After a while of walking, the group reached an encampment the Imperials had set in. Most of the Imperial army was still alive, despite the peculiar experience, alongside most of the ammunitions, war machines and beasts, and equipment.
As the group marched, they were greeted by several soldiers, who saluted Wulfhart as the commander of the expedition. Then, the army that had accompanied him walked on their quarters, while he and the Ubersreik five walked toward a wooden building. It too was stranded from its original location.
Inside was a man, with a short white beard, inspecting several maps. He was probably Franz Lohner. As Wulfhart and the fives entered, he let out a sigh of relief.
« Thank Sigmar you all made it out alive. » he said in relief, before turning serious. « But we've got a new problem. »
« I assume that we're no longer in the jungles of Lustria, Lohner? » Saltzpyre presumed.
Lohner simply nodded, as he pointed at a map showing what looked like a giant temple. « So, as you can see here, this is the area around Itza. » he then pointed at another map. « And this is the area around Tlencan. Notice how it's not the same if you look out there? »
Bardin nodded, both hands at the side. « Yer right, Grizdagi. Having fought in these Grimgi's forgotten jungles for months, I can definitely tell there's a difference. » The dwarf commented, Lohren's nickname being a combination of good ale and man in Dwarven language.
Kerillian crossed her arms, « Speaking of the forest…. there's something wrong with it. The trees speak a different language that from what I'm accustomed too. It also looks like it's…. dying…. »
« I thought the forest was dying in the Old World too. What's so different about it? » Bardin asked. « It's not the same. Yes, the forest is dying, but at a much slower pace than the ones from our world. It also feels…. pure, in comparison. Lilieth forgive me, but it almost resembles the forest from the time prior to Chaos. There are tales among our people regarding the Old Ones coming to our world, shaping it to their will. If I had to guess, this is how it would have looked like. » was Kerillian response.
« You're right. The winds of magic flow here more freely than from we came from. I can barely feel the taint of Chaos. » Sienna added.
« And there is also the fact that the natives of this land do not seem to worship any heretical god that I'm aware off. They seem to worship a certain "Ishmael". I've never heard of it neither in my holy duties in the Old World, neither in Lustria. » Saltzpyre added.
« And these bandits we fought definitely didn't look like Lustrians, y'know? They were certainly better dressed than…. y'know… » Kruber added. « True that. They weren't so different from bandits from our world. Yet they didn't seem to know anything from the Old World. » Sienna commented.
« Thought as much. » Lohner sighed. « I've checked every single bloody map that we had at our disposal. Not a single one of them gave us any clue of where we may remotely be. I've even checked maps of Ulthuan just to see if it could offer an answer. »
He then turned to a corpulent woman, sitting on a stool. « Olesya on the other hand, has her own theory to input. ».
The woman, Olesya, stood up. « I do not think we are in Lustria. Nor in the Old World for that matter. We're somewhere else entirely. »
Everyone's eyes widened, « What?! » Bardin sputtered, raucously. « What are you going on about!? »
Lohner looked up, «Wulfhart told me that during your battle at Itza, some blue magic of sort materialized out of nowhere. When it expanded, it must have released some chaotic warp energy that sent us here. Or at least I think it did, I can barely understand the contraptions of the Old Ones and neither can the Lizardmen. All I know is, we're somewhere completely unfamiliar. »
Saltzpyre seemed to process this info. « And how will we get back? Back to where we came from? »
Lohner sighed. « Saltzpyre, I don't know what to tell ya for once. For all I know, we could be stuck here for a while. »
A heavy silence filled the room, before Wulfhart spoke up.
« Listen. All of you have been through a lot. From leading the resistance in Ubersreik, to surviving the jungles of Lustria and taking the fight to the Lizardmen's turf. But there's always going to be a job to do for people like you. » he then balled a fist, raising it high in the air. « What we have done would have killed lesser men! But we've endured it! Mark my words! We will endure this! »
Kruber pounded a fist, « Marshal's right! We just gotta make the best out of this situation! »
Sienna nodded in agreement. « As long as my fire burns, they'll be plenty of foes for us to slay! »
« Ay, might as well jump along for the ride. How about you, elf? » Bardin asked.
