Drummen sat on a sofa scratching his new clothing while cursing. "Brother I hate this... I prefer my robes... They're more comfortable." He picked up his mug and emptied it. "Brother... When you're on missions you can wear whatever you want... It's just when you're in the keep... I think." He looked at Cliffhopper with a smiled on his face.
"You know we haven't gone to the gambler yet... We have to go pay him a visit... We have some coin to collect from him..."
"Don't forget about his daughter..." Drummen frowned at Cliffhopper and pointed to the tribes-woman walking around with the priestess. "You can't anymore... She's here." He watched as Cliffhopper looked at her, smiled and than turned to him. "Yeah... Good point. I can't do that anymore..." Drummen smiled and put his arms around his head. "Its nice to have a sister-in-law... It makes my life more colorful."
"Hahaha brother... Wait until lady luck changes her tune... Than you'll be like me." Drummen shook his head at him, while pouring himself another mug full of wine. "Not going to happen... She's not that type of person." He looked up and around the quiet room. "Where's the others?"
"Mouse is doing whatever he does, the priestess is hanging around my wife learning the language, Harnio is either at the forge, or meditating near the statues..." He looked at Cliffhopper. "What about Stannir? Our drinking brother? We should offer him a glass..."
"He's off to meet his fire eater unit... Apparently they arrived from the north today... He looked quite excited to see them." Drummen nodded. "It seems they're all busy except for us... Today is a day to relax I think."
"Knock... Knock... Guards... Are you here?" Drummen cursed and walked towards the door, opening it. He looked at the attendant with a sour look. "What do you want?"
"I'm here to deliver letters from the families... Please read when you can." Drummen looked at the letters in his hand, closed the door behind him, and threw them on the table, before emptying the mug of wine, filling it again. He sat and cursed while looking at the letters. "Why do they want our attention for?"
"You saw the Supreme... He looks sick... We're the closest people to the Supreme, we have his ear... We can give suggestions to the Supreme for a possible replacement." Drummen nodded his head in thought, frowning. "I'm not here to play politics... I'm here for coin and a fun time."
"Drummen... What's with all these letters." He looked up at the priestess and Cliffhopper's wife standing next to her. He pointed at them. "They're all from the families, they want to be in good standing with us, since of our position and all."
"Ahh... I see. So, the mission hasn't arrived yet?" Drummen shook his head and emptied the mug again. "Not yet... We heard the Supreme, it should be coming soon." He watched as the priestess sat across from him, and Cliffhopper's wife sat next to the red faced Cliffhopper. "Drummen... We should go on the balcony and talk... I think they need to talk about some things..." Drummen rolled his eyes and nodded. "Fine... I hope I'm not losing my brother anytime soon sister-in-law." He stood up grabbing his mug and the pitcher of wine, and followed the priestess out to the balcony. "Drummen... Things have changed, I'm sure Cliffhopper will stay with you during these missions, but you'll have to let him spend time with his wife."
Drummen smiled. "That's fine with me... I can get more attention that way, also don't have to spend as much coin, since he finally taught me that skill of his."
"May I ask, what skill was that?" Drummen shook his head. "Not a chance... Just for me and lady luck to know." He leaned against the railing of the balcony emptying his mug and stared at the city below. "What is lady luck telling you to do now?"
He turned and looked at her. "Lady luck is telling me to wait here... I can feel something is going to happen... I just don't know what yet."
"It must be the mission... Do you always listen to lady luck?" Drummen nodded while pouring the final drops of wine into his mug, and cursed. "Yes... Last time, I didn't she got pissed at me..."
"I see..."
"YEAHHH! REALLY?"
Drummen turned around and saw Cliffhopper looking at the tribes-person's stomach. He smiled and shook his head. "I guess that's what you mean about things changing." He saw her nod. "Clever, Drummen... It seems you do have a head, that isn't affected by all the wine and woman you chase." Drummen smiled. "If you ever hear lady luck, you should tell her that..."
"Brother... I'm going to be a father... Your going to be an uncle." Drummen turned to Cliffhopper and hugged him tightly. "I'm proud of you brother... It seems she'll be staying with us here in the keep." He leaned on the railing. "Yes... That's right. She'll be staying here with me... I can't wait. I wonder if they're going to be like me or like her?"
"Hahahaha... I hope the child will be like her... Just think about the past two years... What have you been doing especially when I was around?" He saw Cliffhopper scowl. "If its a girl... I'll be making sure no one like me is around her. Brother... you'll have to help me keep them safe." Drummen nodded. "Don't worry this old uncle will keep everyone here safe." He smiled and emptied the mug. "Its my job after all."
"What about the coin? Will you be asking for something in return?" Drummen smiled and shook his head. "No need. I have a lot of coin already... Waiting for me... I don't need anymore."
"The door..."
Drummen frowned and looked at Cliffhopper who had his arm around his wife. He walked off the balcony and stood at the door holding its handle. "Its here... We should inform the others." He looked up and saw Mouse staring at the door. "He knows too."
"What is it Drummen?"
"The mission... Its here. I can feel it."
"How can you feel it?" Drummen shrugged his shoulders, and waited at the door.
"Knock..."
