-- On the Valturian/Cromanian border --

"This is what is left sir" said one of the 6th Legions Captains as he stood over the ruins of a small settlement which had been burnt to the ground and its inhabitants slaughtered, now cut in pieces and charred horribly "House Uyles is said to have left nothing behind, apparently they didn't even care to get slaves this time"
"I see" said Rathaeus who had been elected to solve this issue instead of some diplomate who was probably brought and had no real skill. He crouched down and touched the ashes and sifted them through his hands, thinking of the pain that the people here must have experienced when the Uyles came. But Rathaeus could do nothing for them, he knew that all he could do now was prepare for the meeting he arranged with a Diplomat from Cromania and of course tell his men to sharpen their swords and be prepared for anything in case the meeting went awry. Even if the meeting did not go to plan there was no doubt in his mind that he would crush the Cromanians, after all behind him was the entire 6th Legion who were skilled veterans and there was also a portion of the "Slave army" and while they did not carry any particular skill they used their numbers as a advantage over the enemy. 

Rathaeus made his way back to the camp and waited for the Cromanian diplomats to arrive