The Stone Hills. Winter...
"Have them search the trails to the east, i want any of them found wiped out" says Justifier Kaellin "Yes Justifier" says one of his officers, who then hurries from the tent to carry out the mage's order.
The Justifier whose idea it was to invade the Stone Hills this winter, turns to one of his commanders, and says "Well?".
"More of Justifier Maxime's stragglers are coming in" says commander Shaef, who continues with "Another dozen or so this morning, that makes nearly a hundred of them since last week".
The mage Kaellin sourly smiles at the reminder of his fellow Justifier's failure in the large clanhold to the west of where he and his army are located.
Commander Shaef then adds "I doubt many more will come this way, from all reports most of the survivors from the wizard's army are being pushed south back to Belinswae" the Justifier nods to that, then he mutters "Damn useless fools, do i have to do bloody everything myself?".
The commander steps closer to the mage, and quietly tells him "Justifier, with the wizard dead, along with Justifier Marsille, as well as the Justifiers Kalsane and Paelau, who were out west on the coast. That's four of the eleven Justifiers to come north into these gods forsaken mountains who are now dead".
The senior officer glances around at the others in the command tent, before he quietly adds "That's almost half of Belinswae's armies here in the dwarven mountains leaderless or defeated".
The Justifier is silent for a few moments, then he holds up a hand when the commander is about to add something else, the senior officer remains silent as the mage looks down at the table that's covered in maps and missives.
Kaellin the mage looks up, then says to the commander "You've made your point clear Shaef, but we continue on as planned" the Justifier then adds "Others have failed, but we are victorious so far, having all but taken this clanhold" the mage looks around at his officers, then says "We continue on, and let nothing stop us".
After most of the officers depart, with one remaining along with a couple of scribes to go over the latest missives to come in recently.
The mage Kaellin pours himself a goblet of wine, then drinks it. He's about to have another, when the tent flap opens, and the senior guard Barsol looks into the command tent, and says "Justifier we've got a bit of a problem approaching up this way".
"Now what?" mutters the mage under his breath, who then says "What is it Barsol?" the senior guard dryly says "It's one of the knights" the Justifier rolls his eyes, then he says "Let me guess sir Gorand, or is sir Daelm?".
"Sir Gorand" is the flat toned reply of Barsol, the mage Kaellin shakes his head, then makes his way out of the command tent, to where Barsol stands with his fellow senior guard Yarmeed, both of whom traveled with him to the elven principality of Maladimbáh in the summertime.
In his failed attempt to sign a treaty to have some of his army be stationed in southern Maladimbáh so they could easily raid into the Nomad Plain's to attack their enemy, the nomad barbarians.
"He's coming up the hill Justifier" says Barsol, Yarmeed points between the tents around the destroyed dwarven village where they've set up camp, and he says "There Justifier".
"I see him" says the mage Kaellin, who spots the knight in his glistening armour, who is followed by his squire, with a page walking infront of the two of them.
The Justifier can guess what the knight in the order of the Victorious Sword wants. He and the other knights, and mercenaries in the army of the mage Kaellin want the same thing.
"Bet he's coming up to babble on about wanting access into the mines again" quietly says Barsol, the Justifier sourly smiles, as even his guards know what the ordered knight, and the other mercenaries want.
Behind the camp, is a trail that leads up the side of a mountain from the destroyed hilltop dwarven village. The trail is only a few hundred yards in length, it leads up to a mine entrance. A mine within which is a treasure trove of riches.
The Justifier has a number of his support guards in there bringing out the gold, silver and jewels that the Yalkin clan of dwarves have mined from beneath the mountain over the centuries.
In the mountain to the right, the mage Kaellin has his support guards taking iron ore, and other metals, predominantly tin from a mine there.
The Justifier and his army have a stranglehold upon the Yalkin clanhold, having defeated their army in two decisive battles in the last month or so.
