Filan seemed a little too eager. He looked down greedily at the body of Eloga, the head consumed by hellfire.
“And this is all of it?” asked Eloga, “No tiny pieces you have left anywhere. No extra bits. I need to be sure before our business is concluded. Bo’gan was rather obsessed with getting that armor done before you arrived. He was distracted which was helpful. That leads me to believe he thought you had the genuine article. I just need to make sure before you leave.”
Micah stopped binding the armor to ‘hey you’. He took the package, handed it to the other Warmachine and moved back to stand in front of Filan. Filan was a big ‘gog, but having been upgraded’ Micah was bigger. Micah glared at the Olgog in front of him. Something didn’t seem right. ‘Hey you’ shifted his weight slightly.
“Something seems off here,” Micah stated. He stepped over Eloga’s body, to stand between it, and Filan. “You are a little too excited about this. Where is Bo’gan?”
“He is…how do the Earthers call it…indisposed,” said Filan, "On a Caravan going towards the Kolgul Militia.
They will be enjoying his conscription because the armies of Eloga no longer need him.
He is quite a few miles up the road by now. But here is the armor, and therefore you are getting paid. Now give me the body so we can conclude our business."
Micah continued to glare at Filan. He knew he needed to get the armor to Krodnok, but this olgog he was now dealing with. He didn’t like him. Didn’t trust him.
“You know what?” Micah asked. “It does not matter. I do not care. The deal was, the armor for the body.” He took the armor from ‘hey you’ and tied it to the Warmachine’s back. “We now have the armor. The corpse has been delivered. That is all that maters. My job is done.”
Micah turned to leave, but stopped. “As far as I am concerned, Bo’gan was the potential ally here. You, I do not like. Nor do i trust you. This will be reported. And my master will decide what it is that we do with you.”
Micah turned and walked past ‘hey you’, who carried the armor parcel. The two Warmachines both dropped into shadows, and were gone.
–{Micah and “Hey You” return to Krodnok’s lab with the armor}— As Micah and “Hey You” leave they see.
Filan Greybeard turned towards the body and motioned to his two followers who stripped any armor or clothing off the corpse.
They splayed it out and Filan daubbed symbols across the body. He began to artifice it slowly, his voice rising into an ancient krato chanting. Then he bound the leyas energy to the body. It took many hours to do it right. If anyone found even a bit of Eloga and brought him back this artificing would follow his spirit. Once resurrected the body would be consumed by acid rendering it to final death.
Filan looked down at his former mentor confused for a moment why he was doing what he was doing. He had so many memories of happyness serving Eloga. Then the back of his head began to hurt, and he felt a headache coming on.
Instead of activating the artificings, he blinked and said, “Put it in the shadow chest in my tent.”
Before the body left his sight, Filan made a point to obscure the artificings so none would find them.
“Hey Greybeard!!” yelled one of the Armorfiend Riders, “Dyrisha and the Mind Spikes say its time to march!”
Filan grumbled, thinking, Damn Uthvelor have usurped my command. He replied , “I decide when we march. Tell Dyrisha to await my order.”
He turned and reentered the war tent followed by the two Olgogs carrying the body.
Kulal returned to the war tent. He was saluted by the fearful guards. He approached oliver, Bogan, or one of the other leaders above him. “Sssir, have the Rehshhed made contact yet? After helping them with their giant problem I asked they contact you about making tiesss.” He said. “Regardlessss I wish to deploy my forcess along the Yvan flank. Open up another front. If that doessn’t prove our ability to protect our allies I don’t know what will.” He studied the maps of the Elogan front with Unit 111. “My yvan know to keep their numbersss below company strength but they will be the terror of the night for the Yvan empire.”
He nodded to the map of the front, “I have been to too many namingsss.” He said referring to the KGM death ritual in which the fallen’s name was written on a stone of a size befitting the weight of their deeds in the face of eternity. After all who knew the dead say their peace the rock was tossed into a deep pit which seemed to drop forever. “I wish to take action to end the ssstalemate. I will need greater supplies than I have been allotted though.”
“Did we get the airshipsss from the UTR?” He asked curiously. “If we did I wissh to borrow one to infiltrate the base. I know the crew are new to them and will plan accordingly.” He felt a pang of guilt asking for the next request, he was KGM if they lacked supplies they were supposed to scavenge them, not ask for them, but the Warmongers dead preferred standoff tactics while he was a close up fighter. “I asssk for one of the quarter masters to work my glaive and gauntlet with fire ssso I may incinerate our foes.”
