Author's Notes: Hey everyone, glad you liked the last one and I hope that you like this one too. As always I own nothing. The votes are in and adventure won. Don't worry mystery lovers, which will be next. Actually, it is a good thing. I rushed the last one, with the other werewolf and I found it to be a bit disappointing. This gives me time to do what I did with the Skaven and do it right.
Karl stirred in his sleep, reluctant to come fully awake. He became aware that someone was in the room and that person was shaking him. Still reluctant to wake up he turned over with a growl to face the source of his irritation and opened his eyes. To his surprise he found that it was Wilhelmina standing over him. Her expression was one of amusement and even in his slightly fogged state of mind he was glad to see that she was not looking at him with either fear or disgust. Still, he was a bit annoyed at the fact that she could just waltz into his room whenever she wanted to. To show this, as well as to cover the relief that he felt at seeing that she was no longer adverse to him, he decided to to allow a bit of the grumpiness that he felt to show in his reaction.
"What are you doing here?" He mumbled in a sleepy tone of voice. She gave a derisive snort.
"I was sent to fetch a puppy who would rather spend his days sleeping than doing something useful." With an effort Karl raised his head and looked out the window. The sky was just beginning to turn pink with the rising of the sun.
"The sun is not even up yet." He mumbled, wrapping himself up his blanket. Wilhelmina pulled on them a few times, but Karl held on and she could not move them and gave up. She walked away and he hoped that she had given up, but then the footsteps returned.
"You asked for this." She stated. He did not have time to wonder what she meant when cold water cascaded down onto him, soaking him and his blanket. Shocked into action Karl leaped up spluttering in surprise and outrage.
"WHAT WAS THAT FOR!?" He yelled at her. She merely shrugged, a triumph smirk on her face.
"You looked as if you needed some motivation to get out of bed, so I decided to give you some and now that you are up we can get moving. We need to talk to Marx as soon as possible. If you hurry you can be back in time for you servant to fix you breakfast. Now come on if you don't want to walk through the streets in wet nightclothes." Grumbling he pulled on some clothes, ignoring her chuckles as he did so.
They made their way through the streets as the light continued to grow. Winter was almost upon them and there was frost everywhere, though Karl guessed that they would melt when the sun came up. Due to the early hour there were few people about and these all gave way, Wilhelmina was dress as a noble page and Karl was well armed and his irritation at his manner of being awoken was evident on his face and no one that they met seemed inclined to encourage him to direct his anger towards them. They reached Marx's home and entered without even bothering to nock. They made their way to the study, where it seemed Marx was want to hand out all of the tasks which he had for Karl to do and Karl started to wonder what task the wizard had in store for him this time. As soon as they entered the study Karl saw that the wizard was seated as his desk as usual, but that he was not alone as he usually was.
There were three men and a women in the room as well. Karl could see at once from the cut of their clothing and the way that they carried themselves that all were nobles, though perhaps not those of the highest class. Karl also noted that while the two young men had darker skin the older man and the woman had pale skin, not the paleness of ill health, but rather the paleness of those born in the north of the Empire. The man in front was older than the other two, Karl put him in his late thirties or early forties. He had pale blond hair, with a few streaks of gray already present. He was of medium height with a husky build.
The two men standing behind him were clearly related to the older man, though their hair was darker and their eyes were green instead of blue. They looked to be in their late teens or earlier twenties and each of them had the proud look of nobles who knew their social standing and trained warriors confident in their skill at arms. They each wore swords and daggers on their belts and they kept their hands where they could reach their weapons in a moment's notice. Even the cut of their clothing lent them a martial air, resembling uniforms of some kind. The woman was quite different.
While she too carried herself like a noble there was more than that. She carried herself in such a way as to show that while she held power she was confident enough in it that she did not feel the need to openly display it. She wore robes of midnight blue with a wide collar which rose above her head. Her hair was mostly gray, though a few strands of black were still visible. She wore a number of pendants, rings, earrings and brooches in the shape of stars, moons and other shapes. It was her eyes though which truly drew Karl's attention. They wholly blue and emitted a soft glow. Even without her staff and the smell of magic emanating from her Karl would have known her for a wizard. As he and Wilhelmina entered all turned to regard them.
