“What did he have to say?” Flacidious asked as the commander walked towards him.
“There have been disturbing reports on the westen frontier, the guard posts of the Vicini have been abandoned and there has been no sign of merchants or wondering sages for some time.” The commander dressed in dull brown and grey formal attire stopped a moment as Flacidious stood up. The two of them set off together for the doors at the end of the vast ornate corridor.
“Ominous”
“Indeed, while the Vicini are not renowned for their desire to parley to completely abandon their outpost if true would be bizare in the extreme.”
“Some kind of trick?” Flacidious asked stroking his blond goatie.
“It’s the only thing that would make any sense, even if they had been attacked or if there was somekind of disaster I couldn’t possibly imagine that they’d abandon their entire frontier with us.” The commander paused a moment, “It’s certainly not as though our kingdoms are on that good a terms.” Guards opened the large doors and bowed as the two continued through a large marble recption room. Nobles and courtiers stood around talking to one another, guards in ceremonial plate armour stood by the walls ever alert for any threats, or at least appearing to be. Among the guests mingled serving staff in drab but neat attire, clearly expressing their status as far below that of the rich and powerful that they served.
“That goes without saying, also I’d propose that if something terrible had occured then should we not see an influx of people fleeing across the borders and news from travellers from within their borders?”
“My thoughts indeed Flacidious. As such it has been decided that we will send out your party to investigate the border region and return any news. I’d request that you gather the others meet at our office in the Slag district.” The commander looked at Flacidious her one good eye grey belied no concern just a constant seriousness, haggerd face and wrinkled talons covered in silver service rings.
“I’ll do as you ask.” Flacidious looked around the reception hall a moment.
“I have business here, the old poisoned hag of the Kingdom is never finished with her work.” The commanders thin lips curled into a wicked grin of yellow teeth. “We’ll meet after dark” She turned and headed towards a group of merchants.
Flacidious took his leave just past the guards on the steps of the palace there was a man in similar plain garb as Flacidious who nodded and jogged over.
“Flacidious?”
“Gather the others in the Slags we’re going on a little trip.” The Man nodded and jogged off dissappearing as if by magic, Flacidious then headed into the King’s District,it smelt of perfume, his eyes scanned nonchalently across the scene, the buildings were all white washed, the roads were cobbled and the shit from horses was swept away almost as quickly as the horses deposited it. The traders all operated from shops and no one was hawking wares on the street, everything looked to be the peak of perfection as those with status walked with their servents infront cleaning the paths and behind holding trails. He could hear the polite conversation interspersed with a servant or child being scolded for their bad behaviour. Guards exchanging greetings and confirming that their patrols were successful. On occasion someone would take notice of him a moments suspicion before their minds moved onto other things, guards looked to consider talking to him, intending to ask why he was here most likely, but then thinking better of it as Flacidious’s finger gently caressed one of his silver rings.
After a half hours walk he had passed into the merchants district, slowly crowds formed the streets were bustling, there were stores out on the street, the roads still cobbled but covered in people and litter, children were hurridly escorted by parents, well dressed merchants haggled with one another, caravans of goods were exchanged and people filled hand drawn carts with a dazzling array of products both mundane and exotic. Merchant’s cant could be heard amongst the dialects of Noviya normally heard in the streets of the city there was a never ending babble of excited conversation that drowned out many of the other sounds of the city. Flacidious seemed to notice something and changed direction heading into a crowd.
“Ndidi” he pushed through a crowd that was attempting to get in on a deal for some kind salted fish from across the sea of Rothdover, A broad Peck turned toward Flacidious a big grin on their face, their skin was like bark, they were green with a tuft of pale green hair sticking up, wearing a plane merchants tunic from the distant east.
“Ah, Flacidious old friend, what an honor it is to see you on this fine day!” Ndidi awkwardly bowed and Flacidious returned the gesture.
“You too my old friend, I hope that the trade winds still favor you!” Flacidious said with a quiet smile but a booming voice.
“That they do old friend of Ndidi, even more for they blow you my way once more! Let Ndidi finish up and we shall go speak.” Ndidi turned back to the rabble, Facidious leant against a wall and watched the world go by until Ndidi was done.
They sat at a table in the Prosperous Venture a tavern well frequented in by traders, merchants and journeymen, Ndidi had ordered the two of them meats and cheeses and a jug of spiced wine. There was a smell of spices in the air, the sound of a lute playing at a perfect level to be present but not intrusive, it muddled the conversations from other tables.
“It has been too long old friend!” Ndidi poured a cup of wine for Fasidious who returned by pouring a cup for Ndidi
“Or not long enough!” Flacidious grinned.
“Ah, never such a thing could be said, what was it last time where you saved Ndidi and Ndidi’s troop from a ravenous sand serpent! Teeth like rapiers, skin like steel, as fast as a kings steed and hell bent on Ndidi and their troops meager flesh!” Ndidi exclaimed with much theatre and excitement.
“Your words are like a blessing, however it was simply luck.” Flacidious wrapped a piece of meat around a lump of cheese and placed it in his mouth.
