Mercenary Tales 37.

Northern Vexil. 

The elf maiden known as Salinéll looks around at the clearing, then over at her most trusted allies. One of whom, an elf like herself from the principality of Alínlae, nods his head. 

Salinéll ignoring the much colder weather here in the north of the city-state of Vexil, compared to the capital city. 

Then looks at one in the group of humans with her. A spellcaster like herself, though he's a wizard in dark red robes. 

"Quite a few airships away to the southwest" says the wizard Margin who hails from the city-state of Andelka. 

"I know that" dryly says Salinéll the elven magic user, who then continues with "Where's our ship?" followed by "It should be in the area". 

The elf maiden with the piercing blue eyes, and long dark hair, looks around at the sky in all directions from the hilltop clearing they're in. 

And after a moment, she nods as next to her, Jarkellé says "There it is". The elf from the principality of Alínlae like Salinéll, then adds "To the east, heading this way". 

The tall, rather bulky elf, then murmurs in elven just for Salinéll's hearing "Probably wanted to keep well clear of those aircorp ships". 

"Can't blame then" murmurs Salinéll in the same language, who then switches to common and tells everyone "Act surprised at the attack upon the Geist mercenary army when they inform us of it". 

They all, the two elves, Jarkellé and Gillomōnt. As well as the six humans, all nod at that from the elven maiden. 

Then Salinéll, who wears a charm that hides her ability to cast spells from other practitioners of magic. 

Flicks a hand up in front of herself. Something of a habit she's developed over the years. Especially when she casts certain spells. 

One moment the elf maiden from the principality of Alínlae is standing there amongst the group in the hilltop clearing on a freezing cold day here in the very north of the city-state of Vexil. 

The next moment there's a shimmer that surrounds the elven magic user. Almost like a heat haze, and her appearance briefly becomes a bit of a blur. 

Then the next moment, the elven maiden is gone. And in her place stands a somewhat attractive human woman in her mid to late twenties, maybe early thirties. A lean woman with dark hair. 

"Well then, let's see what they have to say" quietly says Misa Geist, cousin to Farsen and Kilmas Geist. 

"Hopefully it's bad" adds the youngest of the trio of Geist cousins, who grins. As do the others with her on this freezing cold day here in the very north of the city-state of Vexil. 

Misa Geist who is really the elf maiden Salinéll, magically disguised. Can't wait to hear how her plan is going. 

Hopefully her so called cousins mercenary army has been decimated this day, here near the border with the kingdom of Girdane. 

And that there's consequences for the action of the mercenary army that came over from the kingdom of Girdane, into the city-state of Vexil. 

For Salinéll the elven magic user, has set into motion the plans she's had for two and half decades. Well before she killed Misa Geist and assumed her identify. 

For the elf maiden known as Salinéll, which is not her real name. Has one thing, and one thing only that she wants to accomplish. And that's revenge. 

Revenge for what happened just over two half decades ago during the war known as the Battle of Vexil. 

The elf maiden from the principality of Alínlae, plans are finally coming to fruition after a long, and steady build up. 

Though not particularly long for an elf, especially a elf like herself, who is a member of a noble house in her homeland of Alínlae. 

"It's coming in" quietly says Jarkellé the elven warder, which is more or less the equivalent to a knight protector. 

"They've definitely spotted us" adds the warder who is Salinéll the elven magic user's closest confidant. 

The elven practitioner of magic, whose identity theft of the Geist cousin Misa, came with ease. Nods her head as they watch the airship come in a low over the trees from the east. 

It's one of the two airships that the Geist cousins have been using. Both to transport mercenaries, and supplies here in the north of Vexil. But also to run patrols for the mercenary army gathered by the Geist cousins Gamil and Farsen. 

Lookouts spot them, and after a moment the Geist cousin Misa nods to the wizard in the red robes, Margin. 

The group all stand close and when the airship gets closer to the hilltop they're on, the wizard from the city-state of Andelka teleports the lot of them onboard the vessel owned by the Geist Trading Company. 

They're met by the captain of the airship, the smaller of the two vessels that the Geist cousins have been using. 

Who informs them what's been happening this morning, here in the hill country in the north of the city-state of Vexil, near the border with the kingdom of Girdane. 

Misa Geist and those with her, who have traveled by rift from the capital here this morning. Are shocked at hearing of the attack by Vexilian forces upon the mercenary army gathered by the Geist cousins Gamil and Farsen. 

