Belinswae. Winter...
They enter the town fairly easily. By telling the large squad of Justifier's squad, some nearly fifty of them on the road to the north of the town. That they're traveling mercenaries looking for a hire.
That they were heading north to the Stone Hills, until turning around and heading back south when they heard that there's a fairly substantial sized force of marauding dwarven warriors somewhere in the area, heading this way.
The two who met in the Southlands, disguised by illusion spells cast by Mira Reinholt the mage, make their way through town, observing what's happening.
The town is definitely on a war footing, with guards going to and fro. With others stacking goods and equipment in wagons and carts, which are not heading north to the war in the Stone Hills, but south to the city of Falnic.
In a town, that doesn't have any walls or gates, the mage Reinholt is glad he's disguised himself and Shur Kee the monk.
For the simple reason that he sees more than a few townsmen from settlements further north. Towns and villages that they, along with the dwarven war party, have burnt to the ground over the last week or so as they've made their way south into the central region of Belinswae.
The once powerful mage knows that he and the acolyte in the order of Bru Li would definitely be recognised if they had entered town as they normally appear.
Going by makeshift shelters that some of the displaced townsmen from further north are now living in. The spellcaster who is also a highly skilled swordmaster gestures to a nearby inn that seems to be a hive of activity, with Justifier's guards entering and leaving it frequently.
"Must be their headquarters" quietly says Mira Reinholt the mage to the short, statured monk walking beside him.
The physical adept from the far eastern coastal kingdom of Wah Lee, who is totally unrecognizable as he now appears as a mean looking bald headed individual, who has a nasty looking scar running down one side of his face.
Nods his head in agreement with the Vexilian mage in exile. Then Shur Kee, remembering what the swordmaster Reinholt told him before they set out for town from the woods just to the north of it.
Grins at some passing townsmen, who quickly hurry away. For the disguised short statured monk looks thoroughly deranged when he grins.
The spellcaster from south of the equator who quietly tells the acolyte in the order of Bru Li "I doubt there's another spellcaster about".
Reads the mind of one of the Justifier's guards who has just exited the inn, the once powerful mage who is constantly shielded now that he has an amulet that he acquired in the summertime, murmurs to Shur Kee "They belong to the army of one Justifier Lovis".
The practitioner of magic who is in exile from his homeland of Vexil in the Southlands, continues murmuring to the totally disreputable looking fellow beside him "They're heading south to Falnic, seems there's an army approaching the city from the Nomads Plains".
"Friends Dorc and Riley?" quietly says Shur Kee the monk, whose voice to his own ears, even sounds vicious to him "I'd guess so" replies the mage Reinholt in a murmur.
As they know that the two from south of the equator, who haven't been in the Stone Hills this winter, for obvious reasons. Are to raise an army to attack the largest city in the region of Belinswae.
To draw the armies of the Justifiers out of the Stone Hills, and back into Belinswae. In particular to the city of Falnic to defend it.
Seems that some of the neutral Justifiers who have kept out of the invasion of the Stone Hills. Such as Lovis the witch, are coming to the defence of Falnic too.
"You two, what do you want?" demands one of the guards on duty at the front doors of the inn when the two traveling mercenaries stop to one side of it "Looking for a hire" says Mira Reinholt.
Next to him, Shur Kee grins an evil looking grin, that the guard who spoke, is momentarily taken aback, and is silent for a bit, before clearing his throat, and says to one of his fellow guards "Take 'em round back, as see what the captain's adjutant says".
The other guard nods, then gestures for the traveling mercenaries to follow him, and says "Come on, this way" as he heads around to one side of the inn. The once powerful mage and the physical adept follow after him.
Rounding the inn, they enter a busy yard, keeping clear of the wagons and carts that are being loaded. The guard they're following leads them to an officer who is standing next to the stables.
He's just sent a couple of the guards off with some of the local townsmen, to see what's being brought in from the fishing village to the west.
As a gust of wind blows through the yard behind the inn, the guard that Mira Reinholt and Shur Kee the monk are following, says to the adjutant "Sir these two mercenaries are looking for a hire".
The officer nods, then looks at the two who are not as they seem. The officer looks the short statured monk eye to eye, but he has to look up at the once powerful mage.
The Vexilian mage in exile who is around six foot tall, stands taller than most locals. For the townsmen of Belinswae are a fairly short people. As are their eternal enemy, the tribesmen of the Nomad's Plains.
"Know how to use that blade?" asks the officer in the army of the witch Lovis "A bit" is the reply of the swordmaster from south of the equator.
"And you?" says the adjutant who nods at the physical adept "You know how to use that staff you've got there?".
For an answer, the acolyte in the order of Bru Li just grins. Which gives the officer a reason to pause, before muttering "Hell, is he not right in the head?".
The officer slightly shakes his head, and deciding that the taller of the two mercenaries is the one to talk to, and not the shorter, evil looking one, he asks the Southlander "Where have you two come from?".
