The Hire 91.

Almaic In Phelm...

"Let's go and see what's happening" says commander Berric "The duke?" asks the veteran guard Ludoc "I've convinced him to stay here at the palace" is the reply from the commander of duke Hargen's personal guard "That's something i guess" quietly says Ludoc, commander Berric nods in agreement with him.
They leave the palace, along with a dozen other members of the personal guard of duke Hargen of Phelm.
They've heard the magetubes on the north wall of the city firing, as well as explosions from the north side of the city.
So that's the way they go. Even though they've heard that the west side of the city is under attack too.
And from all reports, the east side of Almaic might be attacked soon. As the enemy have been spotted on the otherside of the river Mareb.
The commander of duke Hargen's personal guard, who also happens to be a swordmaster looks away into the sky to the east at the rising sun as they walk away from the palace.
Then the commander who is from the city of Savariss in northern Phelm. Looks back at the palace, and sees the two warships that are located there.
Ludoc notices this as he walks at the front of the group beside his commander, and he quietly asks him "You think the duke will send them up soon?".
"Only if things get bad" is the quiet reply of commander Berric, who then quietly adds "It's not as though he has a large fleet like the royal one".
The veteran guard Ludoc nods in agreement. As he along with the swordmaster, and everyone else in the duke's personal guards. Has noticed that there are no airships. Warships or otherwise. That belong to the king's fleet. At the city airdocks in the south of Almaic. Which is rather convenient if anyone was to ask Ludoc.
They hear some of the magetubes on the top of the north wall of the city firing again. As they walk through the streets, that are starting to clear of the locals. As the sounds of battle can be heard. And word of it spreads throughout the populace of the city that's the capital of the duchy of Phelm. People are trying to find places of safety.
Commander Berric, who knows the city of Almaic well. As it's basically been his second home since he joined the personal guards of the ruler of Phelm.
Cuts through a narrow lane that will take them quickly to the next street they want to go along. The swordmaster from the city of Savariss wonders how the defenders of the city will hold up against the attack from the robber barons of the unruled lands in the Colevar Mountains. Who have banded together, and have waged a campaign of war against duke Hargen and the duchy of Phelm since before early summer.
He suspects they might do well in some areas. As there's a hell of a lot more soldiers and mercenaries here. Than there was up in the north of the duchy. When the duke's army lost two pitched battles against the enemy.
And also lost the northern city of Savariss to them. A city that fell in just one night.
Though he's still not entirely certain they'll be able to withstand a prolonged attack upon the city that's the provincial capital.
Beside the swordmaster who is the most senior commoner in the duke's court, the experienced guard Ludoc notices they're not taking the direct route to the north wall of Almaic, and he asks his commander "Where are we going?".
"The old bell tower" replies commander Berric, who continues with "It'll give us the best view to the north" he briefly pauses before adding "Not to mention in every other direction too".
Ludoc nods in agreement with his commander, as they and other dozen members of duke Hargen's personal guard continue walking northwards through the city streets as the sun in the clear sky to the east, continues to rise on what feels like it's going to be another warm summer's day here in the duchy of Phelm, in northern Nastell.
The old bell tower, is the bell tower of Glaine. In the grounds of the church of Glaine. One of the many gods, a hundred and twenty or so. Gods of the world of Volunell.
There was once far more than that. But thousands of years ago. The gods, who are not native to the world of Volunell. Got into a war with the creators of the world of Volunell. The Greater Dragons.
A war with predictable results. With not a single one of the Greater Dragons. Who numbered six at the time. Being destroyed.
While nearly two thirds of the gods of Volunell were destroyed before a truce was agreed upon.
Glaine, one of the many gods worshiped by humans. And though it's usually one of the harvest gods worshiped by believers here in the north of the kingdom of Nastell.
Glaine seems to be pretty popular in the cities found throughout the north of the kingdom. So much so, the church's main center of worship in the kingdom. Is here in the city of Almaic.
The old bell tower is exactly that. An old bell tower connected to an old cathedral. That hasn't been used in a couple of centuries.
