. "we understand that you have extensive knowledge of summoning."

sulus nods and sips the tea.

"we are seeking to summon a unique creature."

sulus nods and again sips the tea.

"we will reuire the utmost discretion," one of the other seated shadows said.

"my pay will purchase a great deal of discretion." sulus focuses on the shadow and grins slightly. the shadow shifts uncomfortably.

"that scroll contains an overview." the first voice says. sulus picks up the scoll and reads through it.

"a demon..." he titters. "everything i've done, and still they called him 'the demon.'" he looks up at the shadows. "demons are ... interesting things. if summoned you think you will be able to control it?"

"yes," the first shadow says. "we have considered that. measures have been taken."

"very well." sulus stands up. "let's see if i can not finish what you have started." the shadows stand up after him.

"yes, of course." the lead shadow says. "this way."

it walks to a corner of the room. as the shadows pass near the light they reveal themselves to be cloaked figures. there is a click and a piece of the wall swings inwards. they walk down the stairs. they stop at a heavy oaken door. two of the cloaked figures struggle with lifting the two heavy locking bars. they slowly swing the door open. inside is a brightly lit room. there are several complex glitering structures of crystal and silver. the stone walls have complex patterns of silve inlaid into them. they walk in. sulus looks around.

"yes. i see," he says. "hmm. an interesting variation on that. yes there's the butress for it. yes, i see the source design." he walks around the room. "a friend of mine would say it is showy. but, he does have a taste for elegance. yes, i should be able to finish this."

"i thought you would be able to." the lead figure says. "will it take long?"

sulus walks over to a work bench and picks up a spool of wire. "no. not very long." he begins to weave and pinch off the wire with his fingers. "it's a shame it won't match the rest of it." at seeming random he fixes crystals into the wire. "perhaps he does have a point." he afixes his construct between two of the structures. "sometimes only the function matters." he steps back. his construct seems to shift its shape slightly, as if trying to fold itself into impossible shapes. the other structures seem to take on an active feel to them. "there we are. finished."

"you can't be done." the second cloaked figure says. "it took us six months to build this. you can't have just finished it in with a tangle of wire and crystals."

sulus looks at the cloaked figure. "and if i hadn't been asked to complete this project," sulus grins slightly again. "perhaps your opinion would be worth more then the air you are displaying." he waves his hand dismissively. "but, if i may, i would like to see this demon you are trying to summon."

"yes of course." the first figure says. "i was thinking that myself. but, let's get to work, our master shall be pleased."

the six cloaked gather around the room. they begin to chant and gesture. the crystal and wire resonate and begin to glow and move in responce. electrical arcs jump from wire to wire. some of them land on the stone other land on the inlaid wire and dance along them. a glowing dot forms in the centre. it quickly grows to a bright white sphere seven feet across. as they continue a humanoid shape forms in the sphere. the electrical arcs intensify. some of the arcs blast of bits of stone from the walls and floor. on one hand of the shape a dash of white the colour of burning iron forms. sulus stands erect. he looks through the scroll again. he begins to laugh. the laugh moves into the higher registers suggesting madness. the figures stop. sulus walks up to the sphere. the arcs seem to get close but dodge around him. he looks into the sphere.

"perhaps someday we'll be able to dance again," he whispers. he turns around. "but that day will not be today." he taps a crystal. he begins to walk around the room, tapping crystals and wire as he goes, seeingly at random. "i warned you about summoning what you couldn't control." the figures turn following him. the figure in the sphere begins to fade. the arcs beging to intensify, they still miss sulus, but get closer to the cloaked figures. sulus chuckles. "you were summoning something beyond even my control." he titters. "not that i didn't try."

"what? how?" the first figure says.

"i didn't realize until you started." sulus says. a small arc hits one of the figures. he yelps and jumps into a bigger one. "but, this wasn't a demon you were summoning."

"but, the scroll..."

"yes, the scroll." sulus stops and tosses the scoll into a large arc. it immediately bursts into flames. he is standing infront of the doorway. he walks through and closes the door. the cloaked figures begin to run to the door. a massive arc strikes the floor infront of the door, sending up a spray of stone chips driving them back. on the other side of the door sulus picks up the bars single handed and easily drops them in place. he walks up the stairs. faint screams can be heard through the door. he pulls the secret door closed. as he leaves the room he finishes the tea he left behind. he walks out and back to the door.

"your business was satisfactorily concluded, sir?" the doorman says. as he gets sulus's coat from the closet

"differently from what i expected."

"i hope i didn't over step sir. i brought some refreshments to your guests in the carriedge."

