Storyline “Military expedition”

1. It was only a short distance from the imperial border - and the weather began to change dramatically. Freezing to the bone and icy winds. Without a doubt, the first anomaly that Abu-Bakir spoke of is here somewhere. All that was needed was to clear the area from the detachments of the Army of the Cold that were called by it. Surely the court magician could incinerate this entire snowy valley with a couple of his especially powerful spells, but he is unlikely to want to do all this dirty work on his own. Time to get down to business!

2. Grammith: Side effects of rituals… Anomalies… And why am I not surprised?
Abu-Bakir: I don't want to belittle your insight, but the likelihood of this development was predictable even at the early planning stage.
Grammith: And you still decided to perform all these rituals instead of thinking about ways to get rid of possible risks?
Abu-Bakir: It would take years of inefficient work. Why waste such precious time if the problem could be solved in another way?
Grammith: By their hands?
Abu-Bakir: Real Lords and Ladies live for moments like this. Why deprive them of an extra opportunity to prove themselves in battle and hone their skills?

3. It seems that this anomaly was not so terrible. There is no frost that could cool the flaming Heroic spirit. And all these units of the Army of Cold without skillful command do not pose a particular threat. Except for some creepy ones with especially long claws and fangs. But we have seen something even scarier. It's time to finish off the remnants of the enemy so that Abu-Bakir can already calmly begin to weave his spell.

4. A couple of scratches, that's all. The court magician, meanwhile, had already found the point of greatest accumulation of anomalous energy - and began to swing his staff, uttering the words of some spells. Suddenly, a thick low howl swept over the valley, and in the distance a pack of rapidly approaching white wolves appeared. Perhaps it was too soon to relax. To arms!


5. Barely had the last wolf fallen, if not a few moments later there was a magical flash behind him - and the unnatural frosts immediately began to recede.
Abu-Bakir: I see that you still found your entertainment after all. And I was afraid that you would get bored while I was doing this boring routine spellwork. But it was only the "youngest" of the anomalies.The rest may be a little more complicated. But first we need to find them. Here this hill ahead, where you can see the palisade and the roofs of houses - an excellent place for finding anomalous pulses. I hope that friendly and hospitable people live there, who are happy to treat frozen travelers with hot tea. But I don’t advise you to stow your weapons to far away…


6. Unfortunately, the magician's hopes were not justified. The hospitality of the local inhabitants was limited only to a hail of arrows from the shooting towers. And it looks like the Imperials weren't the first to experience it. Fortunately, those same wolves had already managed to pretty much beat up the defensive positions of the robbers, which significantly simplified the task of capturing the enemy settlement. All that was left to do was finish it. But it was still not worth relaxing, so as not to inadvertently get a poisoned knife in the ribs.

7. The last defenders of the enemy settlement fell - and soon it was under the complete control of the imperial army. Carefully stepping over the bodies of the slain robbers, Abu-Bakir finally found the most suitable place with an excellent view of all the nearby surroundings - and pulled out a marvelous crystal from the bag, slightly flickering with blue light. As he raised it in front of him, the magician began to slowly move his hand to the side in a clockwise direction, until at some point the light became especially bright, after which it again began to dim slightly. It seems that the way forward was certain - it led through the forest to a mountain range that could be seen in the distance. A few columns of smoke rising from the trees clearly did not bode well for an easy walk. Yes, and the cowards who escaped from the village must have settled somewhere nearby…


8. Too predictable. The clumsy ambush of the robbers who escaped from the captured settlement could not hold back the advance of the imperial army, but a more serious obstacle appeared ahead - a large bandit camp. Expected, but still annoying. And it’s unlikely that a surprise attack will work - they put up too many guards on the outskirts. We'll have to provide a frontal assault!

9. The perimeter of the camp has been breached, but the battle has only just begun! There’s plenty of outlaws out here - plenty of work to do. We need to continue the assault before they come to their senses and regroup!

10. And here is the commander. Taki managed to gather around him the surviving renegades. But Grammith's attention seemed to be drawn to someone else. Putting on a closed plate helmet a lone warrior in a green cloak. Another traitor? Such individuals are not pleasant. It would be necessary to keep an eye on him, so that in the middle of the battle he would suddenly run away…

11. He ran away, dove. Knit him - and on the court to the Warlord! The rest will wait a bit. Let them enjoy the triumph of imperial justice from their hiding places. None of them can escape it! Anyone who has mercy on the sword will still end up in a noose!


