"Imagine if these missiles were hung from birds and launched at the enemy, he just flies up and bang!" Grim smiled wryly, they had been discussing and fantasising about new ways of warfare for a good half an hour.
"And if we put these missile frames on, I don't know, on wagons, yeah. Fire away, run away, repeat until you win, and it's perfect."
"It would be nice," Grim changed his face and continued with a smirk. "That's a really good idea, you should talk to Bondrewd about it."
"It's a great idea," the men had already had a couple of drinks and were drunk.
"I think the wagon idea is a good idea." A shrill and cold voice came from somewhere above, and the men synchronously turned round and looked up. There at the top of the ravine squatted Bondrewd, alcohol apparently also frightened by the sudden appearance of Lord of Dawn and instantly eroded from the blood of Grim and Dick.
"Dick we are going to my new estate." Bondrewd turned to Grim, his gaze gave the veteran goosebumps, and not just ran, but naturally tap-danced.
"And for you Grim I will have a special assignment," Bondrewd pulled out of the inner pocket of an envelope with a large red seal and handed it to Grim. "Give this to Ritor, you'll be under his command from now on." Grim nodded nervously, but Dick didn't think it was a very sensible idea.
"Bondrewd, it seems to me that he would be much better suited to other business." Dick had somehow got used to the person of his suzerain, but every time he appeared he was again startled.
"Finish the thought." Bondrewd spoke in the same steady voice.
"Wo... Grim is a militia commander, and he's spent his life training the likes of me, so why not have him run errands for the interest-bearer, anyone with two legs can do that. And there's a shortage of good commanders with experience." Dick finished the thought, and stared in awe at his suzerain.
"Dick" This pause cost Dick even a small chance of any hope of hair growth. "Good idea, Grim, you'll go under Avitus, and I see you've been discussing a lot of interesting things, so I want you to write them down and pass them on to me." Grim nodded with genuine joy in his eyes and walked merrily towards the camp.
"What about us?"
"Dick, are you retarded, or do you have the memory of a fish, we are going to my newfound estate, it could be done later, but I'm already tired of seeing what our kingdom has gifted me with."
"I see," Dick had only to blink and make a fool of himself, he did not understand why Bondrewd did not take his eyes off him.
"Dick, why are you standing there like a statue?" Bondrewd was beginning to get angry, Dick as his subordinate possessed a lot of useful skills, unfortunately, intelligence and cleverness were not among them.
"What?"
"Find the horses, what, run!" Lord of Dawn shouted loudly, and the bald man took off so fast that he surprised even Bondrewd. "Undercut the Aura of acceleration, he can if he wants to... and if he's kicked properly." Five minutes later, two good stallions stood in front of Bondrewd, richly harnessed. Bondrewd wanted to rub his temples, but he remembered that he was wearing a dummy helmet and that such an action would have looked foolish.
"Dick, where did you get them?" The bald man straightened to his full height and proudly reported.
"The Guards."
"And they gave them to you so easily?" The lord had no illusions about his ward's gangster past, he didn't need any new problems.
"I was looking for horses, and I saw two guardsmen guarding the field stables. "Lord Bodrewd needs two horses now," I bellowed. And they were either startled by the surprise or scared of you. "And rightly so." Dick thought to himself."
"And while they were mumbling I intercepted them." Bondrewd listened to this and did not know whether to be glad or sad. Glad that at least he had not killed them, but sad that his squire's actions could well be characterised as theft. Putting the bad thoughts aside, Bondrewd mounted his horse. "I'm the people's saviour and hero, twice, so I might as well take advantage of the position.
The men had no sooner left the camp than Dick began to pester them with questions.
"Bondrude, do I get a rocket launcher?"
"No."
"Why not?" Dick asked with offence.
"Because you're an idiot." said Bondrewd tiredly.
"And intelligence is a prerequisite, or can somehow through you get out of turn."
'Gods if you can hear me, help me,' thought Bondrewd to himself. They would be travelling for another half a day at least. Lord of Dawn felt that by the end of the journey his head would simply burst from the flood of idiocy.
...
Somewhere at the juncture of worlds and dimensions.
Audita leaned back tiredly in her chair, she had worked like a draught horse for the past three months. The rebellion led by the shapeshifter had caused quite a furore in the divine community, in a bad way. Gods are terrible in anger, especially when there is a threat to their existence, for they are not mortal, they have no immortal soul, and death is the end for them.
Sighing convulsively, the keeper stared contentedly into the mirror. Her ward, a monster on the outside, yes on the inside, but he had done more than all before him combined. "I finally pulled the lucky ticket, the universe has finally rewarded me what I deserve." Thought to herself Auditha, her peace didn't have a chance to last long. A portal opened in the centre of the room and Mira flew into the platform like a meteor.
"Audita is in trouble, the god of war Ramun has decided to test your statue." Audita turned her head tiredly in her direction.
"Now take a breath, and speak normally." The Guardianess was already on the last of her breath and there was simply not enough energy for fear and nervousness.
"Ramun, the god of war, who at the meeting was so eager to slaughter all those involved and uninvolved, decided to test your Bordure, and sent his champion to him." Audita's eyes widened, ready to jump out of their orbits.
"When will he be here?"
"In five minutes." Mina said and looked down at the floor apologetically. Audita, shocked at the sudden news, just lay back in her chair. And stared into the mirror.
"Audita, did you understand exactly what I said?" Mina didn't fully understand what had happened to her friend. This was not the reaction she had expected.
"Who cares, there's no time to do anything anyway, so all we have to do is watch." Audita said and snapped her finger. A light flickered off its tip and immediately vanished into thin air.
"What did you do?"
"Gave him my blessing, it's the most I can do for him right now." Mina looked at her friend in surprise, she hadn't noticed how her little m naive Audita, in three months of hard work, had matured as a keeper and felt like the mistress of the situation.
"Um... well, I'll go to Ramun, see if I can get him to call off his chain dog." Auditha just nodded without looking up from her monitor.
...
A strange feeling of lightness filled Bondrewd's body. As an experienced warrior he noticed it at once and tensed up. The lord raised his hand, stopping the horses and Dick's annoying muttering.
"Boss what?"
"Something's wrong, I think we're about to be attacked." Dick's face changed visibly and he drew his magic sword.
"Come on bitches out!" shouted the former bandit at the top of his voice. "Bitch, I'm gonna strangle him someday." Bondrewd thought to himself. To his surprise, a massive man emerged from behind the nearest hill. He was huge, simply huge, and also shrouded in solid red armour.
"Which one of you is Bondrewd?" - The stranger's voice was thunderous, similar to its owner.
"Well, let's say I am." Without a shadow of doubt shouted Dick. Bondrewd was about to gut him, but stopped himself. "We can watch, I wonder what will come of it." Of the two men standing before him, one looked like a hobo with a two-handed sword and the other had a strange aura of death and misery about him.
"Are you sure it's you and not that dreadful guy in black armour?" Doubts finally seized the bully, there was no way he could fuck up, his master doesn't forgive mistakes.
"Are you fucking stupid? Of course, yes I am Bondrude"
"Then you're fucked!" The knight stood in a fighting stance, two one-handed axes magically materialised in his hands.
"I wonder what will come of this."