"no, not at all. thank you." sulus looks the doorman up and down. he pulls a card out of his coat pocket. "if ever you find you need new employment, i know yliaki who are looking for people who know there jobs as well as you do."

"thank you, sir." the doorman takes the card. "while i doubt i shall need it in the immediacy, i shall keep it in mind. good evening, sir"

"good evening," sulus says as he walks out the door.

sulus walks down the steps with a slight spring in his steps. he opens the door to the carriage, and steps inside.

"sully," the first woman says. "you're back."

"yes, and now we shall begin our evening." sulus taps on the front wall of the carriage and it begins to move. "but  where to begin, where to begin. ah, yes. i know a musical perfomance that you both will enjoy."

[steuben]

the fireballs impacted the anti-magic field, the energy discharged in a drawn-out cascade of lightning that arced and bounced over the field until it dissipated or grounded itself in a spray of dirt flash cooked to brick. the lightning sizzled like fat frying. after the fireballs ceased and the lightning faded, the taste and smell of tin lingered in the air.

heads began to peek back over the earthwork embankments. they were looking for the attack that probably wasn’t going to coming, but were checking anyways. the lone figure that stood exposed, impassively watching the display stepped back in to the trenches.

“they should have let some through,” one solider said to the group he was with. “keeping up the fields with that kind of attack will take the wind out of yea.”

“not like they’ll have much left either,” one responded. “besides, what would they be savin’ it for?”

the first solider chuckled. “won’t be for the day after tomorrow, that’s for sure.”

“why was he up there,’ the youngest in the group asked.

“who?” someone else said.

“general viscosa,” the youngest said. “he watched the whole thing from the top.”

“don’t know. can’t say it really matters.”

“death,” one of the older soldiers said. “the demon fears death.”

“what?” one of the other soldiers said. “old-timer, you should know that the demon don’t fear nothin’.”

“ha! he fears a great many things. things that i can’t begin to imagine. he fears surviving. we know that we will probably die. he knows he’ll probably live. he’s afraid that when we die, he’ll have failed somehow.”

“bah, we knew we weren’t going to live through this when we came.”

“and he knows that. doesn’t stop him from fearing it.”

“but why are we here?” the youngest said. ”still here? why not fight them when we could win?”

“kid, who said anythin’ about losin’?”

“but
”

“kid, it don’t matter is we win or lose here. by fightin’ they have lost.” he looked at the youngest. “kid, we’re still here because we know we’ll not have died needlessly.”

[steuben]

the doors exploded open. one of the heavy timbers hit one of the criminals inside. it landed with crack. it tumbled onto him without new breaks. the rest turned to the doorway. silhouetted in it is a slender figure/

“sulus?” the leader dabbed at his face where a splinter had cut him. “what? how? i had killed you.”

sulus stepped into the room. ”yes, you did a rare feat. but there are many ways out of the death realm.” he walked towards them. ”though it was rather unartful, and lack any elegance.”

he stopped in front of the leader. he tittered. “some things i will tolerate. some even forgive. but a total lack of elegance is not one of them.”

“that’s too bad.” the leader said. “i don’t know how i’ll live with myself.”

sulus tittered again. “i don’t foresee that as a problem.”

“neither do i. we killed you before. we’ll do it again. get him!”

sulus smiled beatifically as the swords swung at him. he stepped out of the way of them a hairs breadth before they would have hit.”

“tsk, tsk gentlemen.” sulus shook his head. “but so be it.”

he struck out with his hand at the nearest criminal. he broke the sword arm and bent it back at the break. the sword is driven into the belly of the criminal. sulus pulls it out of the slackened grip. with a casual back swing he topped the head on the man behind him like an egg.

they swung again at sulus. he easily dodged the four swords. “you see, with elegance you can achieve any thing.” he dodged another sword swing. he drives his sword between two of the ribs of the swinger. he released the sword and reached across to grab the still silt hilted dagger. he pulled the sword back out as the body began to slump down.

“admittedly it can be a bit showy.” he turned to another criminal. he swung the sword in a complex set of swings. he blocked the other two swords absently with the dagger. as part of the motions he switched the dagger and the sword between hands. the dagger moved without missing a block or interfering with the sword. it would have been spectacular except for the spray of blood and the pieces that fell to the floor.

he turned to the remaining pair, the leader and a youth. they stumbled back against a wall. sulus walked over.

“even pure raw power has some elegance.” he said. “but you didn’t even have that.”
the leader grabbed the youth by the front of his tunic. he throws him at sulus. sulus dodged him easily. as he passed sulus, a ring on a thin chain flew out of the tunic. sulus looked at the ring. sulus turned toward the youth. the youth stumbled face down on to the floor. the leader started to step away from the wall. without a look sulus pinned him to the wall with the sword.

the youth had rolled over. he watched in wide eyed terror as sulus walked over. sulus crouched down. he picked the ring up with the tip of the dagger. he held it in front of front of the youth’s eyes. the ring was made of dull iron. the edges were scalloped around the top and the bottom.