"Oh there you are my dear boy." Marx said in a cherry tone of voice. Do come in and let introduce you to my guests." He first indicated the three men.
"This is Baron Theoderic Von Dorchener, formerly of Ostland and his sons. On the right," he said indicating the slightly taller of the two; "We have Sir Felipe Von Dorchener and on the left we have Sir Fernando Von Dorchener. And finally, we have the good Baron's aunt: the Lady Lenora Von Dorchener of the Celestial College." Karl bowed to them as Marx turned to indicate him.
"This is Karl, the young man that I have been talking to you about." Karl looked between the nobles and Marx, unsure about how much the wizard had told them about him. From the look that the woman was giving him he suspect that she at least was in the know about what he was, or at least had suspicions. To deflect her gaze, which he found unnerving, he turned to Marx.
"Formally?" This brought a sour expression to all their faces. It was the Baron himself who replied, bitterness coloring his voice as he spoke.
"Indeed. My family had the great misfortune to fall out of favor with Elector-Count Valmir von Raukov, Grand Prince of Ostland. My family are devotees of Myrmidia. Indeed," here some of the bitterness left him and he stood a little taller; "I was a member of The Order of the Blazing Sun until my wounding and my sons aspired to join the Order as well." He paused and when he began to speak again the bitterness had returned.
"Unfortunately, my family's faith, my taking of a Tilean wife, my brother being a priest of Myrmidia and my lady aunt being a practitioner of magic have all combined to make us unpopular and this, combined with some political maneuvering resulted in our family being stripped of all our lands and titles and being told that we are longer welcome in the Empire." Karl did not know what to say, so he said nothing. After a brief pause Lady Von Dorchener took up the tale.
"No longer being welcome in the Empire and being too proud to beg from our relatives in Tilea we found ourselves somewhat short of options. I was then contacted by Marx, whom I have occasionally worked with in the past, with a possible solution." They all turned back to the wizard in question who took up the story.
"I learned of the Von Dorchener family misfortune and I realized that there was a way that I could aid them as well as advancing a project that I have been working on for some time." He took out a roll of paper and unrolled it on his desk. When he did so Karl saw that it was a map of some sort.
"I have long had my eye on the Borderlands, also known as the Land of the Border Princes. It is strategically important as many Orks have used this as a rout to invade the southern parts of the Empire. I and other associates of mine have passed around schemes by which we may shore up this vulnerable front.
"Which is why I have urged the Von Dorchener to make their way there and establish themselves as rulers in those lands." He turned to address the Von Dorcheners directly.
"This will both save your honor and help in protecting the Empire." They looked less than thrilled but they nodded and at a sign from Marx they left the room, Wilhelmina closing the door so that the three were alone. After a moment Karl began to speak.
"So what is the real plan?" He asked. Marx arched an eyebrow at him.
"Whatever do you mean?"
"I do not know a lot about the Border Princes, but I do know that one more petty noble down there will not secure the territory."
"Nor do I expect them to." Marx replied. Karl was confused.
"Then why send them?" He asked. Marx sighed.
"Because one stone does not a house make." He looked at Karl for a moment and then continued.
"No, the Von Dorcheners cannot tame the Border Lands by themselves, but it is a start. They can secure a toehold there. Once that is established we can use their new holding. Many of their fellow "princes" may not be the most pious of individuals, but they can mostly be counted on to have a sense of self-preservation and that will be enough. Once they are established we can send other agents to replace those rulers there who are unwilling to cooperate and establish their own kingdoms. In time this will enable us to bring the Border Lands under control and secure it against incursions."
"So what is my role in all of this?" Karl asked.