12. As soon as the disturbing cries of the robbers were heard from the far end of the camp, mixed with growls of animals - the order to attack was received immediately! How lucky nature itself decided to distract the enemy at such an opportune time. And although revenge for her fallen creatures had been achieved in an unequal battle, it seemed that only robber blood was not enough. From the wilds of the forest, a sonorous and playful girlish laugh was heard, clearly not a sign of anything good…


13. With the death of the mad forest spirit, some of the animals retreated - and silence reigned for a few moments, which made it possible to hear the distant sounds of battle and war drums. It looks like the next goal of the search was not far away. But the path to it was suddenly blocked by the Forest Keeper who appeared from behind the trunk of a huge ancient tree.
Forest Keeper: Another wondrous creature has fallen… These forests are engulfed in indefatigable sorrow. And they want revenge!


14. Abu-Bakir: Poor, unfortunate obscurantist, closed in his own delusions. Worse even than traditional magicians! Let him go - there is no point wasting time on crazy tree huggers. We have better things to do!
It seems that this is something extremely personal for the court magician, but he was definitely right about one thing - he had to focus on the main purpose of the campaign. In the meantime, the sounds of battle had faded, replaced by the familiar victory cries characteristic of the warriors of the rebellious tribes. And through the rare gaps between the branches of the trees, columns of thick black smoke began to be seen. Without a doubt, the enemy was already near. One could only hope that the resulting battle had exhausted him more than warmed him up before meeting with the imperials…


15. An entire settlement, destroyed to its very foundations by the wild fury of rebellious tribes. A terrible sight. The only consolation was the thought that the local inhabitants had more than earned such a fate. Meanwhile, the first skirmish with the savages on the very outskirts of the ruined village attracted the attention of the enemy more seriously. Seeing the newly arrived enemies, the orc commander only grinned at the top of his teeth and let out a loud battle cry.


16. As the cleanup of the ruined village continued, a whole wave of old memories suddenly washed over Grammith. All these ruins of burning buildings reminded him of the last major war that unfolded in the lands of the Empire about ten years ago. The first legions of the tribes did not spare anyone and destroyed everything in their path, until they received a worthy rebuff in the face of brave Lords and Ladies. Terrible, but still a glorious time. Suddenly, all this series of memories was interrupted by a piercing cry of a feathered creature flying over the heads of the Imperials, which, sharpening its sharp claws, rushed into the thick of the battle…


17. Finally, these cries subsided - and the remnants of the enemy forces retreated to the rocks, where they will end! Abu-Bakir, meanwhile, under the cover of the Warlord, nevertheless managed to find the source of the second anomaly - and again began to weave his spell. At some point, after slaying another orc that had broken away from the main army and once again taking in the ruins surrounding them, Grammith suddenly thought. If the Empire could master the secrets of creating such anomalies, then it would have an incredibly powerful weapon in its hands. Even the most impregnable walls will not be able to resist several armies that have appeared out of nowhere, with losses in the ranks of which you can not even reckon. A crazy grin suddenly appeared on the face stained with enemy blood by the knights…


18. The last magic words of the magician - and the anomalous energy was dispelled, and at the same time - the delusion that seized the Warlord. Looking at the consequences of the completed massacre with a sober look, he was involuntarily horrified at what indomitable rage and blind thirst for battle could lead to. It looks like these anomalies are more dangerous than they might seem - and we need to be careful with them..
Abu-Bakir: Hmm, strange… But curious… Either the next anomaly is hidden deep in the bowels of these mountains, or it is so great that its echo breaks even through the thickness of the rocks. I want to see it soon!
As we approached the foot of the mountain, visibility began to deteriorate sharply with fog suddenly descending on the mountain slope, and soon an ominous hiss was heard from the impenetrable veil…


19. Insidious medusas lurk in the fog, waiting for another victim. But the prey was  too stiff to handle. In the meantime, the entrance to the cave appeared ahead. There was no other way to go inside, and the court magician continued to insist on this particular route. It's probably not safe inside, but it's unlikely that a handful of underground creatures will be able to stop the advance of the imperial army.