Kerillian slowly crossed her arms before slowly nodding. « I might as well stick by you Mayflies. It'll be beneficial for all of us. »
« Do not confuse my question for despair. Those that follow Sigmar's light will never lose hope as long as they have purpose! Let us show this savage world his light, just as we showed it to the jungles of Lustria! » Saltzpyre exclaimed.
« That's the spirit lads! It'll take more than a little stranding to kill us! » Lohner added. « Now, the best course of action is trying to find civilization. Have the scouts returned yet? » Wulfhart asked. « They have indeed. They seem to have found a human village not too far from here. » Lohner responded.
« Good. I'd say we establish contact and get some bloody info on where we ended up at. » Wulfhart planned. « That seems reasonable Drekmakazgi. But how are we going to get? » Bardin asked.
« We'll use the war wagons. Bring along some lads along as well. » Wulfhart responded.
With no objections to be made, the group walked outside, with Wulfhart turning to a group of soldiers resting near a tent. « Oy! You lot! You're coming with us! » he commanded, the group getting on their feet immediately.
Six of them wore highly ornamental half-plate armour that bore several grim emblems, such as skulls and crosses, and carried swords and shields. Three instead carried cheaply made spears. 10 carried a bow and their arrows, but five of them seemed like they had seen more combat than their brethren.
They all walked towards five wagons, large platforms carried by armoured horses, with some gunmen on top. « Ah, never thought I'd get to ride one of these. » Markus commented. « They worked just fine in Lustria. They'll do the trick here too. » Wulfhart then said.
« I call upon the front seat! » Bardin yelled out, running up leading War Wagon as Saltzpyre and Wulfhart followed onboard. Sienna boarded next as Markus stood to the side, looking at Kerillian before gesturing his hands to the side.
« Ladies first. »
The elf raised an eye behind her mask, « I am not amused Mayfly. »
« Alright then. Can't please everybody I suppose. » Markus simply said before he boarded, bringing a ranged weapon with him as the Elf followed after him. After that, the wagons drove forward, in the direction of the village.
For the most part, the journey to the village was uneventful. No bandits nor monster tried to attack the group, and they made it safely.
Soon, the wagons reached the village, with its inhabitants looking at the group confused. The village was located near a river, with several neat little houses.
Before the group could exit their wagons, a man charged forward. He seemed seasoned from many battles, wearing a red uniform with black and white pants, and carrying a huge sword. « In the name of the Velder kingdom, stop right there! » he shouted, as he took a fighting stance.
Kruber was the first to exit, an annoyed look on his face. « Look mate, we've already dealt with that bloody Northman bandit, we don't want any trouble! » he shouted.
As he heard that, the swordman lowered his weapon. « My apologies. I thought you were some of Banthus men. »
« I take it that this "Banthus" is a bandit leader? » Saltzpyre asked. « He is. A fearsome one at that. Calls himself the "Bandit King". I guess you've met him, haven't you? » the swordman responded.
« We have indeed. Though I have to say that his days as "Bandit King" are over, with many of his followers joining Morr's Realm. But I take that you're not aware of it, are you? » Saltzpyre asked, as he noticed the swordman confusion.
« Can't say that I have. So what are you, Velder's reinforcements? » the swordman asked. « I'm afraid not, but we still mean no harm. We're people from a faraway land that got stranded here, and we need as much information as we can. » Wulfhart responded.
« That can be arranged. I'm Lowe, Ruben Village's Drillmaster. And this is Ruben Village. » the man, Lowe, introduced himself. « Drillmaster? You mean like a drill sergeant, right? I like you already. Sergeant Markus Kruber, at your service. » Kruber introduced himself.
Wulfhart was the second to introduced himself. « The name is Markus Wulfhart, Huntmarshal of the Empire. »
« I take it that this "Empire" of yours is in your faraway land? Is it by any chance in Fluone? » Lowe asked. « Never heard of it. The continent the Empire is located is known as the Old World. » Wulfhart responded.
