Northern Belinswae. Winter...
Looking through his brass, cylindrical eyepiece, Mira Reinholt the mage frowns then says "Where exactly are they?" as he looks out across the ocean.
"A bit further south mage" says Varl the swordmaster as the two of them, along with a handful of dwarven warriors from clan Galve who are in the war party that's made their way down into Belinswae, stand within a copse of trees along the coastline. Infront of them is a short cliff, at the bottom of which is a beach that's got more rocks than sand along it.
As the wind comes in off the ocean, the once powerful mage looks further south as he looks out to sea. A few moments later, the mage who is in exile from his homeland, the city-state of Vexil, nods his hooded head when he spots one ship, followed by a second, which is little bit further out to sea.
"They're theirs alright" quietly says the spellcaster who is also a highly skilled swordmaster, who after a slight pause adds "The lead one definitely is, a warship in their navy" the mage Reinholt follows that up with "The larger one is a merchantman by the looks of it".
"Aye, most likely carrying supplies north to their army" says the dwarven swordmaster, one of the few warriors that Mira Reinholt has seen from the Stone Hills, who prefers the sword as his primary weapon, compared to the axe or hammer, that most dwarven warriors favour.
The Southlander takes the eyepiece away from his face, and looks down at Varl, then over at Ompal and Garkil who have been his acting seconds in their war party, which is now traveling with the larger one commanded by Varl, which has also been joined by another war party, that the young warrior Tarong, and old Kalend lead.
The once powerful mage looks over at the handful of others standing nearby, who are all looking at him expectantly.
Then he looks back at Ompal and Garkil who know him best, both raise a bushy eyebrow when he looks at them, and the exiled Vexilian mage faintly smiles.
"Will you be" is what the dwarven swordmaster Varl gets out before the spellcaster from south of the equator interrupts him with "I guess i will be".
The human swordmaster from the Southlands puts the brass cylindrical eyepiece up to his left eye, holding it there with just his left hand. He holds out his gloved right hand to his side, and after a few moments a gray, stone coloured mageglobe appears in his hand.
It's not there for long, because it takes off, going down the face of the cliff, then out across the beach at a height of just a few feet. It then goes out across the water at about the same height as it heads off to the southwest. Then it disappears as it drops down beneath the surface of the water.
Mira Reinholt returns his leather wrapped, brass cylindrical eyepiece to an inner pocket of his winter cloak. Then he turns and walks back through the copse of trees. "Is that it mage?" asks the swordmaster Varl "Yep" says the once powerful mage from south of the equator who doesn't look back. But he hears at least two of the dwarves following him, he knows that it's Ompal and Garkil.
The rest of the dwarven warriors including Varl, who is the military second to their clan chieftain, Lomi Galve. All look at one another, before they go back to looking out to sea.
Where in the distance to the southwest, are a pair of ships, most likely from the city of Falnic. One a navy ship of the Justifiers, and the other a cargo vessel, both of which are heading north.
They watch for a while, until they notice something with the lead vessel, which is noticeably slowing down this cool winter's morning.
What they can't see is that the mageglobe created by Mira Reinholt has smashed into the navy vessel, beneath the waterline. It's gone right through it, and out the otherside.
It's come back further towards a midships, after first striking near the bow.
The living piece of magic smashes holes in the twin masted vessel, on both sides of the hull. A dozen in all, that are all about a foot to a foot and half wide, all below the waterline.
Then as the navy vessel from Falnic starts to sink, the mageglobe created by Mira Reinholt heads further out to sea, and further south, where the cargo ship is about a half a nautical mile away. The living piece of magic goes to sink that vessel in the service of the Justifiers of Belinswae too.
"Think that cargo vessel is sinking too" quietly says one of the warriors who has remained with the dwarven swordmaster Varl "Aye it looks like it" says Varl, as the trailing ship looks to be dead in the water, and starting to founder as it drops into the sea.
The navy vessel from Falnic is definitely sinking, as it's bow is basically beneath the surface, and ship's boats are hastily being put overboard, as the crew are abandoning ship.
Then from further out to sea, there comes a thud, pieces of debris from the stern of the merchantman go flying in all directions, when the living piece of magic created by the mage Reinholt explodes when it comes to the end of it's life.