20. Behind a modest cavernous entrance, inside, a vast, gloomy grotto awaited the Imperials, the only source of light in which were a few luminous trees. Abu-Bakr continued to actively peer into the surrounding darkness, as if trying to find something in it, and in the meantime, everyone else had an uneasy feeling that many evil eyes were constantly watching them from it.
«Who complained about my appointment?  - suddenly there was a hissing female voice, - How did you get past my best hunters? Yes, and scared my guests. But now you can't hide from my servants. My eyes are everywhere…»

21. It seems that now the eyes of the local mistress have become a little less, but she herself was still in no hurry to show herself. It stands to reason that you should not linger here, and the Warlord did not want to argue with this, but the court magician still wanted to take a better look around. His crystal flash light was still picking up strong magical impulses, but there were no signs of anomalies in the vicinity. In the meantime, the screech of harpies was heard from afar, which echoed throughout the grotto, and then the whole space around began to be filled with the sounds of the flapping of many wings. Perhaps we should not take the upcoming battle openly - and it is still better to find temporary shelter in order to regroup and prepare for an air attack.


22. No matter how you prepare for such an insidious enemy as a harpy, their raids will always be as sudden and unpleasant as possible. This was not the first time the Imperials had fought such a foe. In the meantime, the court mage’s cry of insight suddenly rang out behind him.
Abu-Bakir: I think I got it! Exactly! It was so obvious! It's time to get out of here!..
It’s not a good idea to repeat it twice, and the Imperial units rushed forward to fight their way out. Suddenly, from the darkness, the voice of the local lord came again: «My feathered gossips. I'll miss our sophisticated small talk. You will be responsible for this! Forward, my faithful defender! Give these brazen strangers a lesson!»


23. «No no no! the underground mistress cried out in alarm as her protector's army fell, and she herself, holding on to her wound, disappeared into the darkness, Are you all right, my dear?.. Stop them! Crush them!!! They shouldn’t be in the nest!»
Grammith: Who was this?!
Abu-Bakir: Serpentress. Never seen them in person before. I've only heard about them. Fortunately, they rarely crawl out of their deep burrows. Compared to their customs, even the dark elves are a model of good nature.
Suddenly the court magician’s explanation was interrupted by a violent earth shake, as if the whole mountain shook, and then there were several more - and in front there was a black, like the night itself, giant, going up to the very vault of stone…


24. Either the fall of a huge troll awakened a real earthquake, or something even greater was awakening in the stone depths of this mountain. Even the remnants of underground creatures began to flee in terror, leaving only the weakest and helpless to be torn to pieces by the enemy. It was time for the imperials to quickly run off before everything collapsed!

25. Hearing only the deep, mournful growl of an unknown creature from beneath the earth, the imperial armies still managed to make their way to the exit before the passageway finally collapsed behind them. What was that?! Better not to know, though, perhaps. It was now buried here forever. They had better get as far away from the slope as possible, before an avalanche bursts on top of it. I think the underground mistress had mentioned a nesting place. Harpies again? They might be more of a threat in this fog. Or not harpies? Suddenly there was the sound of huge wings and soon the outlines of several dragons appeared out of the fog, evidently coming in for the rumbling from the depths of the mountain…

26. It is a pity that these are not harpies after all. At least those wretches really deserve a good beating. All those little dragons in the nest are just victims of circumstance. Though it's their own fault. If they'd stayed still, no one would have gotten hurt. But their natural instincts drove them to hunt, to meet their imminent fate. Focusing on the biggest of them all, before he began to weave his dragon magic! And then all the little things would scatter in fear…

27. It seemed naïve to think that even the lesser offspring of such majestic and proud creatures would run away without their chief protector. You'll have to fight your way out by force! Strike confidently and for sure, but you'd better not look them in the eye.

28. «Who disturbed my peace and touched my children?! Who is this serpent that dares to let into my abode?!  - suddenly an annoyed female voice was heard, and the image of a dragon priestess appeared from a veil of fog, -You again?! I recognize these banners! Have you come to finish what you started? Even with my incomplete forces, I will crush you all! Come, my children! Time for a snack!»


