Falnic. Belinswae. Winter...
They look out one of the tower windows and watch a wyvern, with a small squad of Justifier's guards upon it's back, plummet out of the sky.
The Justifier Kaellin looks up the tower, and calls out "What is it?". One of the guards up in the top observation room, calls back down with "I'm not sure sir!" he continues with "It's in the air, to the east of the city!".
"Barsol go and see what it is" says the mage Kaellin "Yes sir" says the senior guard Barsol who then heads up the winding stairs, which are open to the shaft that goes up the inside of the tower.
The Justifier, looks over at his other senior guard Yarmeed, who has his eyes closed as he leans back against the wall behind them. The mage Kaellin knows the feeling, he'd like to rest too. But unfortunately that's out of the question, due to the fact that he's been in magical battle since last night. And the small matter that the city of Falnic is under attack, and has an enemy army within it.
The spellcaster who is one of the rulers of the region of Belinswae. Is once again holding his power within himself. Something that as a mage, is fairly uncomfortable to do.
The Justifier who lives in Falnic, knows that there's an elven noble, a spellcaster, somewhere in the area. Who has been after him since last night, and he has been likewise, trying to find the elven magic user.
The mage never thought he'd be in such a confrontation that lasted for so long. After all, having a vast amount of power like he does, usually overwhelms any magical opponent.
Unfortunately that's not the case this time, as the elven noble he's come up against, is fairly powerful as well, not to mention skillful. Justifier Kaellin knows that the elven spellcaster vast amount of experience is giving them an advantage. Or at the very least, nulls the advantage in power the human mage has.
The Justifier looks up when through the circular opening in the floor of the observation room at the top of the tower, the senior guard Barsol calls down "Sir, it's one of those griffons!".
Kaellin winces as that means there's another elven noble about.
"Shit" murmurs Yarmeed who still has his eyes closed as he leans against the wall opposite from where the Justifier is standing. The fairly powerful mage nods in agreement with his senior guard.
"Sir, i think there's another one further to the southeast!" calls down Barsol, who continues with "Bit hard to see in the morning sun!".
Fucking hell, there could be three nobles from Maladimbáh here, the mage Kaellin thinks to himself, who then calls up to Barsol "How far away is the closest one?"
"Nearly a mile from the east wall sir!" calls down Barsol, who disappears from view for a few moments, then reappears again over the hole in the center of the observation room, then calls down "It's just circling out there at the moment".
The Justifier nods, then calls out "Come back down!" he follows that up with "Have the others up there to continue watching what's happening". The senior guard Barsol nods his head, then after having a quick word with his fellow guards in the observation room, he makes his way back down the tower.
The tower is well over two hundred and fifty feet in height, and is the tallest tower in the city of Falnic. It stands upon a hill in the center of the city, though more to the east, than to the west and the harbour.
At the top of the tower, in the observation room, one has a clear view for miles in all direction. Especially to the east, as well as to the west, out to sea.
The tower was built well over a thousand years ago, when Falnic was much smaller, and threats to the city were far more prevalent. From both at sea to the west, and inland from the east.
Now, the largest city in the region of Belinswae is under threat like no other in living memory, or for that matter, centuries.
As there's an elven army from the principality of Maladimbáh that has attacked the city, and indeed entered it. And that there's an even larger army of tribal nomads who are on their way, and are expected any day now.
"Sir i saw a sizeable force of Justifier Sammacin's guards making their way south from near here" says Barsol when he comes down and rejoins the mage Kaellin and his fellow senior guard Yarmeed "At least a few hundred of them" adds Barsol.
The Justifier nods his head, and is monetarily buoyed at the notion that his fellow Justifiers, or at least their guards, are still fighting for control of the city.
The mage Kaellin who knows that the wizard Sammacin's cousin Galbin must still be alive, as he's a more than competent military leader. Infact Kaellin knows he's one of the best in all of Belinswae. And it's one of the reasons he was so annoyed that his fellow Justifier, the young wizard Sammacin didn't take part in the invasion of the Stone Hills.
The mage was unable to have the skills of commander Galbin to help with the planning of the invasion of the dwarven clanholds in the mountain range to the north of Belinswae.
