“We’ll hold our own defense outposts, and send soldiers as need be. We cannot jump to hasty conclusions that this invasion will be for more than a few mere borderlands! Wars cost money, and that is something our country does not take lightly. No, no. Money spending on war machines and troops yields little to no profit for the defending people. The Empire of Orr has already given enough of its resources,” Jehnhardt stated so eloquently to Laurna, who was now blood red with exasperation and ready to draw down on the pig.

“You may be able to decree that this Empire’s failure will be certain, but you will not be able to force its people to suffer. This place will be overrun within a fortnight, and the hell you’ll have to pay will be greater than any amount of money in your precious coffers. I’ll be taking my leave, and taking any and all who wish to go with me!” Laurna roared, and stormed out of the palace halls stripping royal garments as she strode.

She hated the formal wear that every woman soldier was forced to wear. It was confining, tight, revealing, and all to thin even when adjusted to fit her enlarging hump. She was used to her battle leathers, and the warmth of her gauntlets. All that didn’t matter now though, she was ripe with child, and in four short months she would be delivering a baby boy. That was all that mattered to her for the most part, that and the people she would try to save. She wanted a place for her child to grow up happy, and strong like his father did. She didn’t want to have to explain to him why the Emperor was refusing to save his friends and family.

The handmaidens around her quickly concealed her now ample bosom with her plain pregnancy garments, and prepared her carriage. She had many preparations to arrange for her long journey, and she must find out whose loyalties lay where. Her new husband, Leolen, had brought the power of many great spell casters to her cause, and quite a few sympathetic warriors as well. The rangers of the empire were evenly split. Half were in support of her thoughts, and the others were obsessed with protecting Stargrove Vale that was surely the most unprotected locale in the empire. It lay on the fringe of Orr, and only was annexed a few short decades ago because of frequent trade. The vale was a great cache of rarities, and animals. The spell casters of the realm were always paying a high price for the exotic components found within for powerful spell crafting. The brutes went there for the game, and came back with stories of conquered beasts. It would burn she thought.

All of it would be a mecca of cinders underneath Charr claws.

“Surely we can come to an arrangement Lord Glakarka? I have just the need of one more ambush party to completely seal the fate of this empire in your …erm..hands.” stammered Nilem as he spoke to a shrouded figure in mirror.

“Your insolence and trickery will not be appreciated by our leader Nilem! You have already cost us many lives, and having to reveal our alliances with Magma Wyrms has taken part of our core strategy away from us. Who needs their blood spilled so badly that you may risk our invading troops lives again!?” growled Glakarka, whom had given into his bestial rage no less than twenty seconds prior.

“Sire, the High Ranger Laurna returned rather unexpectedly from our last intervention, and she still has much of a power base installed within our country. To let her go so willingly into the night with perhaps one-third of our Empire’s force is folly, nay madness I tell you!” retorted Nilem who knew the ways of the Charr. To back down and act a coward meant you were not worth dealing with. If one could show enough force, then one could achieve greatness among their ranks. This is why he loved this savage race so.

“And if they do,” Glakarka calmed as he spoke “who cares? It is better to have one-third less of an army to deal with than the whole mass. I do not see the point in not moving a few pieces out of the picture permanently.”

“The movement will ultimately cost you the future of your people Sire. Letting them escape to other human empires, and ruining our diplomatic relations with surrounding lands is a debacle I would not care to entertain. Don’t forget, you moved on this country to deliver its wealth to your people. Letting them escape ruins any chance of a healthy trade relationship with any of the human empires!” exclaimed Nilem who had been getting agitated in dealing with fools such as Glakarka instead of High Shaman Vaktanok.

“The Charr need no trade allies, and finds its wealth from the land itself! We have been without such a luxury for nearly a millennia living underground! You pathetic humans never could exploit the land for its full worth, but we are here now and will do so quickly! You will not be granted another raiding party on this frail, and pregnant wench!” Glakarka fumed.

What concerned Nilem is that they knew she was pregnant. He had been extrodinarily careful in what information he had given to the Charr, and that fact had not been one of them. The fact that such a low-life as Glakarka knew Laurna was pregnant only meant they didn’t trust him, and were using magical aids to divine the information they sought as well. Good for them though he thought. They were right not to trust a traitor of his own people, and when Nilem finally had obtained The Eye of Skrane, he would betray them as well.