"A number of Von Dorchener's people have chosen to accompany into his exile, including a number of his soldiers. However; the Border Lands are a dangerous place and they will need help. You are to accompany them and aid them in whatever form you can. Your unique abilities will be of great help to them as both scout and it may be necessary for potential rivals to be removed before it becomes necessary for Von Dorchener to use his force to deal with it, thus weakening his position. "
"So I am to serve as an assassin?" Karl asked, not sure that he was entirely comfortable with that arrangement. While he was no stranger to killing, something about assassination made him feel uncomfortable.
"If necessary," Marx said, interrupting Karl's thoughts; "In which case I can assure you, none of your targets will be innocent.
"However; I doubt that shall be your primary duty, at least at first. While in the Empire you will likely just be another sword, but when you leave the Empire things will be different. Once you are in the Border Lands your abilities will be of great use as a scout. You will find that there are many dangers in those lands, many which cannot be seen with the naked eye." Marx leaned forward and fixed Karl with a look of intensity.
"Make no mistake, this is important. The Border Lands represent a constant threat to the Empire, a threat which must be dealt with. The Von Dorcheners represent the best opportunity that has presented itself in some time. The Empire has trouble enough enemies as it is, both within and from without, without having to deal with another Ork WAAAGH invading from the south. I expect you to do all within your capabilities to ensure that their efforts meet with success. I assure it would be far better to prop them and others like them than to have to raise an army to fight a war when they are needed elsewhere. Do you understand?" Karl nodded.
"Good. Then I would start to make any preparations that are needed, I shall arrange for your servant to receive regular payments so you need not worry about her. The Von Dorcheners are camped outside of the city's south gate. Meet them there in the morning at sunrise." Karl nodded and left the room. As he walked towards the entrance he realized that Wilhelmina was walking beside him.
"So you're off to play in the Border Lands." Karl, who found that he was not looking forward to going, replied in what he hoped was a sarcastic tone of voice.
"I will try my best to not get myself killed while I am there."
"Do that, you are a valuable asset and I would hate to lose you now that you have been mostly housebroken." Karl snarled in annoyance, but he was used to her remarks and there was not much in it. She smiled and left him as he made his way outside. As the door closed she called out one last thing as the door closed.
"I'll keep an eye on your servant and make sure she doesn't hurt herself while you're gone." With that she closed the door.
As he made his way home Karl sighed. He was really getting tired of Marx just ripping him up and then throwing into these situations. He still wanted to help of course and truth to tell going to the Border Lands sounded like an adventure, it was being forced to go that bothered him. Still, he was going and he would have to make the best of it. He was relieved to know that Olga would be taken care of and with him being gone she would have plenty of time to spend with her sweetheart. He was pleased that Wilhelmina would also be keeping an eye one her.
That taken care of he cleared his mind of the issue and instead focused on the matters at hand. He would have to ensure that he had all the supplies that he would need as he could not be sure that Von Dorcheners would have all that would be needed on the journey, or if they did it would be enough. Thus he went out and spent the day gathering supplies, including a new pair of boots and clothing. He completed the acquisition of supplies near sundown and made his way home. Olga was not at home and so he took the opportunity to finish packing his belongings and preparing for the trip. It was nearly nightfall before Olga returned. She had on a nice dress and seemed to be quite happy. That happiness seemed to dim when he saw that Karl was packing.
"You are leaving again Master?"
"I am afraid so, I have been given a task, one which may require my being gone for some time." He smiled at her in a reassuring manner.
"Don't worry, I have ensured that will not want for money and I shall return as soon as I can." He brought a smile to his face as he continued his efforts to make her smile and put her fears at ease.
"You will also have plenty of time for your young man without having to sneak around." She flushed, but also smiled, a fact which pleased Karl. Anticipating the next day he ate a hearty meal and retired to bed early.
He awoke before sunrise and gathered what he was taking with him and headed down the stairs. He found that Olga had also risen and had breakfast prepared for him. Finding that he had nothing to say he hastily ate and then, with a brief farewell, he set off. The gates were just opening for the day when he reached them and he was one of the first ones to leave the city. Hastily making his way to the Von Dorcheners' camp. As he neared the camp, which was in the process of being broken down in preparation of setting off, Felipe Von Dorchener, now clad in full plate, rode up to meet him.
