*He sat in the bed of the small hut. It was a very bare space. Only a small hey filled bed accompanied with a small table and a chair, no windows. Once a day midday he received a small meal brought by a silent tal-vashoth warrior who ignored his questions completely. After a couple of days he stopped asking and just sat there waiting. Sooner or later someone would come for him. He could easily go through the door despite the guards outside or through the thin walls but deceided to wait. Nazlik was out there and probably aware where he is. To spend time he started casting different kind of miniature spells for fun and for the horror of the guards. Once he even cast a scrying spell to see where he was being held.
After they had found the Tal-vashoth her parents whisked her away and warriors escorted him right to the hut. Since then he had recovered to full strength and was feeling very confident, what ever may come.
After a few days waiting finally things changed. That day after he had eaten his food a old tal-washoth stepped into the hut. This one was tall like they usually very but was more slender built than a normal male. He wore talismans and bracelets which emanated magical power. He had cut his horns and wore a collection of jewelry in his hairs. "I am the saarebas of this village" he said, "my name is Hektan". He looked at Ukki with cold eyes " and you are a Magister".
"I am" he replied, "I sense you are a hedge mage" he looks at the tal-vashoth calmly. "I advice you, do not make any mistakes about who I am. My power exceeds yours beyond your comprehension. You are no match for me. I give you this fair warning since I am a guest in your lovely village and would not want to be forced to do something drastic" he continues with a calm tone.
For a moment they look at each other silently. Then Hektan breaks the silence. "Armath, the leader of this village wants to see you", he steps out of the way and points to the door.
Outside sun shines brightly, he had to cover his eyes for a moment to adjust to the change from dim hut to full daylight. The village had about a dozen huts of different size surrounded by the jungle. He was being held in the outskirts of the village. Hektan and two warriors escorted him through the village. In the central clearing there were children playing, both human and kossith. He noticed that some of the villages inhabitants were human, there were also few elven among them. Children stopped playing and watched them curiously as they walked by. "We are one with the Fog Warrios" Hektan said as he noticed him looking at the children of different race, "there is strength in unity".
In the other side of the central opening there was a longer and larger long house, its doorway was decorated with beast skulls guarded with a two warriors, human and kossith. He entered the house following Hektan and two guards at his sides. The long house had a long open interior with two fireplaces placed along the way to the end of the room, on the sides behind column supporting the roof there were several long tables with stools. At the end of the room there was a platform on which a throne kind of seat was placed against the wall. The room was filled with people who looked at him with anger in their eyes murmuring and he could hear the word "Magister" being spoken several times. In the seat at the end of the room was sitting the same tal-vashoth he saw in the jungle. Nazliks father.
Armath, the leader of these people and Nazliks father, leans on the arm rest and strokes his chin looking at him while they get closer to the seat. He is a massive kossith. Arms and legs like tree trunks and chest the size of a large barrel. He has many large and long horns bending backwards from his head. Ukki has never seen so big one, he could rival a ogre.
"Magister" Armath said with a rumbling deep voice. The elven man standing next to him whispered something in his ear. Silence lingered for a moment.
"My name is Ukki of the house Vaellanius, I am a Magister of Tevinter Imperium" he said proudly with a strong voice. The angry murmur from the crowd increased, there was a lot of feet shuffling. He ignored that. "So what is it you want to do now?" he asked, "Are you looking for my head?"
Armath sat in silence for a moment "Normally I would have killed you like the rabid dog you are the moment I saw you... Magister. But you have brought my daughter to me and that leaves me in a difficult position" he said. "She even said you are lovers" he continued, "is this true?" this was accompanied with more murmur from the crowd.
"It is true" he replies. Now even the hedge mage stares at him.
"So... lovers... why is that you have not wed her then?" Armath asked slowly.
"Because I am already married and she is my slave" Ukki said. Several people jumped up from the tables shouting in rage. Warriors guarding him had a hard time to keep them away form him.
He kept his eyes fixed in Armath. The huge kossith didn´t say anything, just kept looking at him while the noise died down.
"So... Magister. You have insulted me and violated my daughter. Do you still think you will be leaving this room alive?" Armath said silently after for a while.
Black rage raised inside Ukki as silent voice whispers in his ear "how dare this cow insult me, a Magister. I will crush them all!" his eyes started to glow and power started to twirl around him. Then he forced himself to calm down.
"I brought your daughter to you. It was by my own choice. I also do not consider her a slave. She is my wife in the meaning of the word. As for my marriage, it exits only on paper. The truth is that the Imperium does not look good on relationship with kossith. We would both die if I would take her as my wife, in a gruesome way" he explains. "Should you still want to kill me then that is your choice, however I will not stand here and do nothing".
"So be it" Armath said after a moment of silence and stood up pulling a huge two handed sword from the side of the seat. All around him he heard blades being drawn. Hedge mage took two steps away and started to cast.
He concentrated and allowed his power to fill him, it was a soothing feeling. It was accompanied with a lingering sadness of how things were going to end. Deep inside his mind his father laughed maliciously, "this is what you get son for loving animals. You should have listened me."