Going through the Jungle

 He received the two letters from his aunt, Omgada Sanin, a town herbalist-apothecary supplier. Letabi Cirzo was an upcoming herbalist and wizard among his Dark Elf community. Mainly brown, dark tan, purple or blue in skin color Dark Elves of Calorn vary in terms of their culture, and appearances. Most of them became combatants, or contractors such as Warriors, bodyguards, rogues, assassins. Others entered the profession of blacksmithing, steed breeding, herding life stock, artisanship. Some like himself and his aunt become herbalists, healers, or alchemists. A thousand or so years ago he would find himself forced into a survivalist competition or a cruel means of weeding out the weak. For his herbalist career path, he had several orders to join. One of these orders was called the Healers of the United. Based in Geverine-Ezonel borders, this order was renowned for its involvement in the medical fields when it came to provided the herbs used to create pills or other medicines. 

Hundreds of Dark Elves were in the service of Lheobethe well before their peoples fled Gaia- Ghudran- Giadra. On a VUVR amphibious transport Toyol rode with his unit. It took him three years to get over here after a horrible incident. Herbs needed to be mixed without certain ingredients. Thanks to his aunt he was out of the humiliating alchemy school of Evusia. Ten years another would take his place, which was why this herbalist wizard left to join the VUVR. On board one of the VUVR amphibious transports Letabi Cirzo rode alongside a fellow half Dark Elf Lheobethan Toyol Yogosh who was kicked out of the Creed of Piety School in Lheobethe. In the back of their amphibious transport sat another half-dark elf named Exo Mindflayers. 

Placed in a unit of 882 the trio of half Dark Elves sort felt out of place here. Mostly humans, half elves, some orcs, and half goblins crammed into the boats made up their unit. Some spoke of their days working at a Factory Coffee House, a Ketchic Creek Bakery in Naatidra, or working at some barbeque restaurant which were a new type of public place. There were jabbering about scoops of ice cream, fudge, beer with a nice meal or sloppy burger. Large Sausage in slice bread washed down with ale, or mead. One Goblin went on about stuffed fat squirrel on a spit or kebob in the country. Toyol heard someone speak of a Vagabond miscreant grab some luscious melons on some serving girl before getting kicked out. Another mentioned some zombies or undead being still being spotted in downtown of their home city. An Orc who worked in Zethra then on Malvieth told the group about two ugly guys caught suckling on some Kimono babe's tits or something. Toyol thought he heard the Orc say he smashed the two men's heads in for doing that to a patron. 

Coming up on the coastal city-state of Oceanrest Var. their boats were greeted by screaming Seahawks, gulls, winged wretches in flocks. Orders were not to shoot at the birds but to wave or swat them away. Oceanrest Var rested on a small peninsula with warded walls surrounded by a dozen other settlements with Oramatra not too far way according to the maps. Even though they could have come from Borvados by land it would take longer. Rain season arrived this month. Most of the roads of Borvados would be flooded for weeks. Travelling by the sea was preferred as other city-states were involved in their coalition. Northwest of Oceanrest Var rested the city of Oramatra. The same went for other cities such as Khasungai, Kilscar Orvain. In his mind Toyol recalled Khasunghai was not too far from Kilscar Orvain while another city called Magesar sat east of Oceanrest Var. Travelers spoke a Bronze Sable Cat statue of Oramatra. It was sent to grant prolonged life to whoever touches the statue. Getting closer to the port city's docks they spot familiar structures from their side of the world. Five Evusian style castles among the outer walls of Oceanrest Var. Constructed from the materials available in the area these castles appeared more like two circular keeps that overlapped. Like two rings put together forming the shape of the number eight. No towers to be seen just a pair of keeps with thick walls connected. Despite the size of the structures, they blended in nicely with the walls and other structures of Oceanrest Var. However, the structures of Oceanrest Var appeared far different. Among the houses of Oceanrest Var Toyol spotted three Alagen Style houses. Multifaceted homes in the shape of a large gazebo or pavilion Once they reached the docks, they were greeted by fellow Vestrisians, Alagen Soldiers, Soldiers of Nahem, and Lybresan. One by one they climbed off the boat and onto the docks. Half the docks were made from wood while others were made from smoothed out stones in the sand bed or the large slabs that did not break when moved.

