The Hire 89.

Around The City Of Almaic...

Darid Parsen the cavalry commander and Lisell Maera the messenger look to the left when they hear a single magetube upon the top of the north wall of the city of Almaic firing.
As the shot comes through the dull light of dawn towards the army led by the young field commander Tamric Drubine.
Darid Parsen the cavalry commander quietly says "Through the rest of the morning, you'll only carry messages to Mira and myself, no one else" he follows that with "Understood?".
"I do" replies Lisell Maera "That includes the field commanders too" says the cavalry officer is a member of the personal council of lord Farque.
The attractive young woman originally from the city-state of Brattonbury nods her head in understanding. Then the two of them, along with the others nearby. Who include field commander Leivyn and her senior staff. As well as the robber barons Gergus and Solamard, and their seconds.
All look away to the left again, in the direction of the army closest to theirs, the army led by commander Drubine.
The lone magetube shot explodes just twenty or so feet from the front ranks of commander Drubine's army. Exploding back and up, without any harm.
"Range shot" quietly says the cavalry commander who is really a hordes outrider from the southern tundra by the name of Zubutai Timaginson, who just happens to find himself inhabiting the body of Darid Parsen.
"They'll begin bombarding soon enough i guess" adds commander Parsen "We'll retaliate i hope?" quietly asks Lisell Maera who is more commonly called Lis by those who know her well.
"Mira will" replies Darid aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman, who like the messenger, is conversing in elven.
The cavalry commander steps away to have a quiet word with field commander Leivyn.
As he does, Lis looks to where the robber baron Gergus is. The youngest of the five robber barons from the unruled lands in the southern reaches of the Colevar Mountains.
Has moved away from the others, and is crouching down as the new day starts to dawn.
The attractive young woman from the city-state of Brattonbury, who is now a runner in the armies of Farque. Quickly makes her way over to the robber baron. Who just over a week ago, she spent an intimate night with.
Out of the corner of his eye, the robber baron Gergus spots Lis in the dim light of dawn approaching him.
The youngest of the five robber barons of the unruled lands in the Colevar Mountains who have banded together to wage war upon duke Hargen and the duchy of Phelm.
Has wanted to speak with the attractive young woman from the city-state of Brattonbury. But has been unable to.
The robber baron who is crouching down, stands up. And is about to quietly ask Lis how she is. When she quietly asks him something unexpected.
"Any plans of what you'll do once we've taken the city?" quietly asks Lisell Maera as she stands beside Gergus, and the two of them look towards the city a little over a quarter of a mile away.
"Ah" murmurs Gergus the robber baron who wasn't expecting that at all. Especially since they've barely said a word to one another since their night of passion.
"Maybe you should" quietly says the messenger in the Farqian mercenary army.
"You think we'll take the city and defeat the duke?" quietly asks Gergus "Do you?" is the quiet response of Lisell Maera.
The youngest of the robber barons in the unruled lands in the southern reaches of the Colevar Mountains. Nods his head in answer to that from Lis, who then quietly tells him "There's an opportunity for one of you five".
The attractive young woman who hails from the coastal city-state of Brattonbury then adds "Remember, you lot are only paying us up until after we've defeated the duke for good".
She glances in the direction of the other robber baron nearby, Solamard. Who is deep in conversation with his second in command.
Lis slightly shrugs her shoulders, as she quietly says "If someone was to keep paying us". She leaves it at that and doesn't say anything more.
Gergus looks sharply at her, then over to his fellow robber baron, Solamard. To make sure he hasn't heard anything the two of them have been talking about.
The robber baron who is not yet thirty, is about to say something. When the peace of the dawn is shattered again by a barrage of magetubes firing from the top of the north wall of the city of Almaic.
There's eight of them, and it looks like three of them are heading this way. Or at least towards the front ranks of the army led by field commander Leivyn.
Which is predominantly made up of the armies of the robber barons Gergus and Solamard.
"Hell, i hope the spellcasters can stop them" murmurs Gergus, who then blinks in surprise as he feels Lis briefly clasp his left hand, and give it a quick squeeze. Before she walks away, and makes her way over to where the cavalry commander Darid Parsen is standing.