29. Despite the priestess' best efforts, she lacked strength-and the victory was not hers in the end. In a fit of furious rage, she tried to reincarnate, but only collapsed helplessly on the ground. In a moment the claws of the great golden dragon gently enveloped her, carrying her away into the thick fog.
Grammith: Let me guess. Mother of dragons?
Abu-Bakir: Do you know each other?
Grammith: Heard all sorts of things…
Abu-Bakir: She's got a bad temper, but you can't feed a brood like that without going crazy. I hope she finds a place to hide somewhere far away from these parts.  Better hit the road. But don't relax - her offspring won't let us go that easily…


30. What a pity, but it was a dire necessity. Just self-defense, nothing more. Anyone who wanted to escape had the opportunity to do so. The fate of all the other stubborn ones would serve as a lesson to the rest. In the end, only the last dragonling was left. There was something peculiar about him-something that might even make him feel spared. But he was neither willing to flee nor to let the Imperials go on. There was no choice-it was time to end it all! But no sooner had several imperial warriors taken a step forward than an animal roar erupted from the fog, followed by wild beasts and other forest creatures…

31. No mercy for the wild creatures! Guided only by their instincts, they won't appreciate her anyway. Damn them to hell! Meanwhile, the fog seemed to grow thicker and only continued to thicken with each passing moment. It looked like some kind of enchantment-and it seemed clear whose...
Forest Keeper: Isn't everything enough for you?! Desecration of nature, destruction, murder! When will you quench your unquenchable thirst?!
Abu-Bakir: Listen friend! Forest Keeper, or whatever your name is?.. We have a very important mission and we want to... heal these lands!
Forest Keeper: Lies!!! A blatant lie!!! You have the blood of innocent creatures on your hands! Do you like to hunt defenseless victims? Let's have a little hunt…

32. How nice it is when the villain's plan goes wrong. And even though he himself still managed to hide with the help of his "pets", the fog he had sent finally began to rapidly dissipate. Now this entire pack of beasts, led by a huge grinning wolf, was visible at a glance - and it was time to put an end to their presumptuous hunt!

33. The forest creatures finally retreated with their tails between their legs. Hidden among the rocks and brush, they could only watch helplessly as the imperial army left the gorge and descended into the lowlands. Soon the outline of the mountain range finally disappeared behind the tree cover, and the ground beneath their feet began to grow softer with each step. Perhaps too soft. Ahead of them was the swamp, and the first thing that greeted the imperials in the wilderness was a strange sculpture of peat, twigs, and driftwood. It was either an ugly dragon or a rather pretty hag of the swamp, it was hard to tell what it represented. A few more of the same appeared ahead. And at one of them, the spies suddenly spotted a living creature - some flimsy gnoll. He jumped sharply on his feet when he smelled the strangers approaching, and began to run away, limping heavily and shouting at the top of his voice: «Stranger!!! Stranger!!! Mother Snake is angry!!! Catch the stranger!!!» Looks like it's not all good…


34. A swarm of gnolls came charging in, more of them, more fierce with every passing moment. It seemed their settlement was right in front of them, and the perimeter was well fortified. Those archer towers made of marsh twigs look as good as any other. At least don't underestimate them…


35. The screams of that crazy gnoll seemed to have the whole village on edge. And to hell with it! Keep pushing through, soon they’ll surely give up. It’s unlikely the pack would dare to continue pursuing outside their territory.

36. There's no way in! It's quicksand, the whole army would sink in no time. We'll have to go along the edge of the village and fight our way through the defense line built by the local elder.

37. The swamp soon began to shallow. Most of the pack was far behind, but the bravest of the gnolls were still in pursuit, following the huge leader. Perhaps we should stop and give them a fight. Barely had the imperial army taken up combat positions when the image of that very limp gnoll flashed through the enemy ranks. «Catch stranger! Mother Snake like gifts!»  - He barked, hiding behind the leader's back. Suddenly the huge gnoll grabbed him by the mane and threw him to the ground in front of him, immediately stepping on top of him with his huge paw. The sound of his bones cracking seemed to be audible even in the rearguard of the imperial troops. An attempt at intimidation? Or just a wild gut rushing out? Either way, the battle would not be easy!

38. The ground beneath their feet had hardened again, and so had the footsteps of the imperial army. According to Abu-Bekir's assurance, the anomaly he was looking for was very close, the first signs of it were about to appear. But ahead of them a detachment of magies accompanied by various elementals suddenly appeared. And while many people began to wonder what they were doing here, behind them there sounded a contemptuous voice of the court mage.
Abu-Bakir: Elemental Revival Brotherhood!
Grammith: What?
Abu-Bakir:Filthy exiles must be destroyed! Every single one!