“where did you get this?” sulus said.

“w-what?” the youth said.

sulus sighed. “do not focus on the tip of the dagger. where did you get the ring?”

“i-it was my father’s.” the youth swallowed.

“why do you have it.”

“my father was a smith. he took seriously ill. he died after finishing the final quenching of his last work.”

“he would have, having made this ring.” sulus released the ring from the dagger. he stood up. “go home boy. learn your father’s trade.”

he threw the dagger off handed into the room. it landed with a wet crack. “you life will be better for it.” sulus turned and walked out the door. he whistled a sprightly march as he walked into the light.

[steuben]

nunoas opened his eyes to blackness studded with harsh white beads of light; .that seemed to hang domed and motionless close around him; and the surprise that he couldn’t move.

“good you are awake.” a calm, cultured voice said. “usually i am much more precise with the sleeping spells. but due to the nature to of the preparations i had to use a coarse metering. it did lack elegance, but alas sometimes requirements will display finesse. and it is little use struggling. the paralysis will last a little longer yet.”

“who are you?” nunoas said. “what have you done to me?”

“my name is sulus giovanen.” sulus’s voice began to move outside the circle of the light. “as for what i have done. that has a bit of a longer answer. but, for you, it may be a rather more interesting one.

“it is the first time i have tried this technique, and so far i am satisfied with the result. you will now be only able to suffer the true death. so regardless of how bad the hurt how terrible the injury, how horrific the wound you will not die, you will slowly heal.”

“what? why?” nunoas tried to struggle, and failed. sulus’s calm voice was among the most fearful things he had heard.

“i will get to why shortly. you need not test the paralysis; it is still firmly in place. that was what i have done. now i will tell you what i will do.”

there was the sound of sulus waving his arm. “you have noticed the lights. they are at the junction points of a mesh that surrounds you. i found it in an ancient text beyond the portals. the mesh allows those within it to experience other realities. there is some leakage to outside the mesh, and from what i have seen it is very intriguing. i combined the mesh with certain glyphs. now whatever is at the center of the mesh will experience the effect to the exclusion of all else, permanently.”

“why?” nunoas’ situation began to dawn on him.

“do you recall a young woman that you had a business dealing with?”

“what? i’ve had many business deals, with many people.”

“you should remember this one.” sulus had stopped near nunoas’ head. “she was injured during your dealings with her.” a hard edge appeared in sulus’s voice. “you left her with an intact mind, in a ruined body.”

“she was just a whore, worthless. one of dozens of women like her out there.”

“worthless?” anger replaced the hardness in sulus’s voice. “everybody has worth. hers in sum may have been greater than yours.” the edge disappeared, and the sound of an evil grin replaced it. “your worth will most certainly now will be less. you see, on her behalf, i am going to leave you with a perfectly healthy body, but a destroyed mind. it is a bit of an elegant balance you must admit.”

“no! you can’t.” nunoas voice grew frantic. “listen i’ll pay you anything. name your price.”

sulus’ voice sounded by nunoas’ ear. “make her whole
 no, i thought not.”

the lights jiggled slightly. “enjoy the effect, while you can. don’t worry about the mesh. it will dissolve away after the process is finished.”

the mesh lit up the segments glowed yellow and illuminated the room. the mesh was a dome over a table with nunoas at the center. the yellow segments formed random shapes in the mesh. all the furniture had been pushed against one wall. sulus stepped back from the mesh and watched. it seemed to twist shape without the white lights moving. the shapes of the mesh shifted. a pentagon formed that had only 4 sides each with 60 degrees between them. then a square formed that was made of 5 right angles. then it tiled itself with regular octagons. the shifting of shapes that can not exist became faster. this continued for a while. shortly after the screams started the mesh began to dissolve into a fine ash. sulus left the room closing the door firmly behind him.

[steuben]

she stood in the mists watching image, of a man fighting with some guards, hanging in the mists. the sound of a cane tapping on stone rang slowly growing louder with each tap.  she turned from the image as a lemur bent with age emerged from the mists.

“i have no need for such theatrics,” she said fixing him with solid sapphire eyes.

the lemur chuckled. “perhaps. but, the mortals expect it so it is good to keep in practice.

she turned back to the image.

“how fares your avatar?” the lemur said.