Those dwarves of the clan still alive, are holed up in their mountainhold which is just a few miles to the north. The mage Kaellin knows there's very few of them left, and most there are not warriors, who he and his army have been fighting against since they invaded the Stone Hills in the early winter.
The Justifier isn't worried about them, for he has under his control what he has come into this part of the Stone Hills for, the Yalkin mines. Which by all accounts, are some of the more prosperous mines throughout the Stone Hills, even though the clan that holds them, aren't particularly large.
It's why the mage Kaellin picked this part of the Stone Hills to invade in the first place, to get the most gain, for as little amount of loss from his side as possible.
"He's a demanding sot, but he can fight for sure" quietly says Barsol as they watch the heavily armoured knight make his way up the hillside. The Justifier nods in agreement with that assessment, for though the knight in the order of the Victorious Sword is a huge pain in the ass at times. His battlefield prowess is second to none.
"He's probably still pissed off that he's been put down at the bottom of the hill with the other mercs" quietly says Yarmeed who along with his fellow senior guard Barsol chuckle, while the Justifier genuinely smiles.
For the knight sir Gorand, and the other knights tents have been set up at the bottom of the hill with the other mercenaries for a couple of reasons. First to keep them out of the way of the Justifier who finds them more than annoying, if not all of the time, then at least most of the time.
And the second, and most important reason. Is that it's the furtherest away from the mines. Which the mage Kaellin has barred them from entering.
The Justifier is willing to give them some of the spoils, as he agreed to when he hired them. But he knows sir Gorand and the other knights, who number just under twenty or so, would take wagon loads of precious metals and jewels from the mines if they had things their way.
The powerful mage is just about to say something to the two senior guards when the lookout on the platform to the right of the command tent calls out "Wyvern to the south!".
The Justifier looks that way, as the lookout who is looking through a brass, cylindrical eyepiece adds "Not one of ours!".
Casting a spell to see at a distance, the mage Kaellin easily spots the approaching wyvern. He checks to see that there's no dwarves on it. As some of the accounts from the survivors of Justifier Maxime's army who have made their way to the Yalkin clanhold over the last week. Have said that the enemy to the west are now using captured wyverns.
"One of ours" says Justifier Kaellin, who then adds "Well i should say it's from Belinswae" the mage slightly frowns as he gets a good look at the tunics and tabards of the wyvern riders, then he quietly says "Sammacin's".
"Sir?" quietly says Barsol after sharing a look with Yarmeed, as they like everyone else in the army, or for that matter in all the armies of Belinswae. Know that the wizard Sammacin is the only Justifier from the city of Falnic not to take part in the invasion of the Stone Hills.
The mage Kaellin calls over one of the officers from the lookout platform, and says to him "Keep him occupied" as he gestures to the approaching knight in the order of the Victorious Sword, sir Gorand.
"Have commander Shaef join me" says the Justifier to a nearby runner, the mage walks away, followed by the senior guards Barsol and Yarmeed, they make their way to where the wyverns land and take off.
As they walk over to where the flat part of the hilltop is, into the strong wind that's blowing late this morning.
They get a good view of the large green wyvern from Belinswae that's approaching from the south.
Behind the Justifier, the guard Yarmeed says "That looks like Maesil's wyvern" the mage looks back at the senior guard, who explains to him "He's commander Galbin's second" Yarmeed then adds "Maesil and i grew up together in the dock area in south Falnic".
Justifier Kaellin nods, then wonders why the wizard Sammacin, has sent his cousin Galbin's second, here to the Stone Hills.
They stand near the mage's own wyvern, as the large green wyvern from Falnic lands, the half dozen wyverns in camp at the moment squawk and screech at the new arrival from Belinswae. Who gives it back as good as them, before settling down to allow the squad of guards from Justifier Sammacin's army to get down off it.
Commander Shaef joins the Justifier and the two senior guards when the lead rider of the wyvern in Justifier Sammacin's army makes his way over to them, along with a pair of his guards.