The spellcaster from the city-state of Vexil tells the adjutant the same story he told the large squad out on the road just north of the town. The officer nods then asks "You see those dwarves?".
"No" lies the mage Reinholt who continues with "Though from others on the road we encountered, they can't be all that far away". Which is infact true, as the dwarven war party is only a couple thousand yards away. In the woods to the north of town.
"Figure they're less than a day away" says the highly skilled swordmaster, who then adds "Some of the people we saw fleeing south, said they were moving pretty quickly on the march" the exiled Vexilian mage follows that with "Only stopping to burn down anyplace in their path".
"Yeah that's what we've heard too" quietly says the officer, who then adds "Damn, thought they would be more than a day away still".
Then turning to the guard who lead the disguised Mira Reinholt and Shur Kee behind the inn, the adjutant says "Inform the captain that the dwarves are closer than we thought" he then adds "Tell them they could very well be here by day's end".
"Yes sir" says the guard, who then hurries to the backdoor of the inn, which he enters. As he does, the officer says to the two disguised by magic "I'd hire you, and the captain probably would too" the adjutant continues with "But Justifier Lovis isn't too keen on your kind" he shakes his head, then adds "Hell she won't even hire knights".
The officer then tells the supposed mercenaries "Since you couldn't make it up to the Stone Hills to join one of the armies there, I'd suggest you should head south to Falnic" he continues with "Justifier Sammacin who is leading the defense of the city will be hiring mercenaries, as will other Justifiers who are gathering there".
"So the rumour we heard entering town are true then?" asks the mage Reinholt, who continues with "That an army of those nomad scum are heading towards eastern Belinswae".
"Yeah it's true" says the adjutant, who shakes his head, then adds "Hard to bloody believe ain't it?". "Truly" says the disguised spellcaster from south of the equator.
While next to him, the silent acolyte in the order of Bru Li just grins. Which cause the officer to stare at him for a moment. And wonder if he's demented in some way. Someone who looks that evil, the adjutant believes, he definitely must be demented.
"Well, you two better get on your way then" says the officer in the army of Justifier Lovis "We will" says the highly skilled swordmaster from the Southlands "Good luck with getting out of here in time before those dwarves turn up " adds the once powerful mage "Thanks" says the adjutant.
While the silent monk Shur Kee just grins, which causes the officer to shake his head, and mutter "Some people" as the two mercenaries walk away.
The exiled Vexilian mage and the monk from the otherside of the continent continue on their way through town, heading south. Once they're on the road that goes south, they see wagons and carts heading south too.
Both townsmen and Justifier guards are at the reins of the wagons. They're clearing out, heading south to Falnic. The locals getting away from the marauding dwarves from the Stone Hills who have come south into Belinswae.
While the Justifier's guards in the army of the witch Lovis are heading to Falnic to help defend the largest city in the region. That's under threat of an attack from an army of tribal nomads, who are the enemy of all townsmen of Belinswae.
The spellcaster who was once the most powerful mage of his generation to be found anywhere in the Southlands, along with the monk who at times is the living incarnation of the Jade Warrior Bru Li.
Get off the road as a wagon goes by, they go down into a dip next to the road, there the mage Reinholt casts an invisibility spell on the two of them, and drops the illusion spells that changed their appearance.
They turn back around, and head back north, circling the town as they head back to where the dwarven war party from clan Galve are waiting in the woods to the north of town.
"What will we do friend Mira?" quietly asks the invisible Shur Kee as the two of them walk north away from the town "Let this lot get out of here" is the quiet reply of Mira Reinholt, who continues with "Not worth the risk, and effort of having an unnecessary fight" the Vexilian mage in exile then adds "Besides this lot aren't involved in the invasion against the dwarven clanholds".
"Sound thinking" murmurs the short statured monk who is glad to hear his own voice again, for sounding like a rather evil, and unhinged fellow, wasn't exactly the best thing to experience.
"I must confess friend Mira, i am glad to be me again" quietly says Shur Kee as the two of them walk to the side of the road as they head to the woods where the war party is hiding "That person you made me appear as seemed to be very offensive to anyone who looked at him" adds the physical adept.
The invisible spellcaster next to the monk grins, then the acolyte in the philosophical order of Bru Li tells the once powerful mage "Now i know how friend Dorc feels scaring people all the time just by the way he looks".
"Except Dorc likes scaring the shit out of anyone who looks at him" dryly says the swordmaster Reinholt "Ah yes, that is true" murmurs the short statured monk as the wind blows in from the coast about five miles away. Though no where like how windy it is further north in the Stone Hills.
They enter the woods, and Mira Reinholt drops the invisibility spell he has cast upon himself and Shur Kee, the two of them head to where the dwarves are, where the mage Reinholt will inform them of what they've found out, and what his plans will be . . . . . .
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