As there's a newer cathedral on the church grounds, which is now used. The church has never bothered to knockdown the old cathedral and it's bell tower. A bell tower that's still basically the tallest structure in the city of Almaic. Even though it's dilapidated. And looks like it could fall down any day now. It's looked like that for the last one hundred years. And will probably stand another hundred years before it actually falls down. Or the church finally knocks it down to build something else.
Commander Berric and his men enter the church grounds from the more quieter south side. And though they see people in and around the buildings near the newer cathedral.
They go unchallenged as they make their way to the old rundown cathedral and it's connecting bell tower.
The bell tower is still used these days. Though not as it's intended use. For thrill seekers like to climb it's crumbling stairs. It's mostly used as a lookout by the city guard. And even members of the church who are brave enough to climb up it.
And as the swordmaster Berric, the experienced guard Ludoc, and the others in the duke's personal guard with them this morning. Enter the bell tower through a gap where some doors once stood.
They climb the dilapidated tower, hearing others up in the top where the church bells once hanged. The same church bells are over in the new tower, which is considerably shorter. Which is connected to the newer cathedral. Which is considerably larger than the old, rundown one.
Commander Berric has climbed these stairs numerous times over the years he's not bothered by their condition.
Ludoc isn't worried about them too. Well not that much. Because he silently prays to the god Glaine as he climbs them. Even though he's not a devout man at all.
They get to the top of the tower, where they find a pair of city guardsmen, and a priest in the church of Glaine. All of whom say "Commander" to the swordmaster Berric when he leads his men into the top of the tower.
Which has a large hole in the floor, where the large iron bells would hang down.
"Father" says commander Berric with a nod to the young priest "Men" adds the commander of duke Hargen's personal guard with a nod to the pair of city guards.
The swordmaster from the northern city of Savariss, then quietly tells his guards to fan out around the top of the bell tower, to get a good vantage point to see what's going on.
While commander Berric and the experienced guard Ludoc join the priest and the pair of city guards on the north facing side of the bell tower.
"Bit of damage to the wall commander" says the young priest, who has been sent up here by the senior father to watch the progress of the battle.
"So i see father" says Berric the swordmaster as he looks at the top of the north wall in the distance. And sees a thirty foot long hole blasted along the top of it. More towards the northeast corner of the city. Than anywhere near the main gates in the north wall of Almaic.
"Something got through the wards" murmurs Ludoc the experienced guard, his commander nods in agreement with him. As he's pretty sure the location of the destruction. Is where a pair of magetubes, fairly close to one another, once sat upon the top of the north wall of the city, that's the capital of the duchy of Phelm.
With their position at the top of the old bell tower here in the grounds of the church of Glaine. Commander Berric can clearly see the enemy to north of the city in the early morning sunshine.
Who he's pretty certain some of them are amongst the defenders in the battlelines just north of Almaic.
It's confirmed when Ludoc quietly says "See there, they're in our lines" the experienced guardsman then adds "They're not moving forward as one by the looks of it, they're spreading out into the lines on their flanks". "Smart" says the swordmaster who is part of duke Hargen's court.
The priest and the pair of city guards look at the commander, who explains to them "If they had rush the wall as one big group after breaching our lines, they'd make an easy target for the magetubes and war machines upon the top of the wall".
The commander of duke Hargen's personal guard continues with "As it is, with them mixed up amongst our battlelines, our crews on top of the wall can't target them, unless they want to risk killing our own men".
Berric, the swordmaster from the northern city of Savariss then adds "Like i said, smart".
"Someone amongst them knows how to plan a battle properly" mutters Ludoc, his commander nods his head in agreement, then quietly says "As we saw up north near the border, and again at Savariss".
The experienced guard sourly smiles at that reminder, then he wanders off to look towards the other sides of the city, from here atop of the old bell tower in the grounds of the church of Glaine.
After looking at the enemy to the north of the city for a little bit longer. And being slightly surprised they've got so few war machines, considering the size of their army there.
The commander of the personal guard for the duke of Phelm, wanders away to his left, away from the young priest, and the two city guards, who for the most part, are only watching the battle on the north side of the city.