The Justifier, the most powerful one, at least magic wise, in the entire region of Belinswae looks out the window he's next to. He didn't see where the wounded wyvern crashed down, but he suspects it's on the streets, or in the buildings just a little bit further to the east of the tower.
He hopes the guards riding upon that particular wyvern survived. As they looked like they were some of his own guards.
The mage Kaellin takes a drink from his water sack, then he says to his two senior guards "Come along, let's see if we can get this elven noble who has been after us since last night".
Barsol nods his head, and Yarmeed who finally opens his eyes, nods as well. The three of them, who are about quarter of the way up the fairly narrow tower, make their way downwards, to where the rest of the guards that are with them, are waiting at the base of the tower.
As they head down the spiraling stairwell, the mage Kaellin asks Barsol what else he caught sight of.
The senior guard replies that what elves he did see, those on rooftops more than anywhere else, were mainly in the east, and in the south of the city. Where the fighting has been the heaviest since last night, when the army from Maladimbáh forced it's way into Falnic.
The north gates of the city are still open, and though there's a couple of buildings in the north of the city still smoldering this morning, most of the fires there are out. Though smoke still lingers over much of that quarter of the city, and isn't particularly drifting away, as the wind coming off the ocean, has yet to pick up, on this cool, but clear winter's morning here in Falnic.
We might have a chance yet, Justifier Kaellin thinks to himself, as he knows that the longer they hold out, the better chances they have at taking back complete control of Falnic. For more and more guards from the war in the Stone Hills will be returning in the coming days.
The mage, who is holding his power within himself, which he finds more than a little irritating. Knows that those here in Falnic, must drive the elven army out of the city, and hold the city walls when the tribal nomads eventually show up.
Should be easy, the Justifier dryly thinks to himself, who as he and his two senior guards exit the tower and join the others waiting for them, knows that they're in for the fight of their lives. But at least he knows they can no longer be taken by surprise. It's not as though another army could unexpectedly turn up.
"The gates are open see" quietly says the dwarven warrior Ompal, Mira Reinholt the mage nods as they lie upon a small hill, less than a mile and half north of the city of Falnic.
The war party from the Galve clanhold have made their way along the trail from the long, narrow bay where they came ashore. To the small hills just north of the city that's their destination.
Here on top of one of the hills, they watch the city that's under attack, from whom, they're not too sure. But the mage Reinholt suspects it's either from the plain's nomads, or elves from the principality of Maladimbáh, or a mix of both. Whoever it is, it's an army put together and led by his fellow travelers from south of the equator, Dorc da Orc and Riley Hait the mercenary ranger.
On the road leading from the open north gates of the city, is a smattering of people, residents of the Falnic who are taking the chance to escape the city this morning.
As the mage Reinholt and those with him upon the hilltop watch as another group, a mix of adults, and children, few with hand carts with what little possessions they can carry. Followed a short while later by a horse drawn wagon loaded with possessions and at least a half a dozen people, a family by the looks of it.
Come through the open gates in the north wall of Falnic and take the road north, to the first town that's less than half a mile to the east of the small hill the exiled Vexilian mage and the dwarven warriors are on. The once powerful mage from south of the equator comes to a quick conclusion.
"The city is under attack from elves from Maladimbáh" quietly says Mira Reinholt the mage, the dwarves to either side of the human spellcaster from the city-state of Vexil in the Southlands, glance at him, and he tells them "If it was nomads from the plains, i don't think those people would be allowed to leave so freely" the once powerful mage briefly pauses before adding "They don't exactly like the townsmen of Belinswae".
"Aye you're right" says old Kalend who continues with "They be fond of killing one another" next to the old warrior, the dwarven swordmaster Varl nods his head in agreement, and does so again, and a number of the others murmur "Aye" when old Kalend dryly adds in their own language "Even though they be the same people".
Though they're not that far from the city, and the mage Reinholt has out his elven made, cylindrical, brass eyepiece, and is looking through it at times. The north of the city of Falnic is blanketed in places by smoke, making it a little difficult to see.
