"There have been a few brave townspeople that have been doing what they can to make The Order's stay as difficult as possible.
There's also been... 'something' out there that has been hitting The Order hard." Explained Sarge.
"Yeah... the old man selling wooden figurines did mention it... But he wasn't able to give me more information. I'm hoping you can?" Asked Storm.
The dwarf shook his head.
"No one will be able to tell you, dragon.
None of us has actually seen this thing.
We just come across the sites of these attacks.
There are always signs of burning and heavy destruction at these sites.
And strange tracks from something we can't identify. " Explained Sarge.
"Fire? A dragon maybe? Could it be Bramble?" Asked Storm.
The dwarf immediately shook his head.
"It's definitely not Bramble, people visited him at the exact time that these attacks take place.
There are also no dragon tracks in the area after the attack.Only the guards of these transports have been killed however.
The goods are found again later at sites where people used to leave offerings to nature spirits. "
"There are nature spirits here!!" Asked Storm with concern.
"A few, the people of these more 'outlying settlements occasionally worship these beings and leaves them offerings.
The old man you spoke to even claims to have seen one in his youth.
Apparently it's a being that has complete control over fire." Explained Sarge.
Nature spirits that controlled fire was extremely rare, and extremely dangerous.
They weren't inherently evil, but just like the element they ruled over, they were extremely chaotic and destructive.
They were often seen as creatures of destruction and chaos, but also rebirth.
Dealing with such beings was dangerous due to them being almost completely unpredictable.
"If you're interested, there was a recent attack just on the edge of the forest.
The Order has already checked the place out, but maybe you can find something they missed.
There's an old shrine in the area to some long forgotten entity.The attacks have been happening around the area." Explained Sarge.
Storm nodded his head, Nature spirits rarely traveled far from their places of power.
So this spirit only hitting targets around his shrine was typical behavior of one.
"Just tell me where I can find their commander. " stated Storm.
Sarge shook his head.
"Taking out their commander won't change anything! They'd just replace him with another.
Who could be even worse than the one we have now."
"My concerns are bigger than the fate of one tiny human town!
I need the information about the Order so that I can wipe them out for good.
Are you going to help.me or not?" Asked Storm.
Sarge hesitated for a moment.
"You'll find the Order garrisoned at the fort on 'Bastion hill'. Follow the main road out of town.
Along the road, you'll see it on a hill to your left." Explained Sarge.
Storm nodded his head and was just about to leave, when the dwarf called him back.
"How exactly do you intend to get to this commander, dragon? You'd need an army to take the fort?"
"I have an army!" Stated Storm.
"Not here though, do you?" Asked the dwarf.
Storm gritted his teeth in annoyance.
"... no..."
"Then help the resistance evict the invaders!
You'll get the commander you want, and we will be free again. Everyone wins." Stated Sarge.
"I can't make a decision now, there's someone I need to consult first." Stated Storm as he left the house.
He had arranged beforehand that he and Leyocan met up in the center of town at the well near the market once their respective business was concluded.
When he got there however, he was suprised to see that Leyocan wasn't there yet.
Figuring that the business with his father probably took longer than anticipated, he settled down to wait.
Commotion near the market drew his gaze as he saw several black armored warriors entering the market.
Recognizing them as members of the Order, Storm made sure that the hood concealing his face was still doing so.
He watched with disdain as the men walked through the market, taking whatever they fancied without paying for it.
If anyone objected, they would rough them up in response.
Storm forced himself to ignore them.
They walked up to the old man that sold Storm the figurine.
"I understand you've been talking bad about me and my compatriots behind our backs old man?" Asked the warrior.
"Begone, criminal!!I I will not do business with any of you!!" Called the old man.
"Is that so? That is poor thanks for all the work my Organization does to keep you all safe.
You would all be playthings to monsters if it weren't for us! But then..."
The warrior picked up one of the figurines that depicted an elf.
"Maybe that is what you want?"
The warrior snapped the figurine in two.
"The Order can't tolerate treasonous behavior, our race needs to be united against the common threat these monsters pose to us.
An example must be made."
The man made a gesture at his companions and they stepped forward and began to break apart the man's stall.
He desperately tried to stop them, but their leader shoved him to the ground.
This was the straw that broke the camel's back.
Storm got up and walked over to them.
They watched him as he stepped in between them and the old man.
"Leave." stated Storm.
"You're not one of the locals. So I'll forgive your ignorance this one time. We're with the Order, so don't interfere in our business!" Exclaimed their leader.
They expected that by dropping the Order's name, he'd become scared and submissive.
He didn't.
"Leave! I won't ask again!" Stated Storm as he clenched his fist.
The man slowly stepped closer.
"Listen here! To stand in the way of The Order's representatives is the same as standing up to any king's representative, And can be punished the same way, so I suggest that you..." started the man.
Before he could finish his threat, Storm headbutted the man as he got closer, driving him back and breaking his nose in the process.
"I don't care, you will not touch this man again!" Stated Storm.
The man held up a hand to his nose and noticed that it was bleeding.
"You idiot, you just signed your own death warrant!! Take them both!!" Ordered the man.
As the man's henchmen rushed forward, Storm grinned.
"That's all I needed to hear!!"