He opened the door and stared at the scared attendant. "Heres...." Drummen ripped it from the attendant's hands and slammed the door in their face. He turned and looked at the group.
"Wait for the others to arrive... They need to be here."
"Well, are you going to open it yet?" Drummen shook his head. "It should be opened when everyone is here."
"He's become serious so fast... Does his personality change like this all the time my husband?" He glared at Cliffhopper, "it does... especially when he knows something bad or big is about to happen."
"I see... Drummen is it because of lady luck?" He nodded at his sister-in-law. "Yes... Lady luck, talks and I listen... She's always spot on with her words." He looked up at Mouse. "Can you get the others... This mission is something we won't like to hear." He watched as Mouse stood and vanished in front of him. "They won't be long now... knowing Stannir he'll be running here with his entire unit."
"Its here?" Drummen looked as Harnio appeared in the room. "Hey little brother... Yes. The mission is here."
"Cliffhopper... Congratulations. I see your wife is pregnant." Drummen looked at Harnio. "How did you know that, with one quick glance?"
"I see things... Shouldn't I have said that?" Drummen waved his hands at him. "Don't worry. You said what was on your mind... That's fine."
"BANG!"
He turned and saw Stannir with Mouse running through the door." He looked around behind Stannir. "You didn't bring your unit here?"
"No... They prefer being with the other soldiers... I'll have two stand at the door." Drummen waved the note in his hand. "This is it... Our mission."
"Why don't you look happy about it?" Drummen shook his head. "Its my intuition... That's all."
"Have you opened it yet?" Drummen shook his head and pushed the notes from the families onto the ground, placing it on the table. "Ignore the others... This one is the one..." He stared at it. "Stop staring at the mission, and just open it."
Drummen cursed and opened the parchment cursing. "I knew it..." He dropped the parchment on the table and went to the bar grabbing another pitcher of wine. He watched as the priestess picked up the mission. "We're to head to the island chains, and prevent the pirates unite with the firelands."
"Whats wrong with that mission? It sounds very simple." Drummen put the mug down. "We're about to start the war with them... They've done nothing to deserve this... The firelands, no idea about them and what they're doing, but to the island chains I'm against it."
"You didn't read the rest of the mission Drummen... There's something there you might want to see the rest of it." Drummen looked up. "Let me guess... It mentions the trolaiths have been sighted, and a few of their port cities have been taken." He emptied his mug, and wiped his mouth.
"That's correct... How did you know that?" Drummen shrugged his shoulders. "Just lady luck..."
"Brother they're going to need our help... Those trolaiths could destroy them all... Including her..." Drummen looked up at Cliffhopper frowning. "How far are they from the free city in the south of the island chains?"
"It says scouts have mentioned them massing to attack the south." Drummen cursed and leaned on the bar. "Brother... It seems we have to go save her..."
"Who is this woman? And, how did a woman get under his skin?" Drummen cursed and waved his hand at the priestess. "It is his ex... She dumped him."
"Hahaha... Drummen got dumped by a woman... How shocking." He looked at Cliffhopper, after glaring at the priestess. "Thanks brother..." He looked at the smirking priestess. "She didn't dump me. I just wasn't strong enough, and I couldn't help her at that point in time."
"There's another thing we need to take note of as well." He looked at Harnio reading over the mission. "What is it?"
"They've evolved again... It seems some can fly and have wings, while others seem to move fast, that the scouts eyes can not keep up... Also there's mention of leader trolaiths, but no alphas have been sighted yet."
"BANG!"
Drummen cursed and threw the mug across the room. "We have to go, and save them now... If we don't they'll be slaughtered, however remember they're innocent in this... No innocent blood." His face darkened as he stared at the group.
"Agreed... No innocent blood... We only can see what he have been given from this mission. We don't know anything about it at all. I remember been given missions and the intelligence was completely wrong." Drummen nodded at Stannir. "So we go and check it out?"
"That's correct. we'll head there alright... The trolaiths have evolved, and we need to get rid of them before they kill anymore... However, we need to plan correctly." Drummen looked at Harnio sitting in thought. "Little brother, what are you thinking?"
"If we take the intelligence and reports from this mission as incorrect, if we go in blind we die... We need a set of eyes there." Drummen nodded. "Mouse... Anything you can do?" He felt his heart race as Mouse landed on the ground and stare at the report. Drummen sighed pulling another mug out and filling it up, while Mouse was signing to the firewarrior. "He said. He can ask and find out, but it's best if he heads there first... He'll get the lay of the land, and we can arrive publicly, while Mouse uses his normal means of transport."
Drummen emptied his mug and looked at the group staring at the mission parchment. "There is something about this mission that doesn't make sense." He looked at Harnio frowning. "What do you see little brother?"
"How did the troliaths get there in the first place? Are there trolaiths we haven't seen before?" Drummen sat in thought. "Harnio... When Cliffhopper and I were there before, they attacked a small port city... I guess however they got there... They've been there for a while."
"Hmm... We won't know until we get there... Mouse, you leave first... No one knows... We'll take a ship and take our time to get there... We'll make as much noise as possible."
Drummen leaned on the bar smiling. "It sounds like we need a ship... I know the perfect one, and a great captain."
"The Princess brother?" Drummen smiled. "Yes. The Princess."