The wind here, in and near Falnic has yet to pick up this morning. It's considerably less than what it is up the coast. Even compared to a few miles away, in the long narrow bay where they came ashore at dawn, after being dropped off by a trio of smugglers ships.
The spellcaster from the Southlands, who is also a highly skilled swordmaster, glances behind him, and sees Shur Kee the monk coming up the back of the hill with the warrior Tarong, they've been at the base of the hill with the rest of the war party from the Galve clanhold.
The short, statured monk from the far eastern coastal kingdom of Wah Lee drops next to the Vexilian mage in exile, while Tarong lies down next to old Kalend.
"We saw refugees on the road over there" quietly says Shur Kee the monk "There's more of them" says Mira Reinholt who nods his hooded head at those who have just left the city of Falnic, that they continue to watch.
The spellcaster, who now at nearly thirty years of age, was at seventeen, when he finished his training at the mage college of Vexil, became the youngest member ever of the mage council of his homeland. The city-state that he would later that same year betray in a war, causing his exile.
Knows that he can't be hasty in making decision with what they should do now that they're here, not far from the walls of Falnic.
For the simple reason he knows that Dorc da Orc is most likely in the city, and if Mira was to enter Falnic with a war party of more than two hundred dwarves. The large ork would certainly know they're in the vicinity, and he'd drop whatever it is he's doing, and make his way directly to the dwarven warriors, who he would attack.
The mage Reinholt knows the ork warleader is totally irrational when it comes to dwarven kind. And he couldn't care less that he'd be attacking a potential ally in the battle for Falnic.
The highly skilled swordmaster from south of the equator also has a feeling that they should wait to find out more of what's going on in the city just over a mile away, that's under attack from an army of elves from Maladimbáh.
"In the air over there" says Ompal "Another wyvern?" asks the spellcaster who was once the most powerful mage of his generation to be found anywhere in the Southlands.
They've seen a few wyverns through the smoke flying over the city, since they arrived a little while ago. But none have flown this way, to the north of Falnic.
"No something else" says Omp who continues with "There, away to the east of the city". The mage Reinholt looks through the brass, cylindrical eyepiece, and looks to where Ompal points. As the Vexilian mage in exile struggles to pierce the smoke and see what Ompal has spotted.
Garkil, one of the warriors along with Omp who has been with the human mage ever since he arrived in the Galve clanhold just after the start of winter. Who has the sharpest eyes out of anyone in the war party, says "Aye that's no wyvern" he continues with "That be one of them griffons those elves fly".
After a few moments, Mira Reinholt finally spots the silhouette of the griffon through the smoke as he looks away to the east of the city.
"Definitely elves alright" quietly says the Southlander, who knows that the griffon flyer is probably lord Walashàele from southern Maladimbáh, or one of his family members.
As the exiled Vexilian mage thinks of what they should do, and the dwarven swordmaster Varl actually voices that when he says "What should we do then mage?".
One of the warriors down at the base of the small hill, calls out something in the dwarven language.
All of the dwarves on top of the hill, turn and look to the north, Mira Reinholt and Shur Kee do the same.
The once powerful mage looks into the sky to the north, through the elven made eyepiece, as all the dwarves are looking to the sky to the north.
"There" says the sharp eyed Garkil, who continues with "Wyverns". "Shit" mutters the mage Reinholt when Garkil quietly adds "There be quite a few of the beasties".
The highly skilled swordmaster from south of the equator turns the aperture ring at one end of the brass, cylindrical eyepiece so that he can see as far as possible.
A few moments later and he spots a wyvern, and another, then another, about twenty miles away to the north in the clear morning sky.
The Vexilian mage in exile frowns as he can't see who it is, if it's anyone actually on the backs of the wyverns. When suddenly Garkil lets out a whoop of surprise, then laughs. One by one the other dwarves on top of the hill start laughing too.
"Friend Mira, what is it?" asks Shur Kee the monk "I'm not too sure" says Mira Reinholt the mage, who stops what he's about to say, and instead he wryly smiles as he looks through the brass, cylindrical eyepiece and spots who it is that's upon the wyverns approaching from the north.
"Well haven't things just got interesting" murmurs the mage Reinholt . . . . . .
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