It was days since the kingdom was defeated and plundered for its rich resources. The conquering monsters had to turn back soon, their leader R'aak, the high demon, left them no other choice.
He remained, though, and proceeded alone to the biggest settlement of the formerly proud and flourishing nation. It lies on the kingdom's only river and is spread out over a high cliff face. The settlement lies behind an impressive and lengthily mural painted wall and beneath a mighty and sturdy stone keep.
R'aak observes from a distance that the settlement is no longer in use. It is only used by a small group of people to gather supplies from across the river.
'Hmm. The town is impressive'. R'aak thought. 'So how many good-sized buildings are left? As you have probably seen on your way here, most of the houses have been looted and burned. How many hiding-places have the stupid humans left unnoticed?'
Studying the town's surroundings, R'aak found a few smaller buildings. These new buildings were situated around a large open area which R'aak could observe. He went over there and thought at the same time, 'I must go.'
As he sat near the small trading building, he turned and spotted a whole group of people around the trading post. He could obviously see this group of people was not like the ones he had seen before. They had a large, well groomed and long broadsword. R'aak knew that this group of people dealt with the group that lived in the mining settlement over there.
R'aak thought, 'I wonder what they're doing? Do they want to trade? Do they want to sell?'
He would find out soon.
One of the people by the trading post approached to greet R'aak even though he was an intruder. With the stranger's friendly attitude, R'aak got ready for the conversation. "Pardon me...Where are you from? Where do you come from? Where do you go...My interest is in you and your society. I'd like to...talk...to you...maybe ask you questions about your culture and your existence."
The group were astounded and showed their fear in the face of the high demon's presence. R'aak smiled and stepped into the building. He saw a few people were inside.
The one that approached him was a young man. In his mid twenties, he was a young man of good looking and of good size, dressed in a modest white shirt, a grey breeches and a blue cloak, a beautiful diamond decorating his chestguard. Beside the man was a young woman of similar size, dressed in a sparkling blue dress. Behind them were two boys, one in his mid teens in a blue cloak, the other in his early teens, in a simple doublet shirt.
R'aak smiled in his usual way and said in a soft voice, "I like the crisp, cool breeze. I like the weather in this plain."
He looked at the people who stood before him, especially the man who addressed to him, "Who are you?"
"My name is B'rrg, your lordship. I'm just an errand boy of this castle, or town."
R'aak smiled again. He asked B'mfz more, "How do you get here? From that gully on the other side of the river?"
"Yes, please. I'm here to get, what you can't get here, on the other side of the river."
"You go and come by boat and foot, and you always get to and from town on the other side of the river, but you always get to and from here on foot?"
B'mfz surprised by the stranger's capability of understanding their language. He said, "Yes. But we do get here by boat, sometimes."
"Sometimes. Not always?"
"Yes, sometimes."
"How far is your town from here?"
B'mfz answered, "Not too long. Five and a half miles and one and a half furlongs north from here."
B'mfz tries to make a good report of his town, "The mountains surrounding it on this side of the river. In the south the low dale leads to a gorge. In the north there's a chain of hills. In the west there is a river going south and joining the river which goes west. It joins the sea, at a town called Oro.