39. The order was carried out - none of the group of magies survived. Grammith, perhaps, had never seen Abu-Bakir so angry and annoyed. That name ... It seems that the Warlord has already heard it. But where and when? The court magician flatly refused to talk about it. Meanwhile, here and there, crystal formations began to be seen.
Grammith: Where do so many crystals come from?
Abu-Bakir: Why did you only notice them here? Ah yes, in the power of obsession in the ruined village, you had no time for them…
Grammith: Wait! You knew about the obsession and didn't even say anything?
Abu-Bakir: I believed you could handle it. If you want, you can take out your irritation on these "sun fanatics" ahead…


40. The sun knights' army had barely been defeated, but a new enemy, the amphibians, appeared on the horizon. It looked like another battle was around the corner. However, when the court mage spotted them, he suddenly smiled.
Abu-Bakir: Ha! I knew! I Knew! It's amazing! I want to see it with my own eyes! Hurry up and clear the way!
Glancing at the magician with disbelief, Grammith nevertheless gave the order. Although all these omissions began to alarm him more and more…


41. Abu-Bakir: What power! What power! The pairing of two anomalies. Even from here, I can feel their synergy. It's a pity it has to be destroyed. Still, I need to prepare carefully to make sure everything goes according to plan…
With another oblique glance at the court mage, the warlord immediately turned his attention to the scouts who had barely arrived. Up ahead, two armies had been spotted encamped in the forest. The Sun Knights and Amphibians, it seemed they had formed an alliance. Dislodging them from their held positions would not be easy, but nothing is impossible for Empire’s Lords and Ladies.

42. As the battle unfolded, Abu-Bakir began to weave his spells again, and this ritual was no different from the previous ones, which was unsettling, given all his recent speeches. For a moment, doubts over the magician's intentions began to overwhelm Grammit, he gripped the hilt of his sword tighter and stepped forward... But the ritual came to an end immediately another enchantment dissipated, leaving the warlord in a state of confusion.
Grammith: Did you know?!
Abu-Bakir: I had a hunch, but it was under control. We did it! It was easier than I expected. Wait... The beacon picks up another one. But that's impossible!
Grammith: Demons?.. Inferno?.. Or don't you even follow the news in your lab? All right, I'll tell you on the way. The spies spotted another renegade hangman in a small camp nearby. And from there, we can navigate our way…

43. Lucky bastard! Found his death on the edge of a blade after all. Now it was time for the rest of the Robbers in the camp to follow his example! And while the mopping-up was going on, Abu-Bakir was thinking seriously about all that the warlord had told him.
Abu-Bakir: I wonder how it all happened?
Grammith: You are an expert in such rituals..
Abu-Bakir: I hope you don't think that?..
Grammith: Me? You should go out and listen to what they say about you in the taverns…
Abu-Bakir: Let them talk. This is science and progress, they don't understand anything!
Grammith: As long as you yourself understand…


44. Leaving the burning bandit camp behind, the imperial army moved onward in the direction of the anomalous magical pulses. Soon it encountered an army of robbers, or even two, it didn't matter and was just a small fuss in the midst of Abu-Bakir's mind. Had someone managed to use his secret magical skills? The court wizard guessed who might have been behind it, but how had he pulled it all off and what was being used as the catalyst? Without that knowledge, the wizard could only speculate as to what to expect from the next anomaly. And this ignorance troubled him slightly. Perhaps contemplating a glorious battle would help distract him a little…


45. It seems that the purpose of the search became a little clearer. The anomaly is somewhere in the vicinity of the castle, the towers of which seemed in the distance. But you still have to get to it, past the bandit settlement. It looked very quiet, though. The robbers who occupied defensive positions were unusually quiet, showing no excessive aggression, and their commander was in no hurry to give the order. Perhaps they wanted to avoid a fight? Or were they trying to dull their guard so they could launch a sneak attack? No, that trick will not work on them! Attack!


46. The enemy's first line of defense had been breached, and the surviving robbers quickly retreated deep into the village, gathering in the central square by some grave under a large branching tree. They must have buried their loot or their supplies of liquor there. What else could robbers be so anxious about? This curiosity must be quenched. Knock the enemy out of the square!

47. «Here rests Elusive Tony, the true owner of his name and eternal role model!"» - just some robber's grave. Although the name does seem to pop up somewhere in the subcortex of the mind. «Looking for me, you dirty imperial dogs?» - suddenly there came a harsh male voice from across the square, accompanied by an army of robbers in ghastly horned helmets. He stepped forward in front of his horde and spoke again: «Well, let's go! How's it going… - The robber hesitated for a moment, but immediately continued, - You are not the first, nor will you be the last!»