« Right. Come with me, Chief Hagus has some maps that might turn useful for you folks. » was Lowe response. As the group followed the Drillmaster, Kruber noticed something about the village. Several buildings had been damaged, and there had been some injured people.
« Looks like this village has seen better days. » the Reikhammer knight commented. « Can't argue with that. Reminds me of the aftermath of a Warherd attack. » Wulfhart added. « The village was invaded. Banthus men attacked it, but it was very likely just a distraction. » was Lowe response.
« Distraction for what? They're just bandits, they steal and scurry away in the forests like foxes. » Kerillian commented. « Banthus isn't after money. He's after the El Shard from the Tree of El. » Lowe explained.
« El Shard? What, is it like a crystal or something? » Markus asked. « The El Crystals are an incredible source of power. The El Search Party job was to protect it, but without the arrival of Velder's soldiers, we can't just ignore the population. » was Lowe response.
« Then where in Ashquy's name are these Velder's soldiers? At least countries like Bretonnia have realm knights to "protect" the peasantry. » Sienna asked annoyed. « With so many monsters popping in and out from everywhere, the Velder's forces are stretched thin. » Lowe responded.
« And so villages like these are deemed unimportant. It's not so different from the Empire, really. » Wulfhart concluded. « That being said…. this El Crystal…. you said it's an incredible source of power. » Saltzpyre finally spoke.
« Indeed. It is said that before the arrival of the El Crystal, this was a barren land. » Lowe responded. « Still….it DOES sound…familiar. If I may, will it be possible to inspect such "crystals"? » Saltzpyre inquired.
« I guess it could be arranged. You could always join the El Search Team. We're always looking for new recruits. » Lowe proposed. « Sorry. This Witch Hunter is already taken. » Wulfhart responded. « Anway, here we are at Chief Hagus house. » Lowe then said, as the group reached a slightly larger house.
In front of it was a large man with a beard, who looked at the strangers curiously. « Drillmaster Lowe, these men neither look like Velder soldiers nor like bandits, who are they? » he asked.
« Chief Hagus, we come in peace. I'm Markus Wulfhart, Huntmarshal of the Empire, and these are the Ubersreik five. We are strangers in a strange land, and we are in need of your assistance. » Wulfhart was the first to speak.
« Would a map do? » Hagus asked. « It would be a good start, yes. » Wulfhart responded. With that said, Hagus nodded, and entered his home. A few moments later, he was back with a map. The whole group looked confused at it.
It showed a large island near what seemed to be a larger, mountainous landmass. Victor turned towards the chief. « And you are sure that this map is accurate? » he asked. « One of the best you could find. » was Hagus response.
« Y'know, this kinda reminds me of the islands of Ulthuan. Wouldn't you lot agree? » Kruber commented.
Kerillian simply scoffed. « Have you seen the native's ears, mayfly? These aren't High Elves, and I doubt the Asur kingdoms would ever let lumberfoots in their home. » she said annoyed. « Well maybe these are islands they haven't colonized. » the sergeant defended himself.
« Ulthuan? Never heard of that place. » Lowe commented. « Besides, Fluone and Lurensia aren't islands, they're continents. »
« Besides, it only has superficial resemblances to Ulthuan. None of the isles match any map I've seen. And why would there be a temple city? There's no Lizardmen in Ulthuan, only Dragons. Or so many of the merchants I've talk to told me. » Sienna added, referring to a city in the Eastern corner of Lurensia.
« Zharrin's right…. besides, I've travelled far and wide searching for Karak Zorn, and I've yet to see a floating island. » Bardin added, noticing a floating island above the aforementioned city. « Well, this is lovely, isn't it? We're neither in Lustria nor in Ulthuan, or any place we know really. » Kruber sarcastically commented.
« Maybe you guys reached a continent you've never seen before? We barely explored Fluone, Ishmael knows how big the world really is. » Lowe proposed. At that, Saltzpyre turned, an inquisitive look on his face, intimidating the Drillmaster.
« The bandit that attacked us mentioned this "Ishmael" as well. Is it a deity you worship? » he asked. « Yes. She's the goddess of light. » Lowe responded. Before Saltzpyre could say anything, Wulfhart placed a hand on his shoulder.
