Deep in Bloom Forest, a campfire crackles softly as two men sit beside it, preparing for the coming storm, unaware of the overwhelming flock of men pursuing them.
"It's happening again," said Dorian looking at the dark sky.
"And here I wanted to catch some sleep. Fuck sleep then".
Dorian is silently observing how the sky is stirring up. Clouds are circling around each other as if they were stirred by a kitchen spoon. A dark blue is setting in leaving no traces of light behind.
"Rex" said Dorian with his eyes still fixating on the sky. "Do you believe in the end of times ?"
Rex lets out a laugh, short and surprised. 'What's with that question? Getting philosophical again, are you?'"
"Please, answer"
He looks at his partner, confused, but decides to indulge him.
"Well if you want an answer that much, then no. Our end will come naturally I reckon. Just how we are born without feeling it there will come a time when we just cease to exist".
"Fair, but that is not what the incubus told me".
Rex's demeanor shifts dramatically. His playful taunting expression is gone. He gets closer to Dorian clenching his fists in tension.
"Did it speak to you?"
"Yes", said Dorian, "After I dealt the killing blow it murmured something. I did not make too much of it at first but now, it is all apparent and unfolding before us".
"What did it say goddamn it". Shouted Rex with the tension almost killing him.
"More are coming," Dorian said, his voice low. "Wardens of hell. They'll rain destruction and waste upon the lands until nothing remains.". He points his finger to the sky. "See that? That's a signal, a warning".
"One of the bastards is descending".
Dorian nods and lifts his eyes back to the sky.
"Another incubus?", added Rex.
"I don't know. Could be an incubus, a Wyvern, a hellion. We should prepare for the worst".
"You know damn well they didn't prepare us for this at the Mother Serpent".
"I know".
The wind starts to pick up the pace, howling through the forest's trees and leaving behind it a trail of chilling cold. It will rain again soon, the two men know that well by now. A cave or some sort of shelter would be their next destination. They could hide in there, waiting for the storm to pass. But, with them out of the picture, who could possibly deal with the descending calamity? The Little Lady storm only calmed down owing to their intervention with the flow of ruin. The two men know that well, it's eating at their minds and hearts. The two extinguish the camp's fire and pick up their gear ready to move.
"What now?", questioned Rex.
"Ideally, we should seek shelter. Our wounds are still fresh", said Dorian, giving his ribs a poke. The pain is still lingering, but the matter at hand is too much of an import to just hide and run away from it. He looks at his partner with a fiery look, yet filled with a hint of doubt. The pair knows what it has to do.
"Let's go then, that beast is ours to hunt", said Rex holding the Cannibal's scabbard.
"After you, partner", followed Dorian with a subtle smile.
The purgers set their minds to do what they do best : Hunt the beasts.
Constable Marlon is riding his massive steed, leading his troop to Little Lady. Consisting of five knights of the highest renown, ten foot armored soldiers, two archers and a pack of hounds. Way more than enough, he wanted to demonstrate power. The constable is wearing the Murdokian red and black armor. A fancier variation than the one worn by his knights, with bigger shoulder straps and a longer coat with the infamous crest on it. He too had noticed the storm brewing. He looks at his general who's marching beside him.
"We should be done with this as hastily as possible. I do not wish for us to stay outside when the storm finally hits. The storms of late are unordinary"
"Yes my lord, we will decimate them and be back to the keep in no more than midnight", replied the general with steel confidence.
The troop advances steadily amidst all the howling wind. Little Lady, a broken village with no renown was first the target to an otherworldly intrusion, and now is a target for one of the highest power figures in the kingdom of Murdok. All because of the arrival of two purgers. The troop finally stands before the destroyed gate of Little Lady. The general marches forward and with a horn to his mouth his shouts.
"Villagers of Little Lady, the governor of Bloomheaven requires your immediate leave from all your houses. Step outside your village's gate, surrender, and your punishment may yet be appeased"
The general's words echo through the silent village, not one soul has shown a response. Not one candle light has been lit, as if everyone inside the town had vanished. The constable steps forward and takes the horn from the general.
"Little Lady peasants, your governor is addressing you! Get out now and I swear on my honor, as a constable and a governor, not to harm whoever shows compliance"
Again, no response. Furious, the constable orders his forces to storm the village, and to their surprise, it's as empty as ever. All that can be heard is the whispering and whistling of the wind. The armed troop searches the village, house by house, alley by alley. All its inhabitants are gone. The constable quickly realises what happened. The deacon, as cowardly and weakly as he was, had the guts to orchestrate an endeavor like this one.
Constable Marlon could not contain his rage, he started swinging his flail around destroying the wooden doors of the already crumbling houses.
"You Ellonian scum, think you outsmarted me? Played me? I am the law, I am the power. None shall escape me, I am gonna find your miserable smelly peasants and slaughter each and everyone of them". Screamed the constable roaring with rage. He felt defeated and humiliated, those villagers were the key to learning more about the mysterious purgers and their infamous hunt, as well as unveiling the enigmatic appearance of that beast. Killing them would have satisfied his maniac urge to punish the deacon even after his death, and to punish Little Lady for simply existing. What he thought of instinctively was to summon the arch mage. The Murdok kingdom's real power does not lie within their overwhelming numbers of ruthless knights and soldiers, nor their advanced military equipment and strategies. It's the arch mages. Once human mages who ascended beyond mortal capabilities, they serve King Godfrey as of present. Summoning one comes with a too hefty price, they are the final measure when all means have failed. Could he really summon one for such a trivial matter? For a broken down village and its lowly inhabitants? The constable regains his composure, it is simply out of the question.
"Carlan, gather the hounds, I want those peasant scum apprehended and brought to justice. Let's find them!", Ordered the constable to his men.
The hounds stick their nostrils to the ground, tails wagging and jaws watering. They pick up a scent, they lead their handlers eastwards, and another pursuit begins.