The fairly young robber baron, well young compared to his fellow robber barons, he's young. Clears his throat, then walks forward. And stands beside his second in command Barrix.
Gergus glances in the direction of the attractive young woman who spent an intimate night with him after they got separated from the rest of the forces after just crossing over the border into the duchy of Phelm.
He sees Lis isn't paying him any attention, and is instead watching the approaching magetube shots.
Gergus looks at them as well, then nods in agreement with his second, Barrix who quietly mutters to him "I hope they can stop those fucking things".
Dorc da Orc kicks in the head of an enemy mercenary. And with one hand grabs the head of an enemy soldier. Who he lifts off the ground. Then squeezes.
The large ork chuckles as the soldier's head shatters in his hand. And as the body drops to the ground. The ork warleader briefly looks up, and watches one of the magetube shots pass directly overhead. On it's way towards the front ranks of the army led by the young field commander Tamric Drubine.
Some of whom, are entering the breach in the enemy battlelines, that Dorkindle's goblin battalion have taken.
The big, burly ork who hails from the southern polar region of the world, grunts as he can't do anything about the magetube shots. He just knows they won't fire upon him and his battalion, and the others with them.
For the simple reason they're amongst the enemy battlelines. And not pushing that far forward towards the north wall of the city of Almaic.
"Dumb cunt" mutters Dorc da Orc who picks up one of the goblins who has tripped over infront of the large ork who is his general.
The ork weaponsmith gives him a little shove and tells him "That way you silly little green fucker". The goblin staggers away, heading towards the enemy line to the right.
Who have rushed this way, trying to halt the advance through the breach in the earthworks and palisades.
Then as ork general hears explosions to the north of them. Near or in the front ranks of the army led by commander Drubine on the otherside of the battlelines.
There comes a loud explosion from a top of the north wall of Almaic. Dorkindle quickly looks there, and sees stonework and debris go flying into the early morning sky as the horizon to the east starts to lighten as the sun begins to rise here in the north of the kingdom of Nastell, on another warm summer's day.
"Killer" chuckles the warleader of the ork race as he guesses, correctly as it turns out, who it was that just attacked the enemy upon the top of the north wall of the capital city of the duchy of Phelm, that's under attack.
The mageglobe that was created by Mira Reinholt the mage. Went below ground. And came up directly beneath the north wall of Almaic to avoid any wards that may of been placed infront of the wall.
The living piece of magic which can think for itself as it goes about doing the task it's creator designed it for.
Flew up through the north wall, and just as it was about to come up through and out, the top of the wall. It came to the end of it's brief life. With typical consequences. A large explosion.
The fiery red mageglobe ended it's life right between a pair of magetubes. The two magetubes along the top of the north wall of Almaic, that are closest to one another.
Large bits of masonry and stonework are thrown over a hundred feet into the sky. Any soldiers, mercenaries and magetube crews caught in the explosion. Are either torn apart or burnt away in an instant.
They're the lucky ones. As those caught on the fringes of the explosion. Are flung in all directions. Or hit by burning debris. Causing multiple injuries. Many of which are fatal.
As for the two magetubes themselves. Their cradles are burnt away. And one of the heavy weapons falls down through the large hole that's now in the top of the north wall of the city.
While the other, a thousand pounder. Is flung from the top of the wall. And goes cartwheeling through the air. Before it slams into the ground, forty five feet out infront of the north wall of the city of Almaic.
Amongst the battlelines just to the north of the capital city of the duchy of Phelm. One of those fighting against the duke's forces. Spots where that magetube landed just out from the north wall of the city.
And he has every intention of heading that way once they push forward towards the city of Almaic itself.
With a large grin across his broad, green, brutish looking face. Dorc da Orc chuckles and murmurs "Fucken get some" at the prospect of finding that magetube that was just flung from the top of the north wall of the city.
Around on the west side of Almaic. One of the war machines, in this instance, a trebuchet. Flings it's payload towards the battlelines of duke Hargen's army.