48. Not a nice guy, but whoever he was, he and his gang were finished. Nothing stood between the imperial army and the last anomaly anymore. Except for the impregnable castle walls and the hordes of Inferno demons that were eating the scattered remains of the robbers. Well, it's time to do a little sweeping!

49. There seemed to be a real massacre going on here. The approaches to the castle were drenched in blood and strewn with the mangled bodies of its former owners. And now there was true horror. Not surprisingly, after facing such a merciless enemy, the robbers were unwilling to engage in unnecessary fighting. But they got what they deserved, and now it was time to put an end to their abusers, too! Suddenly, the castle gates thundered open, unleashing new hordes of vile demonic creatures. The entire area was filled with eerie roars and insane laughter. It was a pity that, even in their painful deaths, these infernal brutes would still get their share of twisted pleasure.…


50. That was the last of them! All that remained was to take the devils' castle by storm and all this madness would be over. Abu-Bakir, meanwhile, had managed to locate the exact location of the anomaly, and Grammitt's handmaidens had promptly fashioned a makeshift siege weapon. It's time to go on the offensive!

51. The castle had fallen! The Imperials were scouring the last corners of the castle for the remnants of the demonic presence, and the court mage began to weave his spell. Strangely enough, there seemed to be something wrong with this anomaly. It looked no different from the previous ones, but it did not affect at all on those around it. What was its essence? What was powering this blob of energy? Suddenly, as soon as the ritual was completed, the anomaly shrank for a moment and was almost gone, but immediately erupted again in a ring of concentrated madness spreading out in all directions. At the last moment, Abu-Bakir still managed to create a magical dome that protected the imperials from the deleterious effects of anomalous energy. But when it resonated with the crystal clusters, it began to open chaotic portals everywhere, inviting guests from the past to take part in the coming carnage…

51. The castle had fallen! The Imperials were scouring the last corners of the castle for the remnants of the demonic presence, and the court mage began to weave his spell. Strangely enough, there seemed to be something wrong with this anomaly. It looked no different from the previous ones, but it did not affect at all on those around it. What was its essence? What was powering this blob of energy? Suddenly, as soon as the ritual was completed, the anomaly shrank for a moment and was almost gone, but immediately erupted again in a ring of concentrated madness spreading out in all directions. At the last moment, Abu-Bakir still managed to create a magical dome that protected the imperials from the deleterious effects of anomalous energy. But when it resonated with the crystal clusters, it began to open chaotic portals everywhere, inviting guests from the past to take part in the coming carnage…

52. It was a trap! Very clever and inventive, but it only partially worked. The dome wouldn't last long, but these unstable spells are unlikely to last much longer, either. Is waiting the smart thing to do? Or maybe it's possible to stretch it out…

53. The dome wouldn't last long, but these unstable spells are unlikely to last much longer, either. Is waiting the smart thing to do? Or maybe it's possible to stretch it out…

71. The portals are no longer in sight, but all the crazy cacophony of strange voices in the air continues to echo, calling for more victims from nearby lands. The banners of the robber armies appear on the horizon, as they come to take part in the unfolding action. Abu-Bakir's dome is still holding, maybe it is time go out and welcome the new guests…

72. The portals are no longer in sight, but all the crazy cacophony of strange voices in the air continues to echo, calling for more victims from nearby lands. The banners of the robber armies appear on the horizon, as they come to take part in the unfolding action. Abu-Bakir's dome is still holding, maybe it is time go out and welcome the new guests…

91. Like moths to the fire... But even if the whole swarm covers the flame, they can not control the fury of the elements. They are only fuel which will let it burn even longer and brighter. Fly, moths, fly closer…

101. With the death of the last enemy, the mind of the imperials finally began to become clear again. How long has the magic dome been gone? The last memories were all a blur. However everyone seemed to be alive and in one piece. At a glance Abu-Bakir and Grammitt were about to say something, but the chaotic words in their heads refused to coalesce into coherent thoughts. One way or another the mission was accomplished. It was time to return home. Her Majesty was already waiting for good tidings, and her glorious Lord and Ladies for a worthy reward

            Great job! The Empire will surely appreciate this feat!