Majoran Kingdom IV

Kames replied to the faceless voice, "We are here to purchase two of your fastest and most well-conditioned palfreys. After which we shall be on our way! We mean no harm and want no questions asked or our identities revealed."

"And why would persons with such honored ranks be traveling by night with no steeds through these woods that have recently been so heavily patrolled by the Ghoell Hordes?" the voice replied, staying hidden behind the walls of the keep.

"Our business is our own. We have more than sufficient amounts of gold to pay for the mounts and a bit extra for your silence of our visit here. Please tell us if we may purchase them or not so we can be on our way." Kames coldly stated while wondering to whom this voice belonged.

"Okay, okay, we indeed have some mounts for your review. The cost is fifty gold pieces each, with an additional ten for our mouths to remain shut. Quite high is the price, yes, but in these unstable days, it is unfortunately necessary. You will find me in the stables to your right." the voice said.

Kames and Sky briskly walked through the keep's an inside door, and out into the courtyard of the village. They located the stables and saw the voice to which they were speaking. For it was Busky, a former stable boy from the Majoran Kingdom and a close childhood friend of Kames who had been reported as dead some ten years ago,

"Busky! By the darkened arts! It's been too long! I thought you have perished!" Kames bellowed out as his rigidness now melted away and he hugged the filthy and portly man with glee.

"Ah-ha-ha, yes! I always told you I would get away from Durke and his whipping switch! Although I envisioned myself founding a new kingdom with a beautiful queen, ehhh, I suppose this was as far as I could make it." Busky rumbled.

"It is so nice to see a friend in these perilous times," Sky said while smiling, "I am glad you are doing well, and worry not, we shall not be back to Majoran anytime soon, so your secret is quite safe."

"Ahhhh! I don't think with the hordes of gray and green devils running mad throughout the kingdom your father is too worried about a runaway stable boy from years in the past. So why would such high-ranking folk such as yourselves be out with no horses I wonder?"

"Well, there are not many horses left in Majoran I fear, and to take one when you are attempting to escape would mean certain capture." Kames honestly replied.

"Oooh, I see, well, I have your steeds right here," Busky said as he led the couple to two saddled palfreys, "take them and make haste! The Ghoells have been mounting for weeks all around us! Soon they will no doubt discover our hidden roads and engulf us! I'm not sure how you made it here, but even as we …."

Before Busky finished his sentence, the sound of crashing stone walls and steel clanking reigned out from the yard just outside of the keep. Kames looked from the stables and saw what was happening; Ghoells were attacking the village, and not Ghoells alone, but four giant Trolls as well. The Outriders then appeared outside the keep, which made most of the horrid creatures turn and engage them. Little to the Outriders' knowledge, however, there were a hundred more of the Ghoells surrounding them on either side which outnumbered them five to one.

As the fighting outside the camp began, Busky yelled at Kames and Sky, "Go, you two! Now! I'll hold gates if possible, like I said before, make haste!" At that Busky drew his rusted blade from his old and torn sheath buckled upon his belt and ran out to make a stand. A few Ghoells had stayed inside attacking the villagers and caught his sight. "Come on you dung-smelling maggots! Bring your ugly arses to the end of my sword!" Busky cried out. And the Ghoells indeed ran to engage him. The tubby man sliced one of the monsters in half and beheaded another, but there were too many. Soon they surrounded him and began to beat him into mush with their savagely spiked clubs.

The Outriders showed no signs of fear despite being greatly outnumbered. They attacked the ogres in full force with their bronzed iron spragenhelms, plate mail armor of the same consistency, and long ransuers pointed at the enemy during their charge. They also had skeggoxes and baselards attached to their saddles ready to be used. They put up a glorious battle, riding over Ghoells, spearing multiple beasts, and hacking their terrible heads off. Even though they slashed and stabbed multiple ogres down, the Ghoells soon overcame them by their sheer numbers and savage vigor.

The battle outside was favoring the Outriders at first, as each of the mounted soldiers was demolishing numerous Ghoells. Unfortunately, the giant Trolls approached and began to swing small tree trunks as weapons smashing into two to five riders at a time crushing them. The giants, five times the size of men, moved with a ferocious speed for their massiveness and it was impossible to take them down easily.

The outriders managed to cut down one Troll and kill him, although the giant's brothers and the Ghoell Hordes were too great to handle. After less than a half of an hour of fighting, the war was over, and the monstrous Hordes had prevailed. The famous outriders of the Chilvarious Empire had finally been overwhelmed in a massacre. It was the ending for which most of them had waited, to die while in battle as they should have done against Hazjarid years earlier.

Kames and Sky had mounted their palfreys and never looked back as they made their way through the exit in the rear. They went out of the stables where twenty or so Ghoells scavenged about. Nevertheless, their steeds ran past the ghouls with tremendous speed.

The ogres didn't seem interested in pursuing them though, and soon enough they were out of harm. After about two hours of the fastest running the steeds could muster, they slowed down and eventually stopped to gather their senses and let the tired animals drink water from a nearby stream and rest.

"Sky, why didn't your rings work? We had no idea those beasts were stalking us. They must have followed all night. What happened?" Kames asked.

"I do not know. Hazjarid must have devilish magic aura surrounding her Horde to make them undetectable. My rings were blocked! We never saw or heard a sound last night or this morning until they attacked. Ghoells are too stupid and rowdy to remain silent. Her power has grown I fear." Sky answered.

"Yes, she used us as guides to have her monsters wipe out the outrider post. We survived because of Busky's braveness! Now why act so deceiving? The outriders never attack and stay out of all conflicts." Kames asked again.

"I believe she wanted their camp, to set up her Hordes there. She knows all those creatures can do is fight and kill, not build, and she needs the bastide to use for their outpost." Sky said.

"Well, I have a feeling the fiends are still trailing us. She must have some conscripts hidden in the woods watching. We should go as soon as possible to the Malevolent Swamp; there is no way they will follow in there." Kames replied as he saddled up his palfrey preparing to leave. He indeed detected a sense of foreboding and knew they were not in the clear.

"Yes, we should go. First, though, let me say an omen for the braveness of Busky."

"Of course, my dear Busky! I see you briefly after so many years and this happens!" Kames then slid to his knees in a silent position as Sky conducted a prayer for their fallen friend. After which, they wiped the tears from their eyes, mounted their steeds, and rode off ready to face the horrors of the Malevolent Swamp.

They knew they needed to find Gheehae as soon as possible. With Hazjarid setting up a camp of her foul beasts so close to the Majoran Kingdom, it wouldn't be long now until a full war broke out. They galloped ahead with mixed thoughts about how things would turn out, yet their hope held strong. Perhaps Gheehae would indeed be able to help them restore some order back into the land.