"Reload!" calls out Tovis the war engineer, the crew hurry to carry out his order, as he moves along the line of war machines. Followed closely by his second, the sorcerer Larris. As well as the honorary member of the personal council of lord Farque. Shur Kee the monk.
Here on the west side of the city of Almaic. The army led by the field commander Talbot. Began the attack upon duke Hargen's forces when they heard the single magetube shot firing from the north side of the city.
Here on the west side of the city, commander Talbot's army is attacking the duchy of Phelm's forces a little differently than they are along the north side of Almaic.
They going for an all out bombardment upon the battlelines of the duke's army. No pretence or stealth to infiltrate the enemy battlelines.
Just all out attack from the war machines under the command of the young engineer Tovis and the engineers corp in the Farqian mercenary army.
They intend to bash apart the enemy battlelines on this side of the city. The side of the city that isn't actually walled. Not in any meaningful way at least. And where the outskirts of the city has pushed out beyond where it was originally intended to be.
As the trio of Tovis, Larris and Shur Kee stop beside a trebuchet. And the sorcerer Larris puts up a barrier spell infront of it became a fireball is hurtling this way from the enemy battlelines.
They hear an explosion come from upon the top of the north wall of the city, after they hear a number of magetubes firing off at once.
"Sounds like things are well and truly underway over on that side of the city" says Tovis the war engineer, who then asks his second in command "What was that?".
"A mageglobe" replies Larris the sorcerer, who is watching an energyball as well as a fireball, leave their lines and head towards the enemy spellcaster who has just sent a fireball their way.
"Seems councilor Reinholt has got involved" adds the Farqian sorcerer who nods his head as he sees that his ward will be able to withstand the enemy fireball heading towards the trebuchet they've stopped next to.
"No surprise there really" dryly murmurs the young engineer who is originally from the kingdom of Druvic.
Behind Tovis, Shur Kee the monk faintly smiles. As he knows his friend the mage Reinholt has just started. And though the mage no longer has the power he had over a decade ago. That won't stop him from trying to inflict the most destruction upon the enemy as he can.
The short, statured monk, the sorcerer, and the war engineer move along after the incoming fireball, splatters harmlessly across the barrier spell Larris cast.
As they walk towards the next trebuchet along, as the catapults aren't in range of the enemy battlelines at the moment.
The young engineer who hails from the Harkonin fief in eastern Druvic, who is now in the armies of Farque, where he holds the rank of captain.
Says to his second in command, and the acolyte in the order of Bru Li "It's going to be a bit of grind on this side of the city".
The duke's army has more battlelines, earthworks, palisades, and temporary fortification on this side of Almaic than they do on the north side.
For the simple reason the west side of the city isn't walled, and the city has spilled out beyond it's original boundaries.
This side of the city also has the most amount of defenders too. Not just in the battlelines, some of which are nearly a half a mile from Almaic.
But also in the buildings and streets, that are outside of where a wall would actually be along this side of the city.
"Did they get him?" asks Tovis the war engineer "I'm not sure" replies Larris the sorcerer as he senses after the energyball and fireball explode amongst the enemy battlelines.
"Well he won't be doing that again anytime soon" adds the spellcaster from the lands Farque who follows that with "Best to work in unison with other casters if you're going to attack during a battle".
"The mage Reinholt doesn't seem to do that" murmurs Tovis "That's because he's a mage" dryly says the young sorcerer, who continues with "Even though he's fairly weak in power, he's as destructive as any spellcaster you'll likely to run across".
"Well, yeah that's true i guess" murmurs the war engineer as they watch the next trebuchet in line here in the army led by field commander Talbot.
Swing it's arm up as the counterweight drops, flinging it's shot, in this case, a netting full of rocks and boulders. Hurtling towards the enemy battlelines a couple hundred yards away.
After Tovis calls out the order to reload, the young engineer in the mercenary army from the lands Farque says "A long day ahead".
As the light of the new day starts to shine across the west side of the city of Almaic on what feels like it's going to be another warm summer's day here in the duchy of Phelm, in northern Nastell . . . . . .