Girdane. Vexil.
Farsen Geist is running. Something he's not normally accustomed to doing. But he's better at it than his older cousin Gamil. Who he can hear huffing and puffing behind him, as he tries to keep up.
As he runs between the trees on this cold winters morning here in the border region between the kingdom of Girdane and the city-state of Vexil.
The younger of the two Geist cousins, briefly looks around. And sees quite a few of the army.
Predominantly from the Geist trading company's guard, running nearby as they head south towards the border with the city-state of Vexil.
Farsen briefly grimaces, and behind him he hears his older cousin Gamil Geist groan then say "Fuck". When the loud, echoing sound of an airship's magetubes firing isn't all that far away.
The younger of the two cousins, glances back to his left, and looks up towards the top of the hill they made their way over.
And he briefly sees movement up there. Before whoever it is up there, disappears just a few moments before a magetube shot hits the top of the hill. Sending dirt, and bits of trees, along with residual red coloured energy flying into the morning sky.
Farsen looks ahead when someone further in front, yells out about the stream. That more or less is the border in this part of the hill country, is close by.
Breathing heavily as he runs, the younger Geist cousin sees the guard commander Kilmas further ahead, leap over something. That Farsen a few moments later, finds out is the stream in question.
Farsen Geist grunts as he leaps, and barely makes it over the stream without getting wet. Not so Gamil Geist, who mutters "Fuck".
When he comes up short, and is helped by his younger cousin Farsen, who turns and grabs his arm to pull him up the small bank on this of the stream.
As others from their company's guard, along with mercenaries they've hired for their army, continue running this way.
The two cousins look further back, and up. And spot the Girdanian warship that's been attacking their mercenary army.
It's a patrol vessel, which they immediately identify as a cutter. The cousins may be a lot of things. A lot of which aren't particularly good.
But they definitely know their airships. After all, they do own one of the more successful trading companies in the city-state of Vexil.
They see the cutter has circled around the hill, on the other side of which, is the campsite that the mercenary army had.
And it's turning south, this way. That is until it slightly tilts to port as if it's about to shoot the magetubes on that side, down at targets on the ground.
"Oh hell" mutters Gamil Geist thinking about those in their mercenary army amongst the trees fleeing south towards the border, who are just about to get hit by a dozen magetube shots. When suddenly a loud cracking sound comes from the Girdanian warship.
The cousins look at one another, then they look up at the patrol ship from the kingdom of Girdane's aircorp which is only a couple hundred yards away to the north, if that.
"Huh?" murmurs Farsen Geist, while next to him, his older cousin Gamil says "Er?". As they watch the cutter violently swing to starboard, and start dropping towards the tree tops.
"Think one of the spellcasters got it?" asks Farsen Geist "Maybe" is the reply from Gamil Geist. Who doesn't know of any of the practitioners of magic in their mercenary army, who could take down a warship so easily.
Both cousins, and a few of their guards, who have stopped to look back as well. Watch as the Girdanian aircorp vessels which is listing badly, starts hitting the forest canopy, breaking apart as it does so.
Then it disappears amongst the taller trees, they don't see it plow into the ground, but they definitely hear it. As the thud of it impacting the ground, can easily be heard for quite some distance in all directions.
First Gamil then Farsen Geist spot the wizard Hoptas amongst a group of others, running this way.
And when the Vexillian spellcaster, who is an older man, gets to the stream, and levitates himself across it to get to the Geist cousins.
The younger of the cousins asks "Did you bring down that cutter Hoptas?". The wizard, who is breathing heavily, and perspiring even though it's a cold winters morning, shakes his head no.
"Wasn't me" says Hoptas the wizard after a few moments when he gets his breath back. The practitioner of magic who works for the Geist trading company, continues with "Thought it was going to shoot at me there for a moment".
The wizard in the red coloured robes, then adds "When I looked up it suddenly started losing altitude" followed by "Think it's keel failed".