"Karl." He said simply. Karl nodded his head.
"Sir Felipe."
"It is good that you arrived so quickly, my father and great-aunt are eager to set off as soon as possible." He paused and turned to give a disgusted look at the camp as a whole.
"If we can ever get moving, the camp was supposed to have been completely broken down by now." He abruptly turned his horse and headed back towards the activity.
"Come, my father will wish to speak to you." He then proceeded on without another word, apparently trusting that Karl would follow him.
They made their way through the camp towards a collection of carts and wagons which were being loaded up to depart. There was no sign of the Baron, but they did see Fernando Von Dorchener, also armored and mounted, who appeared to be supervising the loading of the wagons, apparently by cursing at them frequently and loudly. He turned as Karl and Felipe rode up to him.
"Hello brother," he said to Felipe as they came up to him; "I see that the scout has arrived, at last." The way he said it made Karl want to growl and raise his hackles, but he restrained himself and merely nodded his head in Fernando's direction.
"Greetings Sir Fernando."
"How goes the preparation for the march?" Felipe interjected. Fernando threw up his hands in disgust, as if all the problems of the world were his and his alone to bear.
"Gods! We would have been ready to go by now if these lazy whore-sons weren't even lazier than the scout here!" Karl felt his anger rise again. Fortunately before he could do or say anything foolish a new voice joined the conversation.
"FERNANDO!" Baron Von Dorchener, accompanied by his aunt, were riding up. Unlike his sons the Baron did not wear armor, instead he had donned heavy riding cloths, including a fur-lined cloak. Lady Von Dorchener was also wearing riding clothing, though she had retained the colors of her college and carried her staff with her. Karl and the Baron's sons all turned to him as the Baron and his aunt rode up to them.
"Fernando," the Baron said again; "Your behavior is unacceptable. I placed you in charge of preparing the caravan to travel. What was the first principle of command that I taught you?" Fernando sighed and spoke in a tone which was tinged with sulkiness.
""An emotional commander is one who lacks discipline.'" He looked as if he might have said more, but he stopped himself. The Baron picked up where his son left off.
"And when a commander lacks discipline so will those under his command." He glared at his son for a moment and then his expression and tone softened.
"Fernando, I know that this troubles and angers and I understand. However; we cannot allow it to show." He waved with one hand to encompass the camp.
"These people look to us for leadership, but they also look to us for assurance that everything will be all right. We must always be seen to be strong and in control, both of the situation and ourselves. Even when we are not we must appear to be. If you act the part long enough it will become true." He slapped his son on the back and rode off. Fernando, while still far from happy at least seemed mollified. The sons then went back to their duties and for moment Karl did not know what to do. Just then Lady Von Dorchener rode up to him.
"Will you ride with me?" From her tone Karl guessed that the request was not, in fact, a request.
They rode through the camp, apparently simply meandering. The woman made him uneasy, she practically radiated power and Karl could just imagine that power being turned on him. His thoughts were interrupted by her when she began to speak. She did not look at him, but she pitched her voice so that only he could hear her.
"I really must apologize for my great-nephew's behavior. In truth he and his brother are not normally like this. In truth, I believe that the misfortunes which have befallen our family have been hard for them, harder than even for my nephew I believe. They are young men, just come into knighthood and the feelings of powerlessness that events have caused them are enraging. This is the first time that they have faced something which they cannot overcome through skill or determination." Karl considered what she had said. She then began to speak again.
"Still, it does not excuse his behavior and I must again apologize for his actions." She turned to look at him with a speculative look.
"Marx told me that you were more than you seemed and I can see that he spoke the truth." Her looked at him more closely and her expression and voice both became harder.
"Make no mistake; however, they are my family and I love them dearly. I will trust that Marx knows what his is doing by keeping a creature such as you about him. But leashed or not, if you so much as twitch in a manner which I believe is threatening them and I will not hesitate to put you down. Do we understand each other?" He thought about how strong he was and the foes which he had faced. In light of all of that the threats of an old woman should have been ludicrous, yet somehow it wasn't. Her victory was not certain, but he had a feeling that it would be nowhere near as easy as it would look to an outsider. He did not reply save for a nod. A gesture which she returned.