“Ha! That was no simple luck, that is a skill blessed by an entire pantheon!” Ndidi’s arms spread wide and they grinned. “So how do you find the meats and cheeses?”
“Delicious” Flacidious stuffed more into his mouth and washed it down with another glug of spiced win, Ndidi did the same.
“Well of course, Ndidi sold it to them this morning before the market opened, Ndidi aquired it from Dere a beutiful city if Ndidi says so myself.” Ndidi boasted
“I’ve never been.” The two exchanged pleasntries for a while, several cups of wines, more then a plate of fine foods and as they finished a bunch of grapes Ndidi seemed to decide it was time to talk business.
“So old friend, what brings you to old Ndidi today?” Ndidi leant across the table, pointed ears pricked in visible curiosity.
“What have you heard from Vicini?” Flacidious leant back and rested his wrists on the table, his face now a mask of business like seriousness.
“Vicini?” Ndidi looked at him for a moment, “Their traders are gone, their goods are gone, Ndidi has not seen their likes for two whole cycles of the moon, not here, nor in Dere, nor in Batlean, nor in Kumari, it is as though they have vanished.”
“So it isn’t just here?” Flacidious blinked, he raised his right hand from the table and stroked his goatie.
“No, it’s not just here, the Batan apparently sent a patrol to see, but word is it didn’t come back, nobody knows what is going on in Vicini. As a friend good Facidious Ndidi would suggest that you don’t try and find out either, Ndidi has too few freinds now.” Ndidi frowned and finished the cup of wine.
“We will have to see on that.” Flacidious put his hand on Ndidi’s shoulder. “I’ll settle the bill, I have to go and see some people. Thank you for the information.” Ndidi nodded
“May the trade winds have our paths cross again!” Ndidi said with a smile, Flacidious bowed and the two parted ways.
Flacidious quickly went from the Trade district throught the guild and quater districts to arrive at the Slag he dove into the rat run of alleys and muddy paths. What passed for main roads in the Slag were a filthy muddy streams of mud mixed with human waste and rubbish, the place smelt of rot, shit and burning dung and peat. The people were dressed in rags and dirty common clothes. The Slag was the poorest district of the city it ran from the fishing docks and was enclosed by the bakers, the butchers and the smiths, efluent from all three ran through the Slags to reach the river that supplied the city with fresh water. There were no guards to be seen on the streets, Flacidious had passed more then one man having his way with a whore and was witness to several muggings in just the short time it took to go from the Bakers disrtict to the ramshackle building that was their Slag office.
The office was above a street food store that sold mystery meat with a spicy sauce wrapped in a bun it was apparently a delacy of some northern kingdom. The building looked as though it could collapse at any moment, like a shack built ontop of a shed that was hastily constructed by drunks in a storm to escape hyperthermia. The second sun was begining to set making the already unpleasent atmostphere of the slags painting it blood red, Flacidious headed climed the stairs at the side of the food shack and knocked on the door.
A small woman answered the door looked at him and then headed back into the room. Flacidious followed closing the door behind him. To call it an office was of course paying it infinitely too much praise, it was just a room with a door to the back that led to the shitter, there was a collection of chairs mostly clustered around a small round table, an open wooden crate with various weapons sticking out of it, another upturned create with cards on it and two men sat playing cards. Around the table were a half dozen people engaged in conversation, the small girl that had answered the door sat on another crate and picked up a knife that had been on it she returned to sharpening it. Everyone took a moment to turn, acknowledge Flacidious’s arrival and got back to whatever it was they’d been up to before hand.
“So, what does that poisoneous one eyed bitch want us to do now?” A woman with sharp claws for hands, skin that resembles stone, pitch black hair and eyes like obsidian orbs asked from her seat around the round table. A man sat opposite her grinned.
“This one eyed bitch wants you to do your job.” The one eyed crowen said as she came through the door, Flacidious looked back no emotion showing on his face. The raven haired woman that asked the question grinned.
“Commander” she said.
“Primela, good to see you in one piece, now all of you I’d like your attention please.” The old lady flipped a barrel that was on its side back to standing and sat on it. The assorted people in the room stopped everything they were doing and paid full attention to her.
“You’re to go to the border town of Icini and survey the situation there the Vicini kingdom has it seems vanished, which as you may imagine leaves us concerned, confused and curious. This is ideal ground for the Black Fang” she paused a moment and looked at the assortment of rough and strange people before her. Many of them grinning or nodding others with faces of non plussed obliviousness. “Once at Icini you are to enter Vicini and find whatever you can and relay all information to me, you as always are free to act as you see fit to ensure the security and prosperity of the kingdom, its assets and the Black Fang iself. I’ll now go into some more detail” The commander went on to detail all the latest reports and findings that they had received, Flacidious added the information he had gathered in the traders dirstrict. By the time they finished discgusing their plans the suns were coming up and they all decided to rest for the day, the commander would send supplies to a location just outside of the city and the Black Fang was to move that night at full pace. Even then it would take a couple of weeks to reach Icini.