"We had to high tail it out of here when we saw in the distance what was happening early before dawn" says the captain of the cutter that's been converted to a warship. 

He points in the distance to the west, where smoke can be seen rising in the late morning air, this cold winter's day. 

And a number of airships can be seen circling away, about fifteen miles or so in the distance.

And he continues with "From what we've spotted, things don't look all that good" the captain of the airship adds "Think a fair few of that lot Gamil and Farsen hired have been wiped out". 

After Misa Geist mutters "What the hell did those idiot cousins of mine do?". 

The captain of the converted cutter then informs that the plan as devised primarily by Misa Geist went ahead fairly well, all things considered. 

Though one of the three columns the mercenary army had split up into. Was slow moving compared to the other two. 

And the captain is pretty certain that particular column, the center column took the brunt of the attack by the Vexilian aircorp and army. 

He then tells that the eastern most column was hit fairly badly too. The one he knows the Geist cousins Gamil and Farsen were with. 

Salinéll the elven magic user as Misa Geist refrains from grinning at hearing that. As she might of gotten rid of the problem of her 'cousins' if that is true. 

With an anxious look upon her attractive face at the prospect of the fate of Gamil and Farsen. Misa Geist nods as she continues to listen to the airship captain explain what he knows. 

"Not sure about the column to the west" says the airship captain who has worked for the Geist Trading Company for nearly two decades. 

"Think they might of escaped unscathed" says the captain, the so called Misa Geist refrains from looking annoyed at hearing that. 

Instead she nods again when the captain of the converted cutter says "They were furthest north, closest to the border" he continues with "Can't tell from here as we're too far away, but that mercenary captain in charge of that lot, Marqand if I remember correctly, is without doubt the best of the commanders your cousins have hired". 

He follows that with "If anyone escaped what happened this morning, then it's Marqand and the column he was leading". 

If this Marqand is still alive, it'll be best if we get rid of him, Salinéll the elven magic user says by way of a mindspeech spell to Jarkellé the elven warder, who slightly nods his head in agreement with her. 

Then Salinéll as Misa Geist says "Hopefully they've escaped" continued with "If so, at least that's something to come out of this mess this morning". 

Misa Geist who looks equally annoyed and angry at what's she's learned happened here in the hill country of northern Vexil, then says "What I want to know is why some of the aircorp and army were up here in the north". 

"Who knows?" says the airship captain with a shrug of his shoulders, who then continues with "But we better get going". 

Pointing away to the west, he then adds "That lot will want to know what we're up to if they come our way" he follows that with "Even though we're registered with your family's fleet" he pauses before continuing with "Just not in this configuration". 

The captain of the converted cutter then says in a slightly dry tone with "The aircorp won't take too kindly to us as a warship" followed by "Even though we're a Vexilian registered vessel". 

Misa Geist slightly grunts at that, then she tells the ship's captain "Head back into Girdane" she continues with "Let's see if we can find my cousins" followed by "That's if they've survived". 

"Yes ma'am" says the captain of the Geist Trading Company owned airship, who then heads aft to the wheelhouse, calling out orders as he does so. 

And as the converted warship turns to the north, towards the kingdom of Girdane. Salinéll the elven magic user says by way of mindspeech to her collaborators. 

If those two idiots Gamil and Farsen are dead, good. Then we don't have to kill them ourselves. She follows that with. 

If not, then we go ahead as planned. They've already started the conflict we've wanted. Let's have them clinch things, and start a full blown war between Vexil and Girdane, and not just a border conflict. 

Slight nods come from those in the group, who like Salinéll have their own reasons for wanting what she has planned. 

But a thing they all have in common. Is that they want revenge for what happened two and half decades ago during the Battle of Vexil. 

The largest war in the Southlands since the invasion nearly four and half centuries ago by the Holy Norstran Empire. 

"I'll be down in the captain's cabin resting" says Misa Geist who follows that with "Inform me once they find a significant number of survivors, especially my dear cousins Gamil and Farsen". 

Salinéll has to keep up appearances, after all there's loyal Geist crew nearby, and they're listening to what she's saying. 

"When we do find them, by the gods I know they've survived" says the Geist cousin who was brought up and raised beyond the borders of the city-state of Vexil. 

"Then we'll inform them what to do next" adds the elven magic user who has taken the identify of Misa Geist. 

"After that we'll return to the capital by rift" continues Salinéll the elven maid as the Geist cousin Misa, who slightly smiles as she silently says to herself, then things will really get interesting . . . . . .