Entering Thornhold

The sun was high when Faelith entered the border town of Thornhold. Her orders were clear: the town had been in disorder ever since the **** of its leader. Faelith was to be its new advisor, at least until it could be returned to proper order. As a knight of the Goldleaf Order, it was her duty to help those in need. The town was located on the bank of a river, the only river in the region. This meant that anyone travelling through had to stop here. As such, the town was fairly packed with both traders and travelers. She had arrived at Thornhold in the early afternoon and was quickly approached by what she could only assume were the town's guards.

The guards were no where near to the level that she was accustomed to. One barely looked old enough to be called a guard. The other might as well have been his great-grandfather. They were armed with spears but wore simple, everyday clothes.

"Halt!" The young man called out in a shaky voice. "This is... Um... Guardsman Oggars! State your business in Thornhold."

Faelith approached the young guardsman. She was a head taller than him without her heels, with them the boy was breast level and had to look up to meet her gaze. "My name is Knight Captain Faelith of the Goldleaf Order. Pleased to meet you." Faelith reached out a hand to shake the boy's. He was so starstruck, he didn't notice her outreached hand. His eyes seemed to be more focused on her tits than her hand. "I'm looking for your mayor," Faelith said to the old man.

"He'll be in his house," the guard mumbled. His eyes were transfixed on the beauty standing before him, drool was building up in the corners of his mouth. Faelith left the pair of gawking men and continued into town.

The town was home to several different races. Humans, dwarves, elves, some orcs and goblins, it seemed. Despite the different races, there appeared to be no conflicts amongst them. This was a good sign, Faelith thought. It was unusual for these races to exist so peacefully with each other.

Faelith heard someone whistle at her. A group of men outside a tavern looked her up and down hungrily. The group was mostly human, but included a minotaur as well. Faelith felt a blush start to creep up. She continued to walk, ignoring the lusty stares. She could feel people leering at her body. She heard them whisper about how beautiful she was, and how they wanted to fuck her. These people were vulgar! She clenched her fists and continued walking. They were talking about her breasts, her ass, and even her lips. How dare they?! But she reminded herself that she was here on a mission, and that it was in her best interests to not bring attention to herself.

Soon, she arrived at the mayor's house. It was huge, almost a mansion compared to the other homes. Inside was the mayor's bodyguards and a young woman. The bodyguards stared at Faelith but the young woman spoke. "Ah, welcome to the town. My name's Callie. What can I help you with today?"

"I'm looking to speak with the mayor," Faelith answered curtly.

"He's at a meeting right now. Do you want to leave a message or wait for him?"

"I'll wait." Faelith folded her arms over her chest.

"Alright, take a seat over there." The woman motioned to a couch against the wall. Faelith stepped aside and went to the couch. "Do you want something to drink? Maybe tea?"

"Yes, please." Faelith smiled.

Faelith waited in the room for several minutes before a set of double doors opened. An elderly human man stepped through. His grey hair had been slicked back. He wore a suit jacket and slacks. When he saw Faelith, his eyes widened and he marched over to her. "Who are you?" he asked gruffly.

"I'm Knight Captain Faelith of the Goldleaf Order," she said as she stood. It was clear that the old man was confused and rather nervous. He was sweating and breathing heavy.

"I am Mayor Grand. Acting-Mayor Grand." He emphasized that he wasn't actually the mayor. "Pleased to meet you. I'm assuming that you're here because of all the unrest recently."

"That's right. The council wants to re-establish order and stabilize the area," Faelith said with a grin. It looked as though the man was actually relieved to see her. Perhaps the role as acting-Mayor was more taxing than expected.

"Good... That's great news." Grand looked Faelith over and then turned to his assistants. "Everyone, please leave us," he ordered them. The men and women shuffled away, leaving just Faelith and Grand. "Thornhold's economy has suffered badly since Mayor Gethrel passed away. He was able to negotiate trade and peace with the surrounding tribes and races. Without his influence, it has all collapsed. We've been on the brink of war. He was sick and no one was prepared for him to pass away so soon."

Faelith frowned. "What can you tell me about the surrounding area?"

"There are bands of goblins and orcs out in the woods. Those forests are vast and the beasts dwell within. Across the river are lands belonging to other exotic races: lizardmen, ratmen, lamia, centaurs, even nagas. None of these can be trusted."

Such dangerous creatures. Faelith had never encountered any of these so called exotic races, but she knew of them. They were usually wild, uncontrolled, and had no structure. Banditry, ****, and theft were probably not uncommon with them. "Tell me about the city? Are you and your guards able to keep control here?"

Mayor Grand looked down out of shame. "No. I can barely control the streets with the few men I have under my command. As our money is dwindling, many of our guardsmen have left and now work for different traders or groups. Anybody who can pay them well enough." Grand took a seat in a nearby chair and massaged his head. "Our dear town has become a hive of different factions vying for control over our streets."

Faelith crossed her arms. It was dissappointing to hear that the guards had abandoned their posts all for money but it did give her an avenue of how to bring them back. "Mayor, I think I know what needs to be done," she said confidently.

"Really? What's your plan?" The old man looked up at her, hope and fear in his eyes.

"I will go around the town and bring your men to come back. I will assure them that they will be paid what they deserve, if they return. With their help, we will be able to regain order in the town then move onto regaining control of the lands to the west."

"Oh, that sounds like a great idea," Grand said with relief. He smiled at the woman. "In the meantime, however, we need to find you a place to stay. Why don't you stay here, in my estate for the time being? I'm sure one of the maids can—"

Faelith held up her hand. "That is too kind but not needed. I will stay at a nearby inn as not to burden you or your staff." The mayor tried to protest to no avail. Faelith thanked him for his time before leaving the building.

"What a wondrous beauty," Mayor Grand thought, "She'll make a fine toy."