« Saltzpyre. Not now. » the Huntmarshal said with a strict tone. « Not to worry. I will withhold judgement. Even a devout follower such as myself can recognize the bigger picture here, if Sigmar will have it. But one is to be sure that these individuals don't worship any of the Dark Gods. » Saltzpyre responded.
« Dark Gods? You mean you have more than just Henir!? » Lowe exclaimed shocked. « Four to be precise. But the less you know, the better. » was Saltzpyre response. « I'm terribly sorry that we weren't able to give you any information's about these whereabouts. That being said, if your group is willing to participate in the defence of this village, I'd be more than willingly allow you to own proprieties here. » Hagus proposed.
« Actually….I do have a request. » Saltzpyre spoke. « Well, what is it Mr… » Hagus asked. « Victor Saltzpyre, Witch Hunter of the Imperial Inquisition. » Saltzpyre introduced himself. « As for the request, would it be possible to see an El Shard? It's resemblance to a certain crystal I'm aware off is not a good sign. » he then spoke again.
Hagus pondered for a bit before speaking. « I do have a proposal. Some members of the El Search Party went out to stop Banthus and his band of bandits, but they've yet to return. They were heading towards the Tree of El. Would you be so kind to find out where they are? That way, you might have a chance to see what an El Shard looks like. » he proposed.
« Does anybody have any objections? » Victor asked the group. « Might as well. Tall's know what creatures might lurk in these forests. » Kruber spoke. « As long as there are foes to incinerate, count me in. » Sienna smirked.
« Don't really have a lot to complain, Grimgi. Wouldn't want to leave Bokumgi without a few other scars, wouldn't we? » Bardin said. « And I have to work a bit on my aim. That big head of his will be a good target practice. » Wulfhart added.
Kerillian simply sighed. « I might come as well. » she said annoyed. « Very well. Chief Hagus, where were these El Search Party members last seen? » Victor asked. « As far as I know, they were heading towards the Tree of El. Just follow the map. They were five new recruits, Elsword, Aisha Landar, Rena Erindel, Raven Cronwell and Chung. They're easy to recognize: Elsword is the red-haired boy, a swordman, Aisha is a pink haired young magician, Rena is an elf, Raven is a black-haired man with a metal arm, and Chung is a blond boy with a cannon. » Hagus responded.
Kruber sighed annoyed. « Red-haired boy, a young magician…Taal's teeth, did you just send bloody children after that Northman?! » he said irritated. « Don't get mad, Azumgi! I'm sure they'll be fine, I mean it's Bokumgi they're facing! » Bardin reassured the Reikhammer knight.
« Especially with an elf at their side. I don't know wherever to pity those foolish bandits…. or that poor maiden. It's hard enough to deal with mayflies when they're adults. » Kerillian added. « If anything, the magician is the one to fear. Sigmar knows what sort of dark machinations she's unleashing to the world. » Victor said.
« I thought you weren't afraid of magic, Saltzpyre. Not with Sigmar's light protecting you. » Sienna joked. « Sigmar protects the faithful. But I doubt any of the five are worshippers of the one true god. » Saltzpyre responded.
« None the less, we better move, before the bandits overwhelm them. » Wulfhart commanded. And soon, the group was on their wagons once more, looking for the missing El Search Party members.
As they departed, Hagus looked at them worried. « So, what do you make out of them? » he asked Lowe. « They seem like seasoned warriors. They said tons of things I didn't understand, but they also didn't seem like they are either from Fluone or Lurensia. » the Drillmaster responded.
« The Witch Hunter also seems like a religious fanatic. Had it not been for the Huntmarshal, he could have killed you for worshipping the wrong god. » Hagus noted. Lowe simply sighed. « How many have we deemed evil for worshipping Henir? Perhaps it's the same for these "Old Worlders". We barely know anything about this world. ».
« I suppose you have a point. » was Hagus response, as the wagons were now too far away to be seen.
I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Please review so I can learn your opinion. I'm willing to accept suggestions, so stay tuned.
See you on the next chapter!