It was a normal day for the people of the Solusand Dominion, and all was well for everyone.

Well, mostly everyone.

Actually, it was a normal day for those relatively far from the front line of the war that had been raging for a few years. For those on the edge of the nation, a ‘normal’ day included hoping and praying that the Sand Peoples (i.e. Desert Elves/ Sand Elves) didn’t decide to push their advance in their general direction. Thankfully, there was some good news for those on the outskirts of the slowly shrinking Queendom; a divine warrior, called to the world by their Pharaoh to do battle with the savages, wielding power unmatched by all save the God-Queen herself, was causing the marauding barbarians to think twice about coming any closer.

In fact, the sand-loving sadists had actually been pushed back in some places, and a few of their occult devices that they had been using to slowly squeeze the life and soul out of the Dominion had been utterly destroyed by that divine champion of the great Pharaoh herself. To make matters even more positive, there was now a decently sized gap in the encirclement that had been isolating the Dominion from the outside world. Now that the net had a hole in it, the rest of The lliance that existed between their Pharaoh and some other powerful beings now knew what was going on and, more importantly, that the Dominion had not been erased.

These positive thoughts were universal, but the people who lived on the edge were still very much at risk. In one small town in particular, there was good reason to be a bit paranoid. One of the monsters had ridden into the town and demanded that the populace either evacuate and allow his people to take the town or that they save his kind the trouble and simply commit mass suicide.

This was definitely a bad thing, as it meant that their home was next on the chopping block. Some did decide to take the savage’s advice, only to return to town a few hours later and missing a large portion of those who had fled. Their reason for returning should be painfully obvious, but if it isn’t then I’ll clear it up here and now.

The people fleeing the doom of their town were attacked by the Sand/Desert Elves once they were far enough away that any attempt to return back to their town would result in a great many deaths along the way at the hands of those dusty devils.

So now, knowing that they were well and truly doomed, the populace began to panic. This became even more pronounced as the Sand Elves, in a rather uncharacteristic display of theatrics, formed up as a large force just outside of bow range. Those few who were brave enough to man the defenses knew full well that they would likely never be able to survive this, and that even if they did somehow emerge from all of this alive that they would be wishing that they hadn’t soon enough.

However, the people of the Solusand Dominion were extremely superstitious, and when a flock of carrion birds flew over their heads and towards the marauders and then proceeded to circle over them, the people almost immediately calmed down and began to resist the fear that had grown inside of them. This flock of vultures hanging over their enemy was a sign, and it was surely a sign that the town would endure and that the vagabonds outside their settlement would feed the winged messengers that circled above them.

What they did not know was that these vultures had not been sent by the divine Pharaoh, but instead by the one who they thought was just a servant of their ruler. And, to make things even more bizarre, the birds were not just primitive animals. They were ultimately carrying a piece of their distant ancestors with them, and thus they had intelligence on the level of particularly bright four-year-old. This was ideal for the duty that the Master of Mobs, Monsters and Miscellanea had given them.

Forget bomb-delivering drones; Vaile had bomb-delivering vultures. After all, why make a mess and not be responsible enough to clean it up?

…

Me vulture, no name. Me very good bird; master say so. Master give me box that I supposed to carry someplace. Me find people that box need be drop on. Me not alone. Other birds here too, but they not as good bird as me. Master say box will make food when I drop it on bad guys.

Me not know how small tree-meat box make food, but me not care. Me do as master say and be good bird. Other birds say they here to drop box as well. Not fair! Me best bird, so me drop box first!

Me drop box.

Box fall; box land on sand.

Nothing happen.

Other birds laugh. It not funny!

Then, box make big sound and flash, like sky anger, but on ground. There is dust and screaming, but me not sure what happen. Black ground-cloud clears and bad guys not in very good way. Some ripped apart, others missing limb, others have insides on outside. “See?” Me say. “Me be best bird of all!”

Other birds jealous. They drop box that they carry. Many box land on ground, wait for bit and then make boom and fire. All birds have drop their box, some bad guys unhurt and run away. Me look down and see what master mean. Much food down there, many things to eat.

Other birds shocked, but me is smart bird. Me go to food first and claim best munchies, leave other dumb birds behind and find good food. Find bad guy trying to crawl away. Bad Guy has only one limb and looks very tasty. Come up to bad guy and try take a bite. Bad guy flails limb at me, but I quickest bird of all and bad guy miss. Bad guy is dangerous, need be killed quick or other, dumber birds be hurt. Me smart and good bird, even to slow, dumber birds.

Move neck and head quick, rip throat before bad guy can hit me. Sole man-claw try to hold blood in, but can’t and bad guy bleed out. Still alive when me take next bite; fresh meat very tasty. Other, dumber birds come down and join feast. We call others to come and eat from far away, but they need be fast.

Was right to serve master as ancestors did. Master treat us well, give us box to make food with, make us happy birds. Me eat till full, then eat more. Have babies to feed, need lots. Me hear noise from large community nest for not bird creatures; they happy? Me not care. Me have food and serve master, that only what matter.

Me love master. If master was vulture, me would mate with. See, master? Me good bird, best bird! But need to eat and move if want to keep babies alive. Me fly off, go feed babies, come back and do again. Maybe master has more box for me to drop?