"Very good. I do not like to take such an approach, it is more my nephew and his children, but I am a Von Dorchener and we do not back down from any challenge, real or perceived." With that she rode off leaving Karl to his own devices.
Karl was not sure it was due to the efforts of Fernando or in spite of them but the caravan was moving two hours before noon. As they were traveling by road through the center of the Empire Karl's services as a guide at the time. Indeed, he doubted that he would be needed until after they had left the Empire and entered the land of the Border Princes. Not needed in that capacity Karl found himself drawn into the role of caravan guard. While it was doubtful that any group of bandits or brigands would dare to attack a caravan so large and well-armed, especially this close to the capital. There were; however, other threats which could threaten them. Karl remembered all too well that the lands of the Empire were far from undisputed and that numerous bands of marauding Orks and Beastmen were abroad. Thus he and the others kept a sharp lookout for any signs of trouble.
As the day went on Karl made the acquaintance of Henri, of the Baron's sergeants. Henri was forty-seven years old and had accompanied him on many of his campaigns. His hair was going both grey and thin and he had added more than a few pounds, but his eyes were still sharp and he still carried himself like a soldier. This was reflected by the fact that many of the younger men looked up to him and turned to him for advice and he always had an audience when the caravan paused for a rest and he could be persuaded to tell one of his stories, something which was never a difficult task.
It made Karl think of when he lived in his village and he would go to the inn and listen to Old Brome's stories of his time as a soldier and he found himself experiencing unexpected feelings of homesickness and longing for the simpler life that he had had. Back before he met Grabner and he found himself barraged by questions, the answers of which still eluded him. Fortunately, the Baron, even in the center of the Empire, was not one to risk being caught off guard. He had a strong vanguard in front, pickets on the flanks and a rearguard. Karl often attached himself to these groups, familiarizing himself with the soldiers sworn to the Baron, that and also to attempt to kill the boredom. As he usually traveled by himself he was used to traveling at a much faster pace, but many of those in the caravan where either young or old and many were afoot and thus the caravan moved at a relatively slow pace and Karl soon found himself fighting the urge to spur his horse on and leave the slow ones behind. He received a break from this around noon when they stopped for their mid-day meal. Fernando called him to him.
"You called for me my lord?" Karl asked him.
"Yes." He said. He no longer sounded impatient. Either his father's talk had done him good or the responsibility that he had been given had had a sobering effect on him.
"I have a task for you." He pointed ahead of the caravan. Following his gaze saw that about a mile or so down the road it passed a large clump of trees, the branches of some of them overhung the road.
"That would be the perfect place for an ambush. It is unlikely, this close to the capital, but I refuse to take any chances. I want you and a few of the men to go ahead of the caravan and scout out the woods to ensure that there is nothing there which can threaten us. Understood?" Karl nodded his understanding. He gathered up Henri and a few of the other men and rode ahead of the caravan.
"Waste of time," one of the men grumbled; "There is no way that anyone would be foolish enough to attack a group as large as ours, as especially this close to Altdorf." Henri made a disgusted sound in the back of his throat.
"Boy that just shows that you have a lot to learn. I've lost count of the number of men who wound up in early graves because they thought that they were safe from harm. Even if that were not the case the Baron's son commanded us to investigate the woods for any potential dangers and that is what we are going to do by Sigmar." His words appeared to have the desired effect as the man made no further complaints as the rode to the trees.
Up close they saw that the trees were thicker than they had appeared, forcing them to dismount and leave the horses with one of the men while the rest moved into the trees. Karl and the others kept their ears open for any sounds of ambush, but they did not hear anything out of the ordinary. As there were others around him Karl could not employ his senses to their fullest, still he could not help thinking that there was something, something lingering just beyond the reach of his restricted senses. His attention was drawn to one of the men when he called to the others, Karl had insisted that they all stay within sight of each other.