Bo’gan welcomed Kulal Kul Gul Rapi into the wartent, offering the conquering hero his choice of binber wine or Vagna liquor.
He raised up a small metal torch sconce quite unlike those used by olgog tribes.
“First of a shipment of metal tools and gear arriving from the Reshedgogs. Thanks to your deeds during the first Yyan invasion, the Rehsedgog have offered to outright trade metal weapons and tools for Armorfiend hide. This torch will ignite the flesh of anything you touch it to, but it will burn at a normal rate not quite incinerating it instantly.”
(Torch artificed with firedart 1 at 5 successes)
Looking at the maps Bo’gan said, "A two front war will be our undoing. Unit 111 is massing to the south, their Yyan allies massing to the east.
It will take at least a week for the Rehsedgog to mobilize their forces so we can make a joint strike on the Yyan forward bases.
In the meantime, the Unit 111 forces of the Tomb Factory are a greater concern. We cannot allow them to strike our lines from behind as we move towards the Yyan Empire forces.
Whatever happens I need them focusing their efforts on defending the Tomb Factory, not traveling northward."
Bo’gan snorted with derision, “Our pilots have barely had two weeks piloting the Skimmers. They are not ready to take on massed anti air defenses. Magi Cannons would pop them like the stomach of a Kue’lo forcefed nanya pears.”
“I could have you air dropped over the target. Highest altitude in hopes the AA defenses are busy with other targets. But you would need to figure out a way to safely land.”
Kulal smiled, “That wasss my plan, Sssir. I am sssure Lalder and the ressst of the UTR will amassss more than enough targetsss for the eleventy to ssshoot at. I will worry about the landing.”
Bo’gan smiled when he heard operations in the Cursed Ruins had gone excellently. Raider Captain Kul’al had again proven himself indispensable. Unit 111 would pull out and the less disagreeable Unit 817 would take over.
More importantly the Fortress would stop mass producing weapons for the growing Yyan armies amassing on their borders.
Oliver strode in having ridden ahead of the KGM vanguard.
As soon as he entered Bo’gans presence he knew something was wrong. That look of insane heartbreak was once more across the visage of the elogan leader. Bo’gan greeted Oliver tersly, “Welcome back.
How did things go in Karov?”
“Acceptable M’Lord. The GulTor’Uf are no longer a threat to the Tor’Lallur.
Fifteen of their Uhryu have been captured but none have addmitted any responsibility other than hiding behind the statement that the Uhryu did it,” said Oliver.
“How convenient, blaming it on a title instead of a specific individual…that is unless you misunderstood them Oliver. Did you misunderstand them?” asked Bo’gan with an edge to his voice.
Oliver gulped, “Half the time the Uhryus of GulTor’Uf speak I feel like they are talking over my head. But i am pretty sure that is the gist of it.”
“I have heard the UtR and DC will be sharing the judging of their triall?” asked Bo’gan.
“Yes the ambassadors have even selected the first Judge,” replied Oliver.
“Yes a church of Oner I have heard,” Bo’gan said cutting him off, "We cannot allow Church of Oners to stand in judgement over Olgogs.
It is simply shocking that all it takes is a year for the Olgogs to forget how oppressive the Earthers can be. "
“Its a simple diplomatic solution that prevents us from being blamed for the outcome of the trial,” said Oliver, “sir?”
“ELOGA would not stand for this and neither will I,” said Bo’gan, “What is this trial nonesense anyway? We all know the GulTor’Uf did it. Why arent we just crushing them and taking everything they owned as rewards of victory? Are we Earthers? Are we going to start drafting up land deeds and saying we own things because maps say so?”
“Because crushing the GulTor’Uf and granting them all an acidic final death would make other tribes look on us as an enemy,” said Oliver.
“I want this cleaned up before any trial occurs,” said Bo’gan, “Bring in raider captain Kul’al if you have to. Kill anyone who dares attack our allies so all others will know only their destruction awaits if they try similar violence.”
“Sir its not a good idea diplomatically,” said Oliver again.
“Diplomacy didnt help Eloga survive, in fact it was when we tried to get the diplomatic help of the other tribes that my mentor was slain,”
Move into Karov enforce mobilize the Tor Lallur and Army of the True Flame if you have to.
I want Camp GulTor’Uf erected by our troops before the week is out.
Let it be a memorial for all the GulTor’Uf who will died after daring to attack our allies." said Bo’gan.