“who am i to have an avatar?”

the lemur walked over beside her, the cane tapping on the mist hidden ground. he watched as a man and a woman rand down a corridor perused by more guards. the pair ran into a large room filled with a giant, complex machine. the machine seemed to twist around and in on itself. they paused and the woman said something. the man ran toward the machine and began to climb to its heart.

“he knows that it is the only one of its kind?” the lemur said.

“he knows,” the woman said.

“he knows that another one shall never be built?”

“he knows.”

“he knows that this shall not release him from the oath?”

“he knows the key.”

the lemur looked over at the woman beside him. he looked back at the image as the woman in it was grasped by the guards. a sword was held against her throat and another appeared to be held against her back. the man was at the heart of the machine, his sword held ready to strike. he looked at the woman. she looked back at him. pleadingly her lips formed the word “please.” he drove his sword into the heart of the machine again and again. soon he was blown off by an explosion of light. he flew through the air hit a wall and fell to the floor like a doll. the woman and the guards were blown backwards. a sword poked through her stomach from behind.

“he’ll not remember what has happened.” the woman said.

“perhaps he should,” the lemur said.

“it is, as all things, beyond my power.”

“perhaps. but he should still know what he has done.” the lemur turned and walked off into the mist. the sound of his cane tapping faded away.

[steuben]

i stood watching them march past. it wasn’t the terror march of the marshal. it was a slow easy march that deceptively consumed distance. few of the dozen score had armour alike, yet they marches like they had drilled together for years.  at the front marched the demon. the man who had led his men, and rumour had said no few women to victory after victory. victories many would have said impossible. victories that came as often on his blade as the blades of the men he led. but even he couldn’t win against the odds he faced. he still seemed smaller than i expected.

when the general call had gone out i went to join the octarch’s forces. i had heard the stories of the marshal’s forces. so me and my friends joined up. we had an idea of how to fight. in practice i could best my friends. when i got to the camp i could best several of those assembled. as the demon’s column marched by i saw some of those i had bested. i had heard that he was assembling a special force, so i sought him out. i didn’t know what the force was for. i just wanted to be with them. i wanted to with alongside the demon. i found his tent. in front of it was two guards.

“... and she was moving among them.” the guard on the right was telling the one on the left. “one of the most terrifyingly beautiful things i ever saw on the right end of a blade. she danced with six at time, as one fell another took its place. she never slowed down.  she was never touched, but by the splatter of blood.” he looked at me as i walked up. “and what are you looking for, boy?”

“i head the de- general viscosa was looking for some men to join a special force under his command.”

the one on the left looked me up and down. i had worn my full armour and sword in a bid to impress. he furrowed his brow as if trying to figure something out. eventually he shrugged.
“do you know what this ‘special force’ is going to do?” the guard on the right asked.

“does it matter? there’s going to be fighting regardless of where i am. i figure i should be where i can best fight, on my terms.”

“we fight on no one’s terms, but the ones of those who lead.” the guard on the left said.

“he’s right, boy. you would still the the cap- general’s orders. you may think you’re hot stuff in your tin suit-“

i had stiffened, prepared to prove my skills to him.

“and you might be.” he continued. “but this job ain’t for everyone.  head back to your fire, wait for the real fighting there.”

the real fight has always been where general viscose is.”

“finding the fighting is easy.” the guard on the left said. “leaving the fight is simple. the real fight is rarely at the point.”

“well, maybe where officers are concerned. but you’re never marched with the general before.” his stare pinned me. “you have little idea what ‘real’ fighting is.” he released me from his stare. “but, if you want you can ask the general himself.”

“i will. i’ll let him make the decision rather than his tent guards.”

they both smiled the smile of the knowing towards the fool.

“general, a warrior requests an audience.” the guard on the left said. after a muffled sound he pulled aside the tent flap.
“the lair of the demon,” the one on the right said, “though few have exited as they were.”

i stepped into the tent. it was lit by a double wick oil lantern. but the smell caused me to pause. it was a sweet cloying scent of cinnamon, cloves and citrus. behind a table lit by the lamp, was a man hunched over the table reading a document.

without even looking up he said “whose glory do you fight for?”

“i will speak with general viscose, not some clerk.” i responded.

he sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. he looked up from the document and looked through me. “and so you are. now answer the question.

i broke into a cold sweat. the though crossed my mind that he looked smaller than the stories seemed to say he was. the next thought was that i had screwed up. “i... i don’t know.”

he focused on me.  his face softened a bit. “you may be foolish and young. but you may have the chance to grow out of it. go back to your fire.”

i turned and went back to my fire and my friends. so i watched as the demon led his dozen score against the marshal’s dozens thousands. men who were to slow the marshal. men and women who never returned.
how i wished and still wish that i was among those who marched forth that day.