"Oi, Valai... Calm the 'eck down!" Celia implores, sounding more concerned than angry, but she tries to pull off the latter, just the same.
"I wouldnae leave my door open in 'is shoes, all we can do now is keep Mr. Leader alive so he can open it again!"
The gnome stands up with exaggeration, trying to appear completely and utterly unafraid.
More than a cursory examination shows her knees to be shaking ever-so-slightly.
The landscape is as cold as the air. All around is nothing but sand and dust, blown about by winds. The dust whips around stinging the faces of the troops, but they remain still, awaiting their orders. Rock formations rise in the distant, twisting and alien to form spires of unnatural reach. The plateaus and mountains that dot the horizon loom with such size that vertigo would set if one were to examine them for too long.
There are the troops, their lieutenant, and the five. There is no war, no fighting. Only a speck of a city can be seen in the distance, at least a few hours away by foot.
Variel stands before his batallion.
"Men, as you know, the enemy lies over there, in the city of Arl, resting on that plateau. It will be a few hours march before we arrive so you will do your best to be ready. Once the attack begins, remember to start chewing your air crystals. Although we can breathe now, the air is too thin to keep us going amidst combat."
A few of the glassy eyed troops begin to stir. They look around and a look of panic quickly sets on their faces. Variel mutters a few words along with a few motions and the troops are calm once more.
"Well then, with the godling on our side we shan't be defeated. Let's march."
The batallion does an about face and begins to march towards a plateau in the distance.
"Blessed ones," he turns towards the five, "please join us."
"If these four-armed people are invading Castrovel, why are there no armies here?" Valai whispers to the other four 'blessed ones'.
Zellyser leans close to to the elf wizard and responds quietly, "I agree, Valai, it is peculiar. It is possible that the giants are marshalling their troops wherever we are headed, and Variel means to take them by surprise. But a forced march across a dusty plain is a poor way to do that, for our troops will be tired, and the 'enemy' will surely spot a cloud of dust rising into the sky. I have to say, though, this does not feel like a defensive tactic either. The eluf commander may be a liar, a fool, or both."
Pausing for a moment, Zellyser studies the troops around them, then continues, "And I have never seen soldiers fighting to defend their home need to be ensorceled to maintain calm and discipline. We must watch our allies as closely as our enemies today."
"I am starting to wonder whether there is more in those crystals than air," Valai mutters to Zellyser. "Something to dumb down his troops?"
"Speaking as one Elf about another, he seems deluded to me," Valai says, her eyes narrowing. She slowly, inconspicuously puts a hand on the hilt of her rapier. "We are in trouble here. We may have just invaded a peaceful neighbour."
"The troops!" Valai hisses at the rest of the party. "They are under a compulsion spell! This is no defence, no retaliation, this is an invasion! And we have been drafted into it! "
The Wizard's hand tightens on the hilt of her rapier to the point that her knuckles turn white.
William bleats angrily and paws the ground while he tosses his head.
Celia's face melts. It should have been so much easier, but to fight potentially innocent creatures with likewise innocent elves.
"I still cannae understand a word he says, Valai, but I saw the fear in the soldier's eye... sorry for gettin' so snippy at ya, bein' that you were right an' all..."
She thrums her fingers on her arms.
"But won't we be in danger if we do something now? We've a couple o' hours to think something up..."
looks confused
I had assumed there'd be troops amassed and waiting on this side. Variel! He bellows out Where is the Enemy!?
"Have patience, godling. The enemy lies atop the plateau ahead. I understand you wish to enter the fray soon, but we must still march."
I think you misunderstand! My directives are for defense, I need more information before proceeding! I am not bound utterly by those archaic three laws like some, but I still have operating parameters!
"This is indeed a tricky situation," Zellyser says quietly to his friends. "I have no wish to take part in an invasion that I know nothing about - except that we seem to have been tricked into it. But Variel is our way back to where we came from, and where we left the ship, so we may not want to endanger our relationship with him, as seriously flawed as it is. In other words, we may be stuck with this nut."
"Ah, yes, of course godling. I understand the heavens would rather be guardians than crusaders. No worry, you will have plenty of opportunity to defend the batallion from the enemy once the fighting begins."
I think the problem lies in our perspectives, what is the point to this raid? I know we are strangers to your planet, and we seek your help and aid, but when I and those I am bound to arrived we thought you immanently under attack, not ready to attack... The difference is enormous to my logic circuits!
"It is a preventative measure, godling. They struck once and I must make sure they won't strike again. If that means I bring the fight to them, so be it. I won't have my home threatened again."
When was this attack?
Valai gives the others a significant look at Variel's words, but makes sure that the (insane-o!) Elf and his dominated lackeys do not get to see it.
"How long this was is irrelevant. What matters is that I stop them now."
stops in his tracks
Now, when?
Variel turns back towards LK, his face almost furious.
"Godling, the past is past. Please, if you are to support me, you shall see my actions are justified. The terrors will be struck down and my land safe once again. I'll tell you the history once the deed is done."
He storms back towards his batallion, moving towards the front, placing his men between the five.
looks towards his companions
We're a bit in a bind I'm afraid. I'm not sure where my directives lead on this choice and I cannot decide such an issue. We need these natives help, and they need ours. Regardless of any potential morality, we have only our wellfare to look towards. I don't like the look of his troops one bit, but I know not why, what should we do?