"I think I found something!" The others came over to see what he had found. He was looking down at a pile of fecal matter. The others looked at him in bemusement.
"Congratulations," one of the men said sardonically; "I found a pile of human waste. We now know that someone other than use uses this road." As the others laughed Henri knelt down to look at it. Looking at him Karl realized that the smell that he had been trying to identify was, at least in part, emanating from the waste. His suspicions were confirmed when Henri straightened himself and turned to address the group as a whole in a serious tone of voice.
"This is not human waste, its Beastmen." That ended the laughter of the men and their expressions became even more solemn as he continued to speak.
"Fresh too by the look of it, the thing was here not very long ago." The men all looked around uneasily, as if they were expecting the creature and its comrades to burst from the trees at any second. Karl did not smell or hear any Beastmen, but of course he could not tell them that and so he held his peace. Henri continued to stare at the waste and the ground around it. At last he spoke.
"It was here not too long ago and it wasn't alone."
"You sure?" One of the men asked. Henri simply nodded.
"I'm sure these things never travel alone by choice."
"How do you know that they were here not very long ago?" One of the other men asked. Henri indicated the fecal matter on the ground, holding his hand slightly above it.
"It is still slightly warm and there is a faint smell. The weather is getting colder and neither would last long."
"Do you think that they are still around?" Karl asked, he did not think so as he could not smell or hear any, but Henri had shown that he had skills which he did not so Karl was willing to double-check with the man. Henri shook his head.
"I doubt it. Beastmen are as aggressive as Orks. If they were still here they would be attacking us. No, they have left, their aggressive, but not entirely stupid. They were either a small group and realized that they could not fight the entire caravan." He paused and his expression became grim.
"That, or they were a scouting force and they have gone back to their fellows to inform them of our presence." The others now shared his grim expression. They all knew what that meant. If that was indeed the case then it was possible that even now a horde of Beastmen was preparing to attack the caravan. Henri spoke again, speaking the words which they were all thinking.
"Best get back to the caravan. The Baron must be warned and I wouldn't want to be caught out here if they come back with their fellows. The wolf growled inside Karl, it did not like to flee from a foe, but it also did not like the thought of being hunted by foes that it could not see.
They returned to their horses and made their way back to the caravan to report. They found the Baron and the Lady Von Dorchener in conversation. From the looks on their faces they clearly expected the scouts' report to be negative. They listened to Henri as he gave his report and only then did the Baron speak.
"How many do you estimate Sergeant?"
"Impossible to say your Lordship. From the tracks I would guess ten or twelve, but is only the ones in the woods. If that is all there that is all there is. If their only scouts from a larger force that could be anywhere from a few dozen to thousands." The Baron mulled over Henri's words and began to speak, though it appeared that he was speaking to himself as to any of those present.
"I doubt it is thousands, not this close to Altdorf, someone would have spotted them, or at least seen indications of them. Still, even a smaller force might be enough to threaten us." He turned to focus on his aunt.
"My lady, have you seen anything in your divinations?" She gave him a slightly exasperated look, as if this was a conversation which they had had a number of times before.
"As I have said before, dear nephew, the art of divination is not an exact science. It does not simply tell what is going to happen in the future, at least not often."
"Then you can see nothing?" The Baron asked, clearly equally exasperated.
"I did not say that Nephew. Now that I am aware of this threat I shall direct my efforts to it during my divinations and attempt to decipher what the future holds for it and us." With that she turned and departed. After she had gone the Baron turned his attention back to Henri and the other scouts.
"While I respect her powers, I do not feel that we should solely rely upon them." He turned his attention to focus completely on Henri.
"Sergeant, I want you to find my sons and inform them of what is going on. I want the guard doubled, perhaps that will discourage the Beastmen from attacking if their numbers are not significantly superior to our own. In case that is not is not enough to dissuade them and it comes to a fight then they could attack us from any direction. To counter that we shall have our riders form into a mobile reserve and have them be ready to move where they are needed as quickly as possible. If my aunt is able to discern any useful information from her efforts then the plans may be changed. Do you understand all of that?" Henri nodded his acknowledgement.