Farsen Geist grunts at hearing that. As he knows that once an airship, any airship for that matter. When it's magical keel is badly damaged, it can no longer stay aloft, and will quickly fall out of the sky.
The Geist cousins and those with them, turn and continue south, now that they're in the city-state of Vexil.
"Think the Girdanians will attack us over here in Vexil?" asks the younger of the Geist cousins as they set off.
"Who knows" replies Gamil Geist, who starts breathing heavily again as they run through the forest, heading further south into Vexil.
The Geist cousins who wanted to start a border war between their nation of Vexil, and it's northern neighbour, the kingdom of Girdane.
Still at this moment, hope that this will eventuate. Though they've got a feeling it will be a lot worse, due to the actions of the elven maiden named Salinéll, who for all this time, had been posing as their long lost cousin, Misa Geist.
Who wanted a full scale war between Vexil and Girdane, that would draw in other nations, not too mention those in the unruled lands, here in the central region of The Southlands.
Farsen Geist looks ahead through the trees when one of the nearby company guards gestures ahead.
He spots guard commander Kilmas and others have stopped, and the guard commander is talking with one of the cockatrice riders in captain Hafnah's company.
Farsen Geist who was hoping it was Danielle, captain Hafnah's daughter. Hides his disappointment when they reach Kilmas and the others.
"Movement further ahead" says guard commander Kilmas when the Geist cousins and those with them, join him and the others with him.
"About quarter of a mile away" adds the commander of the Geist trading company's guard, who points away to the left, to the southwest.
"Vexillian army no doubt" says Gamil Geist, his younger cousin Farsen nods his head in agreement with him.
"Those further to the left in that direction, are going to run straight into them" says Kilmas, who has led the Geist company guard since the two cousins, who are in their twenties, were children.
"Can't be helped" says the older of the two Geist cousins, who dryly follows that with "Beats being over the border in Girdane and getting attacked by warships".
The wizard Hoptas nods his head in agreement with that, then the Vexillian born practitioner of magic says "As I was coming over the hill, I cast a sight distance spell to see what's happening".
The spellcaster who is his late forties, maybe early fifties, continues with "I saw two more Girdanian warships heading this way from the north".
The practitioner of magic in the red coloured robes, follows that with "And there was more on the northern horizon, heading this way".
Farsen Geist grimaces as he hears that, then as some of the company guard, wave mercenaries onward who have just crossed the border, sending them south further into northern Vexil.
His older cousin Gamil says "Girdanian warships or Vexillian army companies" after a moments pause, he adds in a slightly dry tone of voice "I know who I don't want to face, that's for sure".
The younger of the Geist cousins nods his head in agreement, then Farsen Geist says "Keep moving" he looks at commander Kilmas and adds "Make sure every one who crosses the border, continues southwards".
The guard commander nods, then he starts yelling out orders after briefly speaking to the cockatrice rider, who after listening to what Kilmas has to say. Mounts his beast, then takes off, heading due south between the trees, here in the hill country of northern Vexil.
They set off again, moving as quickly as they can. With many of the Geist company guards and the mercenaries the cousins have hired, running as they flee south.
As for the Geist cousins and those with them, they move at a jog more than anything else. As Farsen and Gamil, both of whom are big men. Are feeling the effects from running since leaving their camp over the border in the kingdom of Girdane.
Looking through the trees to his left, the younger Geist cousin Farsen spots the road that goes through this part of the hill country in the border region between the city-state of Vexil and the kingdom of Girdane.
The road through the forest is more of a wagon track. A cart track to be honest. As it isn't very wide, as it weaves in and out the trees.
Farsen Geist spots a couple of wagons from the mercenary company of captain Mackrin. Most of whom left much earlier, before dawn on this cold but clear winters morning.
Amongst the trees, both mercenaries and guards from the Geist trading company occasionally call out to one another.
"Might want to cut that out" says Gamil Geist referring to the calling out by both mercenaries and guards.
