The Land of Keisharn, the most western point of the Riefle Kingdom, surrounded by thickets of towering trees spaced close enough to each other that travel outside of the designated roads was impossible. This type of forest made a perfect shield for invaders to the land. The group cart moved along the well-traveled road with a calm melody from Heldric sitting at the back humming away without a care with Brad seat beside him nodding to the tune and a pouring Levi laying across the whole length of the cart.
"I still can't figure out why i can't sit up front with Elliot." She groaned rolling over to see him in the front with the reigns in hand.
"Because all you did in the prep was pull to the side and try to kill him like a succubus " Clove answered sitting next to her, a book in hand and reading it through with a roll of Levi's eyes.
"I wasn't trying to kill him, I just think he's cute and you know how i am with cute boys." She looked yearningly to the young man.
"Yes, I know you have no limits on how far your loans ach for attention." Clove flipped to another page of her book, hardly ever paying her any mind when Levi shot her a cold glare. A snore cut off their future fight and Clove looked from her book to see Bolten laying done as will with bottles of booze surrounding him and his dwarfen belly pushing out in front of him with his rancid breath filling the air.
"Oh, that is just fowl." Clove covered her nose and moved from him to the back of the cart to get some fresh air with Heldric noticing her.
"Wanted to get a closer look at this stud?" He asked, flashing a bright and caring smile.
"In your dreams." She scoffed and returned to her reading, ignoring the look she was getting from him. Up front, Elliot held on tightly, looking around for any real trouble with Vlex sitting next to him a smile on his face with the nature sounds.
"Ah, the All Father and all his glory." Vlex sucked in a deep breath and unleashed it with a smile looking at Elliot, "Don't you think Elliot?"
"Huh, oh.....yeah." Elliot answered, having have to hear him talk about the greatness of the All Father and everything he gave them after the defeat of the Chaos Goddess defeat. It had been nearly a week since they left the castle and yet the whispered voice he heard was still drilled in his head.
"Something on your mind?" The elf holy man asked looking at him with Elliot releasing a sigh.
"Nothing, I just had a dream before going on this quest and it shook me up." Elliot explained turning his head away from the road.
"Oh, dreams are a gate to the Void where all that will be comes from and then head to the Eternia or the Eather depending on where they fall under the All Father favor." Vlex explained with a smile on his face with Elliot looked at him for a moment, taking in everything he had said before turning back to the road and listened on to Levi's voice calling out to him from behind them, memory of everything they had done before this trip threw him off and sent a shiver up his spine.
"What's that?" Vlex spat out pulling Elliot from his thoughts and got on guard, looking around the thick woods hiding anything that was moving inside it.
"Oh, is it bandits?" Bradly asked excited looking around, his hand on his sword hilt and Botlen shooting up with snot running down his beard.
"What, meal time?" He asked confused as the other each got ready for an attack when voice called out.
"Speak your reason of coming or leave now." The one speaking spoke hoomian, but there was something that was off with how they were speaking, like it was still new to them.
"I am Prince Bradly Traod looking to speak to the Baren Keive for urgent matters." Bradly spoke with a series, yet calm tone looking about for anyone to answer and when there was no response, they felt a calm when they looked at the forest, "Elliot, move us now."
"Roger." Elliot said cracking the reigns and the horses sped down the road, arrows shooting out around them from every angle possible, Vlex hands gripped tightly with his prays and then a barrier appeared around them, the arrows bouncing off like nothing with each gallop of the horse, sweat running down Elliot's face when something caught his eye, a figure in black when they zoomed by. He wanted to say something, but he knew he had to focus with Vlex waning with the barrier, the road getting slightly narrow the further they moved. Elliot looked to Vlew who was getting tired from all power he was using and he took a deep breath, cracking the reigns harder to speed on as the arrows rained down endlessly.
"We're dead if you let up lad." Bolten said his battle axe in his hand looking out with the rest of them as the arrow rain stopped when they burst through the forest, coming to clear field from within the forest wall. Once they were clear, Vlex released the spell and slumped back.
"Man, that was tough." He said with a groan panting heavily with a sigh and a pat on the from Bolten.
"You did great lad." He said smiling as he smiled wide and Vlex smiled back at him.
"Look, there it is." Bradly spat out as they could see a walled off castle that the road lead too. Smiling, Elliot slowed the horses to keep them from collapsing and steered them to the castle where the guards were waiting for them. Yet they instantly opened the gates, and they all got a look of Keisharn. The hoomian races of all kind walked around where green and blue clothing with guards doing the same. They moved through the streets, seeing merchants selling their goods, street paraformers doing their trade to entertain people, and venders offering food. Everything looked good yet Elliot's mind was still on the black figure he saw in the forest and looked about when the palace appeared before them, standing in the center of the castle with towering windows and presses gems filled the pillars as they road up where the guards stopped them.