“As you wish Sire, and please do give High Shaman Vaktanok my humblest apologies on the loss of life those five months ago.” Nilem replied submissively.

“I will be sure of that human scum! And remember, only upon the death of the Emperor will you receive the location of that worthless rock you desire so much! After that, you had better make travel preparations! We Charr do not need the likes of humans crowding our new homeland!” Glakarka’s image faded from the mirror, and the Mesmer began to plot his next move.

He had taken the time to think out how to make the Emperor more susceptible to his charm spells, and even convinced the Charr to make military movements. He was so close to his ultimate power, and yet now Laurna stood in his path directly. If he had obtained that weapon, there would be no doubt multiple far off Empires would catch wind of his plans with what to do with it, and come for him swiftly. He left his study with a few gathered scrolls, and decided it was time to leave this place much the same as Laurna had.

Laurna had finally gotten a convoy of together and ready to move. It took her six days to do so, and now she had begun to worry about time. There would not be any time for her to with the luxuries of “noble traveling”. She would gather what she needed, and tell the others to do the same, and go. She had been loading her custom war caravan herself, and did not want anyone else to do so. She did not wish to risk anything to be setup incorrectly, or placed in a foolish location. Weapons, scrolls, and runes were all strategically located around her caravan, which had 4 horses to pull it. Leolen had been concerned for her since she started the process and now only had the courage to speak about it.

“Do you think it wise to put such a strain on yourself during the time of birthing Laurna? The court monks state you should be taking it very easily both emotionally and physically. This journey…”Laurna only had to stare at him for 2 seconds to get an idea of what she was thinking.

“Don’t. Don’t cockatrice hole me into a category of weaklings. I’ve suffered plenty more difficult things than child bearing, and I will not watch my people suffer while a demented ruler controls them all.” she growled as she loaded more baggage into loading dock.

“All I am saying is that there are other options we can take and you must realize that. The Royal Elementalists coming with us state they can enchant you and I with a spell flight and we can be to the Empire of Tarna in a matter of days!” he stated and was at his wits end with her stubbornness.

“And what if they get attacked Leolen? Who will rally the few troops protecting them? No General would bother to come with us because of greed, and loss of luxury, and spell casters do not know the finite details of battle planning!” she ended angrily. She had had the conversation with him many times before. Leolen was intent on protecting her, and honoring his departed friend’s word. If he let her die he would have nothing left of what little warmth he felt for this world. After being raised in the streets amongst the dying and dead, he could only hope that he was not dreaming when he was close to her.

“Very well then…I guess I cannot convince you otherwise, and never would have been able to. You won’t be battling correct? Just directing the flow of action, right?” he begged.

“Yes, unless things get bad. I have my druidic powers at my aid still, and can use them with or without child. The druid High Chief Iscam stated that a woman with child has amplified powers as well. It might even better for me to rely on them than any sword anyway.” she conceded.

“Its good to see you have a bit of a magical twinge in your soul. You’d come to like it if you practiced it more.” Leolen offered.

“I feel at home with a bow, and blade. Magic is merely a seasoning I use in my art. After the boy is born, I will re-hone my skills as a fighter and deal death as I see fit.” she replied coldly.

“The convoy is ready mistress!” interjected an overly eager farm boy, with a look of tiredness on his face. “We can leave at dawn if you will it so!” he added.

“Make it so boy, I have no time to waste on resting until we get to a new homeland.” She turned back to Leolen and stated “I do this for my new child, and for us. We’ll both be much happier when we have a land we can call our own, and can enjoy each other more.” she said with compassion.

“I know, and I love you for it…just don’t weather yourself trying so hard.” he ended.

Where they were going was uncertain, but they knew for sure it was at least 1000 clastrons away from the advancing Charr army.

Nilem left on the night before Laurna had decided to go to the Far East. He headed to the Southern Reaches after placing a timed spellbomb inside the Emperor’s favorite Jewel Vault. When morning arrived his charm would activate, and he would be on his way to fawn over his precious stones. One stone he had been instructed to pick up held a radiance brighter than any of his others, the sheer white light of death.

