Near overgrown ruins, surrounded by corpses of aelven warriors and orruks, two figures argued loudly…
“You’re the most incompetent commander I’ve ever served under!” shouted Virielle Stormwind, absolutely furious. “When we found those amber spears I thought our bad luck has finally ended. But no. It was just a prelude to our doom!”
“Virielle, let me explain..”
“Shut up!” she snapped. „It was your idea to fight instead of running away immediately! ‘Let’s test our new weapons. They have no chance.’. It’s because of you that we’re the only ones alive! This whole expedition is a failure! You’re a failure, Bild! I’m done. Stay here and die if you want, but I’m going back to Khardir!” After that, she threw her broken spear on the ground and walked away, leaving Mercurio alone.
*****
Failure. It wasn’t the first time someone called him that. Mannfred von Carstein, his master, had called him that many times before. But this failure was equally his fault. First, he sends him to an unknown place to act as a guide and then that wretched necromancer, who was supposed to support the expedition from the shadows, disappears on the first day. It’s like they set him up for failure from the beginning…
„Wait… But they did. That’s exactly what they did. I wasn’t supposed to succeed. Mannfred sent me here to perish! This whole time I was just a distraction, while Edgar is somewhere else following the real plan!” Mercurio’s eyes flashed with amethyst glow. He never was that furious before. „Never again!” he shouted. „I will be no longer anyone’s puppet! Do you hear me Mannfred?! I’m finally free! And I will make you pay!” Mercurio looked around. He was surrounded by dead bodies. „And you can help me with that.” he grinned…
*****
Virielle had been walking for two hours but she couldn’t find her way back. She was slowly losing hope that she will ever return to her home. Suddenly, she turned back and unsheathed her sword. Someone or something was incoming. „Who’s there?” she shouted. „Show yourself!” She quickly regretted saying that. Host of armoured warriors emerged from the jungle and she recognized all of them. Walking corpses of her former comrades, still armed with spears covered in amber blood. Amongst them was Mercurio Bild, floating in the air with his eyes glowing and fangs bared.
„Don’t worry captain Stormwind…” he said calmly. „I’m not here to kill you. I have a proposition that could benefit both me and your city…”