The larger, triple masted cargo ship is heavily listing to port with a gaping hole in the aft section to go with the multiple holes in its hull beneath the waterline from when the mageglobe went repeatedly through it.
As the two enemy vessels sink, the dwarven swordmaster Varl nods his head back the way they've come from. And he leads the way back through the copse of trees, to where the rest of the war party is waiting.
Shur Kee the monk who has had a quick bite to eat, of some flat bread studded with nuts and berries. One of the few things that the dwarves eat that hasn't got any type of meat in it. He got one as there's plenty to be had, as most of the warriors prefer the flat bread with bits of cheese worked through it.
Looks up and sees Mira Reinholt the mage approaching, the acolyte in the philosophical order of Bru Li, sees the exiled Vexilian mage nod his hooded head for the physical adept to join him.
As ever the once powerful mage is followed by Garkil and Ompal, two of the warriors who were in the war party with the human swordmaster, who have already been attacking targets here in Belinswae before the others joined up with them.
They walk away from the war party who have stopped as a couple of enemy ships were spotted by one of the scouts on the coast a couple of hundred yards away.
"Was it ships?" quietly asks Shur Kee the monk "It was" says Mira Reinholt who continues with "Two of them" then he adds in a quiet tone "I've sunk them".
May Bru Li guide their souls, the short statured monk in the odd, conical shaped hat thinks to himself, as he knows the spellcaster from south of the equator is absolutely thorough when it comes to the destruction of things. And that there's likely to be few survivors from the two enemy vessels that he's just sunk.
The Vexilian mage in exile gestures south, the way they've been heading, and he says "Ompal and Garkil here have told me there's a village not that far away, it's not marked on the maps we've got, but it is there".
Shur Kee looks at the two dwarves, both of whom nod their heads, then Ompal says "Aye small place, near a river that goes out to sea".
The physical adept looks at the mage Reinholt who says "I've sent a few of the scouts ahead to check it out". The acolyte in the order of Bru Li knows that the scouts will be from the war party that were originally with the exiled Vexilian mage, as he trusts them more than the others.
"And what do you plan friend Mira" quietly asks the short statured monk from the far eastern coast of the continent "That it's time to make a statement" is the reply from the highly skilled swordmaster, who then adds "We're going to destroy it".
"You are not going to kill all the people there are you?" asks Shur Kee in alarm "Of course not" says Mira Reinholt in a slightly offended tone of voice, then he continues with "At least give me a little bit of credit".
"Well you would of done so in the past" murmurs the monk which the once powerful mage hears, the spellcaster from the Southlands sourly smiles for Shur Kee is correct. Once, before he went off world by accident, which was when he lost most of his power. He most likely would of killed everyone in the village that's not too far away to the south.
But not now, and he quietly says "Can't go killing everyone" then he adds "If i did, who's going to spread the word that they're under attack here within their own borders".
The monk who is the living incarnation of the founder of his order, the Jade Warrior Bru Li, nods in understanding, then he faintly smiles when the highly skilled swordmaster from the city-state of Vexil in the Southlands dryly says "Besides it's what Farque ordered in that message he sent" the mage Reinholt continues with "Destroy as much as we can, and have them spread the word that their region is under attack".
"Fear and terror is often more destructive than the battle itself" quietly says Shur Kee as he quotes from one of the sayings of the Jade Warrior, the Vexilian mage in exile nods in agreement, then he says "Exactly".
Mira Reinholt looks back to where the war party is waiting to get underway again, and he says "There's Varl and the others" after a brief pause, the highly skilled swordmaster quietly says "Wonder what he'll think of it?".
The two dwarven warriors Ompal and Garkil, along with Shur Kee share looks. For there's a little bit of tension between the two swordmasters, one human and the other dwarven.
True, Varl as clan chief Lomi Galve's second, is in overall command of the war party who number over a hundred and eighty, and have moved south into Belinswae.
But it's Mira Reinholt who is actually devising all the tactics of their incursion into the region ruled by the Justifiers who have invaded the Stone Hills. Something that the dwarven swordmaster isn't exactly enamoured with.