"The Vexillian companies somewhere away to the left will hear that" adds the older of the two Geist cousins.
His younger cousin Farsen nods his head in agreement with that. Then he has a couple of guards spread the word to keep things quiet, and for no one to yell out.
The Geist cousins, along with the wizard Hoptas, and those with them, briefly pause. When they hear the boom of magetubes firing in the distance, somewhere away to the north, over the border in southern Girdane.
"Hell another warship has turned up" sourly says Farsen Geist, next to him his older cousin Gamil grunts in agreement to that.
Then the younger of the two cousins waves for them to continue. And they move off through the trees here in the hill country of the border region.
Following behind the two cousins, is the wizard Hoptas, who is breathing more heavily than the older Geist cousin Gamil, as they continue southwards.
Then the group of them come to a stop when they spot the guard commander Kilmas, and those with him up ahead, have stopped.
And the commander of the Geist trading company's guards, is holding an arm up, signalling for those following to stop.
Farsen and Gamil Geist share a look, and after the younger of the two cousins slightly nods, the older cousin Gamil, quietly says "Come on, let's see what's up".
The Geist cousins and the group with them, move ahead. And once again join the guard commander Kilmas and those with him.
And before either Gamil or Farsen can ask what's happening, Kilmas the guard commander, who has a hand up for silence, quietly says to them "Listen".
The younger Geist cousin frowns as he listens, as does his older cousin Gamil, as they try to figure out what it is they are barely able to hear.
It's the wizard Hoptas who finds out first, as he doesn't have to try to do something mundane, like listen with his normal hearing.
The Vexillian born spellcaster who has been with the Geist trading company for quite some time, quietly says to the cousins and the others "Fighting".
The wizard in the red coloured robes points to the left, more to the southeast than anything else, and he quietly adds "Certain some of our lot have run into those companies from the army of Vexil".
Farsen Geist grimaces when he hears that, while his older cousin Gamil, sourly smiles then he says "We might want to avoid that".
"That's if we can get around them" says the guard commander Kilmas, who follows on from that with "They might spread out, and head in this direction".
Gamil Geist sighs in frustration, while Farsen who is equally as frustrated, says "All the same" followed by "Best if we keep as far away from the Vexillian army as possible".
Guard commander Kilmas nods in agreement, then he gives a few orders to those with him. Then he, and the rest of them continue on their way again.
Farsen Geist tries to listen carefully, but all he can really hear is the heavy breathing of those around him as they make their way through the forest as they hurry southwards.
As he jogs, the younger of the two Geist cousins keeps looking away to his left, he sees that the road they've been running parallel with, turns back this way.
And he and the others, cross it as they hurry south through the forest. Looking both ways, before he goes back amongst the trees.
Farsen Geist sees wagons from captain Mackrin's company in both directions along the road. The younger of the Geist cousins slightly frowns to himself as sees some odd shaped boxes in the beds of some of the wagons.
Then once again amongst the trees, Farsen continues to look away to the left. As he's pretty sure he hears something in the distance that way.
"Hear that?" says Gamil Geist who is jogging beside his younger cousin now. Farsen Geist replies with a nod of his head, as they can now hear fighting away to the south and east.
From further ahead comes a shouted warning. And the Geist cousins look forward, and see the guard commander Kilmas drawing his sword. And those with him, take their weapons to hand.
The two cousins who wanted to start a border war between their homeland, the city-state of Vexil, and the kingdom of Girdane.
So that they could benefit from it, selling what they transport to both sides of the conflict. Hoping to make a large profit from the turmoil.
Share a look as they now hear fighting up ahead, from further in front of where guard commander Kilmas and those with him are.
Then after glancing back and telling the wizard Hoptas to do the best that he can. Farsen Geist along with his older cousin Gamil, draw their weapons.
As up ahead, some of their company guards, and mercenaries from their army. Have run into elements of the Vexillian army, who are here in the hill country that's the border region between the two nations of Vexil and Girdane . . . . . .
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