"So there they all are" murmurs commander Berric who sees there's a large number of the enemy war machines to the west of the city that's the provincial capital.
At the moment, the enemy are using their trebuchets to bombard the battlelines of the defenders just to the west of Almaic.
"Those mercenaries in black by the looks of it" quietly says Ludoc as he comes over and stands beside his commander, and points to the enemy war machines on the west side of the city.
"Of course they'd bring them around to attack that side of the city" dryly says the swordmaster who hails from the city of Savariss in the north of the duchy.
"The side of the city without much in the way of walls" dryly adds the commander of duke Hargen's personal guard, who then quietly tells the experienced guardsman next to him "The duke spent the last decade rebuilding and repairing the north wall. And doing next to nothing along the west side of the city".
The swordmaster Berric quietly continues with "Though it's not entirely his fault, his predecessors going back a couple of centuries could of built a wall along the west side at any time if they had wanted to. Instead they've let the city expand out in that direction".
"Now where going to face the repercussions of that" quietly says Ludoc, his commander slightly nods in agreement with him, then Berric the swordmaster asks him "How's things to the east?".
"They're gathering" is the reply of Ludoc as they turn and look eastwards. The two of them walk around to that side of the old bell tower. That still has a fairly intact roof. As well as the four stone pillars in the corners holding up the roof. Leaving the sides open, as they've always been, here at the top of the old bell tower in the grounds of the church of Glaine.
As they stand near a couple of the other guards who came with them from the palace, the commander of duke Hargen's personal guard slightly frowns as he's sure he spots rafts and barges being carried by the enemy on the otherside of the river Mareb.
"What the hell are they up to there?" the swordmaster from the city of Savariss murmurs to himself, as he knows if they enemy try to cross the Mareb river. Which has no bridges along the stretch of it that runs beside the east side of the city of Almaic.
They'll be sitting ducks to those defending the city alongside the river, that's essentially one giant moat down the east side of Almaic.
"Wonder what they're going to do with those rafts and barges?" quietly asks Ludoc who has spotted them on the otherside of the river too.
The experienced guardsman then adds "They'd be nuts to actually use them to cross the river". As he's come to the same conclusion as his commander if the enemy where to use barges and rafts to cross the river Mareb to get to the city of Almaic.
"They're up to something" quietly says the commander of duke Hargen's personal guard, who continues with "Remember, that lot are pretty smart. Well whoever it is that's actually in charge of them is".
As swordmaster Berric is of the opinion that none of the five robber barons of the unruled lands in the Colevar Mountains. Who have banded together to wage war upon the duchy of Phelm, and duke Hargen.
Is capable enough to come up with the tactics that has won them victory after victory after launching their campaign against duke Hargen and the duchy he rules.
The youngest of them, Gergus. Might be daring in battle. But no way could he had devised the tactics that have brought them south into the very heart of the duchy of Phelm. Where they're now attacking it's capital, the city of Almaic.
"I think that's the side we have to be worried about" quietly says commander Berric with a nod of his head to the east.
Ludoc nods, then quietly says "That's the side of the city that sir Yarrim headed to when he left the palace earlier".
The swordmaster slightly pauses when he hears that, then he quietly says "Interesting" followed by "Do you think he went there because he figured out that's where we're going to have the most trouble?".
The commander of duke Hargen's personal guard then adds "Or he thought it would be the least dangerous side, since the river separates the city from the enemy?".
"I'm not sure" is the quiet reply of Ludoc as he shades his eyes with a hand, whilst looking to the east where the sun is continuing to rise in the sky in that direction.
"I've got a feeling he's going to find out soon enough" says commander Berric, who knows that the sorcerer sir Yarrim, has got what he wants now that duke Hargen has named his younger sister, the lady Elaine as his heir.
The noblewoman, who it's common knowledge not just at court, but throughout the city of Almaic, and most of southern Phelm. Is in a relationship with sir Yarrim.
"He'll find out soon enough" repeats commander Berric as they continue to watch the battle for the city of Almaic from the top of the old bell tower in the grounds of the church of Glaine . . . . . .