"The Baren is waiting for you Prince Bradly ." One of the guards said saluted him with Bradly jumping from the cart with a smile spread across his face.
"Great, we have something we want need to talk to discuss." He said walking with the others all following with Elliot taking up the rear, looking at everything around him as servants moved about the palace with eager movement for the guests as they walked, yet one thing he noticed was the outfits they all wear. Male servants where normal ones like the ones from home the few times he entered it, but the women were wearing revealing dresses barely covering their cleavage, skirt riding so high nothing hid their unmentionables paired with thigh high stockings and heels made them look like more of street workers then maids.
"Oh, getting an eye full of the eye candy?" Levi's voice leapt at him, and he turned to see her looking at him with a wicked grin spread across her face.
"No, just wondering why they were wearing something so revealing in the castle?" Elliot explained himself, yet a hint of blush was on his cheeks said he didn't mind the view that much if he was being honest.
"That's the barens own rules." Clove added from a bit in front, her nose still in her book and barely missing servants with her gaze focused on her reading.
'His rules' Elliot dwelled on those words as two guards opened towering doors that lead to the throne room and the group stepped in to see Baren Keive sitting on his chair. He was towering figure of a Hoomian with long, dirty blonde hair and yellow eyes matching it olive skin tone covered in golden robes that showed off his wealth. He was seated in his back to a tapestry of him looming over his land. Seeing him gave Elliot a bad feeling and he gulped stepping closer with the group, allowing them all to get a better look at him with a sickening smile trying to be calmly plastered on his face, yet Elliot felt dirty the longer they stood before him when he noticed the two girls kneeling on either side of the throne. Unlike the maids, they were wearing rags that hardly cover their bodies and he could see that their eyes were glassy, like they won't all there and collars with chains leading behind the chair showed them being there wasn't an accident, it was a show of his power in this land.
"Greetings Prince Bradly." Keive spoke in slimy tone, sending shivers down Elliot's spine looking at the girl with red hair to his right and she looked back a blank expression on her face matched with her glassy eyes told Elliot everything he needed to know about what kind of man they were dealing with.
"Baren Keive, I am here upon my own Kingdom to humbly ask for your help in a dire situation." Bradly spoke to the Baren, seemingly not noticing or not caring of the girls in their view.
"Ah yes." Keive spoke again, lifting his hand to his chin, "The Great Lich returning is a troubling development for everyone, not just your kingdom."
"Yes, that is why I'm here to request your aid in stopping her and her army of the undead." Bradly spoke with everyone except Clove looking at the Baren becoming deep in thought.
"Well, that is a troubling issue as I am sure you know since you came through the path." Keive words fell on them, the memory of the arrows showering them on their way through the forest path.
"Ay, those arrows nearly got us if not for Vlex." Bolten said slapping the elf's back, making him wince like Clove.
"Yes, for a tribe of goblins have taken refuge in the forest and attack anyone that comes or goes without exception." He said sitting back in his chair and a huff escaped his voice. Elliot felt something when he moved and turned to see Vlex standing right, something fuming from his body as if the thought of goblins where infuriating him deep down. "So, I can't send my army anywhere until those Goblin's are delt, can I?"
"Do you know where they are camped out?" Vlex spoke faster than anyone else did.
"Yes, my scouts found their main encampment, or what was left of the one that got back." Baren snapping his finger had one of the servants walking over to them, handing a map to Bradly. A quick look over it and a nod, Bradly refolded it up looking at the Baren.
"Deal, we will handle these goblin's and you agree to allow us usage of your army in our fight?" Bradly asked and the Baren nodded.
"Yes, you have my word on that." Keive said leaning back in his chair, "Feel free to rest for the day and you can take those creatures out once and for all after." With a wave of the hand, the head servant offered to lead them to their rooms and lead them out of the throne room with Elliot glancing back to the girls by the chair, noting how helpless they looked when the big doors closed behind the party and not a single one of them even seem to take a note on them.
"We should set a plan ahead of heading out." Bradly said ready to continue there adventure on their attack on the goblins village tomorrow with the others agreeing, with Vlex seeming the most excited on taking them out with how Elliot sees. But how could they note take notice of the women at Kieve's feet, treated not better then dogs and Elliot stomach churned at the thought of what the Baren could be doing to them as they speak.