"Yes my Lord."
"Very well, get to it then man." With that the Baron turned to see to his own preparations, the scouts clearly dismissed.
As there was nothing else to do at the moment Karl fell in with the caravan as it began to move again. Though most had not been told what was going on rumors were soon spreading and a feeling of unease was settling over the people. As Karl rode along he found himself being constantly questioned by people as to what he and the others had seen. Not wanting to add to any rumors and not sure if he was allowed to state what they had seen he did his best to avoid the questioners.
In his efforts to do this he found himself riding alongside a wagon driven by a youth, little more than a boy really. He had sandy hair and an inordinate amount of freckles. Sitting on the seat beside him was a well-dressed man whom Karl estimated was in his mid-forties. Despite him not being particularly old his hair was already mostly gone, leaving only a half-moon like fringe going around the back of his head to connect his ears. His clothing, while dirty and somewhat worn from the journey, was of good quality material. He was writing in a book and did not at first sense that Karl was looking at him. After a moment he seemed to become aware of it and looked up to see Karl.
"Oh, do forgive me young man, I did not see you there." Karl nodded in greeting and raised one had.
"Think nothing of it sir and please forgive me if I appear rude. I observed you writing and I was curious as to what had you so engrossed." The man chuckled in a self-deprecating manner as he looked down at the book.
"This thing? It is merely a treatise that I have been working on. It concerns plants and their healing properties. While there are a number of such books to be found in the Empire, I pride myself that mine is one of the most extensive. I must admit that I am rather looking forward to when we arrive in the Lands of the Border Princes. There has not, to my knowledge, been any books written on the herbalism of the plants to be found there." Karl looked at him, he had never seen anyone so obsessed with plants before.
"Are you an alchemist Master…?"
"Cusher, Gades Cusher and its Doctor Cusher of the University of Altdorf. Not a drop of magic in me I am pleased to say."
"You don't approve of magic?" Karl asked him.
"Don't get me wrong my good Sir, magic is useful and I have the utmost respect for the Lady Von Dorchener, but magic is inherently limiting for several reasons. First, it is innate skill, which means that it cannot be used by anyone not born with the ability to wield it. Second and in my opinion more significant is the effect magic has on the intellectual development of the Empire.
"People become awed by what magic can do and are unwilling to invest the time and resources needed to develop more mundane means of accomplishing the same results. Why develop new medicines when you can just have a wizard mutter a spell and cure the person? If one were given to speculation one might go as far as to say that is what happened to the Elves of Ulthuan."
"What do mean?" Karl asked, remembering his time with Agliar. Cusher needed no further prompting, indeed Karl got the impression that this was an idea which he quite enjoyed talking about.
"Well, just look at them. When man was still dressing in skins and hitting each other with rocks they had a civilization which far surpassed anything man had and while they still do in some ways we are catching up with them and I believe that we shall one day surpass them and I believe it has to do with magic. They say that when their civilization first formed magic was much more common than it is today and even now they employ it far more to accomplish mundane tasks than humans do.
"This dependence has hobbled their advancement, indeed I do not know if their culture has made any significant advancement in centuries, if not longer. That is because it did not have to, magic provided all that they needed, until it didn't. Even then they made no effort to branch out, instead choiring to decline while remembering their golden age and making no real effort to change in order to regain what they lost.
"On the other hands the lands of men, particularly our own Empire, has indeed advanced. We have gone from rocks to gunpowder and Steam Tanks. Think where we will be two or three centuries from now and that is because we turned to science, not sorcery, something which can be used by all, for advancement." Just then someone came up and told the doctor that he was needed to deal with an injury. He excused himself to Karl and set off leaving Karl to contemplate what he had said.
Author's Notes: Hey everyone, I hope that you liked it. What did you think about the argument at the end? Let me know in the comments. Please pray for Asia Bibi, who was released but still threatened and those who need it and may Jesus bless you.