"Justifier Kaellin" says the lead wyvern rider who has just made his way to the Yalkin clanhold in the Stone Hills "Officer Maesil" replies the mage Kaellin, who then asks "What brings you north to the Stone Hills?".
"A message from Justifier Sammacin" says the second to the commander of Justifier Sammacin's army, he then nods to a small dark wooden box that one of the guards with him his carrying.
The mage Kaellin sees it, and lifts an eyebrow in surprise, then he says "To my command tent" he then tells his senior guards, and his army's commander "The back way" they nod in understanding.
As they head back to the command tent near the center of the destroyed dwarven village, they're silent. With only Yarmeed nodding once in greeting to his old childhood friend Maesil. Though still acquaintances, they're no longer what one would call close friends. As they're in different armies. And the fact that Justifier Sammacin refused to take part in the invasion of the Stone Hills. Has put an added strain upon old friendships throughout the armies of the Justifiers from Falnic.
They enter the back of the command tent, and the Justifier says to the officer and the two scribes in here "Go outside for a moment, I'll call you back when you're needed".
"Yes Justifier" say the three, who quickly depart.
The officer in Justifier Sammacin's army takes the small box from the guard in his squad holding it, then he nods for his two guards to step outside.
After they leave, the mage Kaellin says to the officer in his fellow Justifier's army "If you would place it on the ground Maesil" the officer does so, and steps back.
The Justifier casts a release spell on the small, dark, wooded box. Then with a gesture of his right hand now that he can actually senses what's in the box. He flips open the top of it.
Within it is a small ball of light "Sammacin" says the mage Kaellin, his voice activates the spell within the light in the small box.
A life sized image of the wizard Sammacin projects up from the light source in the small box, it stands a few feet infront of Justifier Kaellin, who has his senior guards and commander, standing behind and to the side of him.
"Kaellin I've important information for you" says the image of the wizard Sammacin, the youngest Justifier in Belinswae continues with "I've sent the same message to those of us still alive in the Stone Hills" he's referring to those Justifiers who have invaded the dwarven clanholds.
"You may of heard, or may not of" says the image of the young wizard, that's slightly transparent, who continues on with "That there's a large force of dwarven warriors who have moved south into Belinswae, destroying villages and towns as they head down along the coast, by last reports, they were nearly halfway to Falnic, they could be further by the time Maesil finds you and gives you this message".
The Justifier blinks in surprise at hearing this, behind him, commander Shaef mutters "Shit" in surprise.
Though it's what the image of the wizard Sammacin says next that really takes them by surprise.
"Be that as it may, that's not the reason I've sent this message" says the image of the young Justifier, which continues with "The reason i have, is because there's a large army of plain's nomads preparing to invade eastern Belinswae".
"What the fuck?" says a startled Yarmeed, while next to him, Barsol jaw drops open in shock.
"By all accounts, it looks like they're going to head this way towards Falnic".
"Those bloody tribes never work together, let alone leave the plains" mutters commander Shaef "If you want a Falnic, or that matter, the region of Belinswae to return to, you'd better get back here as soon as you can" says the image of Justifier Sammacin. It's the last thing it says, as it disappears when the light within the small, dark wooden box on the ground goes out.
After a few moments of silence, Justifier Kaellin looks at the officer in the wizard Sammacin's army and asks him "Is this true?". "Yes Justifier" replies Maesil who then adds "Some of the guards in my squad have flown out to the edge of the plains and seen the nomad filth gathering".
The mage grimaces after casting a spell as the officer in the wizard Sammacin's army spoke.
Commander Shaef asks him "Justifier?" the powerful spellcaster from the city of Falnic in Belinswae says "He's telling the truth". "Fuck" says the senior officer after a moment's silence "Indeed" says Justifier Kaellin who then adds "Fuck" . . . . . .
No comments:
Post a Comment