In various style fatigues of either green, tan, brown, or a mixture of the colors the coalition soldiers could be identified as Orcs, Goblins, Half-Elves, Half-Orcs, Humans, Forsythans, and some tame Gnolls stood among them. Most of them were armed with T.M. 13 bolt-action rifles, an early version of the E gas powered rifle, plenty of the E-7 repeat rifles, and the Carbines. It seemed strange for there to be no submachine guns in sight. Did they already lose them in the jungles of the Unknown Lands? As he stepped forward with his unit something moved in the waters. His gaze turned to the right to see some crocodile lurking underneath the docks. Lheobethe hosted plenty of these reptilian predators that only waited for their meal with patience. While growing up in Lheobethe in a Dark Elf refugee town Toyol knew of a nest of 433 crocodiles in one of the rivers. Here in the Unknown Lands, he would likely encounter more than 16,000 Lurking crocodiles. Toyol hoped he would sleep in a bunk high enough to avoid an encounter at night. One of the Half-Elves caught their attention. Colonel Xan Grimlock stood at 6 feet tall with broad shoulders, strong arms, powerful legs, pecks. In his uniform he appeared very intimidating. 

"Gantronese forces are still lurking in the areas north of our positions. Over a dozen cities chose to side with us. It is not clear how long they will be allies with us." Grimlock quickly addressed the newly arrived units. 

"That idea can also be applied to the tribes." one of the humans chimed in for the Colonel. 

"Thank you Major Clearague. Currently our coalition forces stationed 150,000-200,000. It is almost nothing compared to the Gantronese forces present. Other than Major Clearague these are Major Hortwith, Major Wallace, Captain Greenville, Captain Lethem, Captain Sir Klaus Steffan of Buhurt town. Before we send you into the jungle after a few days of rest the other settlements around Oceanrest Var are Dapesh, Urada, Shenmari, the others I cannot name at the moment. Let's settle you fuckers in for the night. Follow suit." Colonel Grimlock briefly filled in the new arrivals. 

Toyol and his unit followed the commanding officers further into the exterior boundaries of Oceanrest Var. Exhausted from their journey his unit appeared oblivious to their surroundings. In a mass herd of 882 newly arrived soldiers Toyol's unit was joining a force of 2,314 coalition personnel already present. Today they arrived with a force of 1,450 personnel who returned. Among their coalition they had others among their ranks. One large company of 348 volunteers from exiled Kilscar Orvain, Oramatra, Magesar, Oceanrest Var in dyed fatigues. Passing through Oceanrest Var his unit went around the markets through a few streets of mudbrick complexes, shell shaped homes, and workshops. Toyol never got a good look at the people as he was pushed to follow the rest. For four days their unit rested before moving out on patrol. Everything seemed normal until they reached what the Oceanrest Var peoples called their borders and outskirts. Marked by border poles connected by crisscrossing chain links, jagged smoothed sticks forming a face or symbol Oceanrest Var's boundaries had some Gantronese helmets on pikes or spears. 

In a smaller unit of 34 Toyol's larger unit split up to scout the area. Although their forces pushed the Gantronese away from the main city-states' borders bands of collaborators still prowled the area. Towards the middle of the patrol they found a unit of 441 armed warriors committed to honoring the fight against the Gantronese give chase to a unit of Goblins. Using the weapons the VUVR and Coalition gave them these warriors chase away 392 tunnelers who came from Kilscar Orvain's region. A long stretch from here, but that only meant collaborators still operated behind their lines. One of the veteran soldiers who returned with them, Sergeant Haizhe, told them the collaborators would often slip through their lines at night, or overrun positions held by volunteers. Although they did not go through the way they came their guides took through a checkpoint manned by a team of six warriors, and four coalition soldiers. For a few days they moved towards the front lines, which were not exactly well defined or marked in the Unknown Lands. According to Grimlock, Clearague, and their assigned commanding officer, a half-orc known as Colonel Blintz, their unit set out. With orders to prowl the area, collect any weapons, gear, equipment, ammunition on the ground from previous fights. Mainly jungle foliage, some unkept roads, marked tribal areas, abandoned outposts, villages with mixed allegiances, and neutral attitude. One of the villagers warned them of a Goblin Brigade in the area that works for the Gantronese. While searching for weapons, gear, equipment, and ammunition they found most of it were taken by the local tribes. Leaving them corpses, torn uniforms, helmets, used up magazines, straps, tin cans of rations, badges, banner poles, spades, utensils, dog tags, first aid kits, carabiners, broken rifles, canteens in various conditions, torn bandoliers these tribes took all the good stuff. Toyol realized going through these jungles and swamps would take some time in the year 1843. It would not belong before they entered the year of 1844.