“I really hate using such powerful magic on idiots Kanz.” Nilem spoke to his imp familiar.

“Don’t you worry master, Kanz be good at getting you new magics from Netherwhere, and brings it to you!” the imp obediently replied.

“I understand all of that, but …”Nilem sighed “…he was such an oaf! I think I did more of a favor for this land than evil, I swear. It would have been only a matter of time before someone else decided to take over.” he groaned.

“Kanz understand master, but don’t you worry! Demonlords be grateful to have you among their ranks with Skrane eye, you see, you see soon!” he gleefully added.

“Thank you Kanz, you always were a great servant.” Nilem cooed as the horse trotted along. Slipping off into slumber he dreamt of conquest and ultimate power. All of those things the little imp had implanted in his head, and when the time was right would come to fruition as well.

When word reached the convoy that the Emperor had been slain by an assassin’s trap, a good deal of the people wished to turn around. Laurna rallied them however, and stated for them to stay the course. If they turned back the Charr would most certainly catch them off guard, and maim them mercilessly. Already the Nobles and Generals of power Guilds were fighting amongst themselves for rule of the Empire. The Charr would take advantage of that weakness in humanity. Greed. And most certainly turn them all against each other with the haste of a Sprint Fairy.

When the convoy reached the town of Glaxton at nightfall of the fourth day of travel, they realized it was not inhabited like the cartographers had told them. Instead, it was desolate, and empty. It was as if everyone had picked up and left as well in this area. They were still 250 clastrons away from the destination of Tarna, and this was thought to be a great oasis after crossing the flat and dry plain of grass and dirt known as the Expanse.

“This isn’t right at all Laurna.” stated Leolen nervously. “I sense the dead here. Something swept through this town, and took the life from it. What I am unsure of, but what –“ he was cut short by a Wailing Banshee who picked up a farmer and disappeared off into the darkness.

“FORM A PERIMETER AROUND THE CIVIILIANS NOW!” Laurna ordered as the restless dead shambled from homes and barns to meet them with sickly grins of delight splayed across their horribly decayed faces. Laurna turned and faced her lead cartographer.

“What the hell is this place Astan? I thought you reported this town was safe?” she thundered.

“It was…I swear but one year ago I was here! They had a vampire problem, but they said it was going away quickly!”

That was all Laurna needed to know. If this was a place of the dead then it would stay dead. Her people would, civilians and all, would make it through here untouched, and very much alive.

“Leolen, can you cajole these shamblers into a treatise of sorts?” she slyly stated.

“But of course my love, I can make them see the light! I have learned a couple of things from our Holy Brothers, and they too will bring some cleansing to this land. ROYAL MONKS! Show these blasphemers some respect for the Light!”

With those words, it seemed as if the twin suns had risen. Leolen immediately fastcasted a blanket Control Undead spell upon a great majority of the advancing horde which caused them to fell one another. The Light spell served to blind the banshees whom were used to the darkness, and would almost certainly die under the bright of such light. Rangers lit the skies up in a sheet of red firelight and poured death upon them all from above in wave after wave. The Elementalists wrought the skies with flashes of lighting, and gouts of flame that would make the largest devil jealous. Lastly, but certainly not least, the Necromancers began playing parlor tricks with the undead by amalgamating them into flesh golems and turning them on their once boisterous brethren.

“The enemy failed to realize that only the best of the best of the Royal Casting Academy were brought to protect the convoy obviously!” Leolen arrogantly stated, as his usual.

The ambush the undead had planned had turned into a clear rout, as they turned and fled back to shallow graves. The Vampires pulling their strings disappeared back to the nearby swamps in which they dwelt, and would rise again to claim another foe not nearly as great as the ones they had just faced.

At daybreak they were at Tarna, and finally at last maybe Laurna could set her dead husband’s will at work. She would petition them for a militia to scout out the advancing Charr armies, and see what to do next. Leolen carefully reminded her of her obligation to the baby inside her, and she guaranteed him that it would be safe and sound long before she saw battle again.