"Tha only thing we can, Elkay!" Celia responds with tenacity. "We carry on, though perhaps... we also tes' a few boundaries, yah? Keeping violence from our hearts, a' course. Cailean won't leave us here to rot."
With that, Celia begins sprinting to the fore, seeing the party's destination far ahead and wondering how megalelfomaniac will respond.
Zellyser smiles a somewhat creaky, scaley smile and says, "I fear the small, enthusiastic one is right. We carry on, and hope to make it through. Without Variel, we have no way of returning to the ship. I guess you said it best, Elkay - we have only our welfare to look towards. And at the moment, our welfare is dependent on the mad eluf who leads this little army."
Trudges onward with the little army, resolved and resolute to the appointed task, lock step between the group and the "army" ready to both launch an assault and intercept any attack on his charges
You have your soldiers Variel, we will march onward towards your goal and we pray later you may help us in ours! Onwards!
Valai pokes Zellyser in the shoulder with her quarterstaff.
"The pronunciation of that word is now 'Elf'. It may not be what we call ourselves, but it is commonly accepted, whereas the old Taldan form is... not. Please remember."
William sees Celia run off, and starts to gallop after her, easily keeping pace.
Zellyser looks down at the shoulder where he was poked, then raises his eyes to look at Valai, a puzzled look on his face.
"That is what I said, "Eluf". I do not hear a difference in the way we are pronouncing the word, Mistress Eluf."
Variel marches on, staring ahead with signs of fury in his eyes. Celia sprints up beside him. He doesn't notice her for a few moments before finally looking down.
"Ah, godling. Your spirit feet make you silent. Your kind are an enigma. I believe I'm being tested, considering your brother. No matter, I'm sure things will turn out well. Do you ahve any advice for me?"
Protrudes a small "sniffer" into the air and ground, a sinuous cord snaking it's way around darting back and forth as they march
Celia blinks up at Variel after giving William a quick pat on the head, as if trying to figure him out, though her eyes are wide and clueless; largely because she cannot understand a single word he is saying.
The gears in her head turn until she comes upon the idea of speaking in the other language she knows.
"You lost something important, didn't you. To them, I mean."
"Oh, the fey tongue." He replies in sylvan. "You godlings are full of surprises. Yes, I lost my home to the savages. My mother and father, my entire family all slain. So I'm sure you understand my mission."
"M'not a godling, though there was that moment of confusion on the surface of the sun, mind." Celia responds, her accent gone in Sylvan due to the perfectionism of her parental teacher, squid rest his soul. "I'm just a servant, see... Which would explain why I don't know anything at all, really. Can't even understand a word of your other language."
She makes an sidelong bleeting sound to William that she has come to expect to mean,'go along with it', assuming any goat of Valai's to be well-learned.
"Except that I am sorry for your loss. My people have long since had altercations with giants, both in this existence and the first home... They can be vicious brutes, but..."
Come on, Celia! Gotta bond, 'ere! Gotta get inta his poor, tormented head! It must have been terrible, indeed, what with the squishin' and the crunchin', enough to knock him off the rocker he might have had once.
"How did you escape?
"I can't recall. I know I was hiding in my home and full of more fear than I've ever experienced. There is a blank and then nothing but a ravaged home all around me, my entire family slain."
"And your soldiers... did they suffer from similar circumstances? Where have you even been living?"
Celia, you know they're under than intolerable spell and likely don't want anything to do with this, so the answer is going to be no...
Shhh! Quiet, me! This is a much better idea that the original one of pinching all of those elven butts in an attempt to unbewitch!
"No, they know not the horrors firsthand. They are just my most loyal men and were willing to come with me on this mission. Of course, now with you and your kin, we will surely succeed."
"Male, this one. Crazytown-mayor?" William suggests, bleating in accentless Goat.
Celia seems unable to understand the goat, now, with the exception of those few phrases she's memorized. The spell is gone until later...
"How far are you going to go? Is this going to be a razing...? Or simply an assault? What of the cowardly, the children, and the old and sick?"
"I'm only to take their warriors. All other will be spared, assuming their cooperation."
"And here I was worried you turned away from light entirely!" Celia exhales in deep relief. "I do not serve forces of genocide, see... You would have had cause for such a hatred, yes, but oh, thank Cailean."
You enslave people, but you don't slaughter children... Wait, does he even know about the compulsions?
"You do know your soldiers are bewitched, right?"
"I don't know what you mean," he replies full of delusion. "These are my most trusted men. They may seem to be acting strangely, but that's due to their loyalty."
"Oh... really...? Can you introduce me to a few of them?" Celia asks, looking back at the ranks of bewitched soldiers.
---
Valai marches in stoic silence, but behind Variel's back, she is frowning up a storm.
walks forward his head rotating back just a little further than a normal humanoid could to look towards variel
I believe she is concerned there might be compulsions driving them beyond loyalty and duty, magic perhaps or some other sort of power that bends a persons will where it won't normally.
They march for hours. Vareil's troops remain silent and unwavering during the entire march. They march in a perfect unison that would make any general proud. Soon, they stood at the base of a plateau rising high into the sky.
"We are almost there, men. We have the final climb left."
The troops draw some climbing gear and begin to make their ascent.