Infact he dislikes it, and he dislikes that the original war party who have been traveling with the Southlander, are extremely loyal to him. Even though he's an outsider and a human at that.
The spellcaster who was once the most powerful mage of his generation to be found anywhere in the Southlands, who at one point could of been only the second battlemage* in over a hundred years. Looks at the two dwarven warriors who have been with him since they first pushed into northern Belinswae, and he quietly asks them "What do you think swordmaster Varl will make of the plan?".
After glancing at Garkil, Ompal says in as neutral tone as possible to the Southlander "I think he'll see the merit of it mage". "Very diplomatic of you Omp" says the highly skilled swordmaster in a slightly dry tone, then the exiled Vexilian mage asks "Now what do you really think?".
Refraining from wincing, Ompal says to the spellcaster from south of the equator "Well, like i say, he'll see the merit of it, and think it be a good idea" he briefly pauses before continuing with "I don't think he'll like that you've come up with the idea though".
"Aye" says Garkil who then adds "Omp's got the right of it laddie" the older of the two dwarven warriors then says "Varl be a prideful fellow, he not be liking you coming up with these ideas mage ".
"It's not really my idea, I'm just carrying out orders too" says the once powerful mage, who then silently adds in a wry tone, don't know how long i can keep using Farque as an excuse for what i do.
The war party are getting underway, and the two humans along with Ompal and Garkil make their way to where swordmaster Varl and others are near the front of the line of march.
There the mage Reinholt informs the dwarven swordmaster what he has planned, adding that he's carrying out orders from lord Farque, who has been hired by the dwarven clans to lead them in the defence of their clanholds in the Stone Hills against the Justifiers of Belinswae.
Behind the spellcaster from south of the equator, the warriors Ompal and Garkil share slightly worried looks, then glance at Shur Kee the monk who is walking beside them, who is looking on with interest.
The Galve clan chieftain's second is silent for a few moments, then Varl eventually says "Good idea" though he sounds neither positive or negative on the idea.
"It's just part of a wider plan against the Justifiers" explains the exiled Vexilian mage, who knows that other parts of the wider plan are taking place elsewhere. That Mira Reinholt knows involve the elven spy Dalinvardél Tanith down in the city of Falnic. As well as Dorc da Orc and Riley Hait the mercenary ranger in eastern Belinswae.
What they're exactly doing he has no idea. But he knows it'll involve the undermining of the Justifiers war effort against the dwarven clans of the Stone Hills.
The highly skilled swordmaster from the Southlands has been around lord Farque long enough, since his late teens infact. To know that the undead warlord sees the bigger picture. And that he plans not just for the immediate battles. But the war as a whole.
After the dwarven swordmaster sends a small number of warriors forward of the war party to join those the mage Reinholt has already sent ahead to scout out the village that's to the south of them.
He says to the near six foot tall human in the black hooded cloak walking beside him "So i take it we're to destroy villages and towns we come across, not just attack their guard squads we find?".
"That's the gist of it" says the Vexilian mage in exile, who has yet to divulge other plans that lord Farque sent to him in the message that Shur Kee delivered. The spellcaster from south of the equator who also happens to be a highly skilled swordmaster continues with "We're to spread terror among the populace, hopefully getting the attention of the Justifiers, who'll have to respond eventually" he then adds "That'll most likely draw some of their forces out of the clanholds, and send them back down here into Belinswae".
"Really good idea" quietly says swordmaster Varl in grudging admiration, who like the rest of the war party, thought they were heading further south into Belinswae, only to attack the Justifier's guards being sent north to the Stone Hills. And the supply lines to the armies invading the dwarven clanholds.
You don't even know the half of it, Mira Reinholt silently thinks to himself, who will not tell Varl or the other dwarves of what other plans lord Farque has for them. Or what their final destination will be. It's not here in northern Belinswae. But further south in the region ruled by the Justifiers.
That's if we live that long to even get there, the mage Reinholt dryly thinks to himself as they continue the march to the nearby village that they'll destroy sometime after midday today . . . . . .
*Authors Note - Battlemage. Also called warmage. And in much earlier times, was also referred to as a house mage.
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