The Hire 96.

Almaic. Phelm. Nastell...

"Where are the damn messengers from the north and the west sides of the city" mutters duke Hargen as he walks across one of the courtyards in the ducal palace.
He looks at one of the army officers who is supposed to be keeping him informed of the situation of the battle that's taking place outside of the city, and asks him "Anything?".
"Nothing my lord" is the reply from the officer, who continues with "Just that they're now advancing towards the Mareb river to the east of the city".
The duke nods to that, as that was to be expected. Though he doesn't see how they'll cross the river that runs along the east side of Almaic.
And that there's no bridges that cross the river to the city. And crossing by barge or raft, is tantamount to suicide in the opinion of duke Hargen.
For doing so, you'll make yourself a target for the defenders along the east side of the city that's the capital of the duchy of Phelm. The northern most duchy in the kingdom of Nastell.
They round a corner and the nobleman whose duchy is under attack from five of the robber barons of the unruled lands in the Colevar Mountains.
Spots the sorcerer sir Yarrim walking this way. The nobleman whose lands are along the southern border of the duchy has just returned from the east side of the city.
The sorcerer, who is in a relationship with the younger sister of the duke, is with sir Alfred and a number of others. And when they see the duke, they hurry over to join him.
"Well?" asks duke Hargen "They're advancing towards the river" is the response from sir Yarrim who has a number of his men on the east side of the city.
"I know that" says the duke of Phelm, who continues with "What about elsewhere?".
"Not sure" says the nobleborn sorcerer who has warded the ducal palace "I do know the fighting is heavy outside of the city to the north" continues sir Yarrim, who then adds "Not sure about things to the west".
The powerful sorcerer in red armour, who has a longsword at his side, then asks his liege "Any of the messengers come in lately?".
"Bugger all" mutters duke Hargen who neither opposes or agrees with the relationship between the sorcerer and his younger sister, the lady Elaine.
"Nothing from the west basically all morning" says the duke who then adds "And only a few from the north wall, but none in sometime".
"Must be busy with things" says the sorcerer Yarrim "Commander Berric has gone to check on things" says duke Hargen who continues with "Think he was going to go to the old bell tower in the grounds of the church of Glaine to observe things".
Sir Yarrim just nods his head at the mention of Berric, the common born swordmaster who is the commander of duke Hargen's personal guard.
The sorcerer isn't a particular fan of the commander. Even though the swordmaster's actions have made his ladylove, the lady Elaine. The new heir of the duke of Phelm. Putting Yarrim one step closer to the ducal seal.
"He'll be able to give a detailed report of what's going on when he returns" says duke Hargen, once again the sorcerer just nods as they all enter the main building of the palace.
As to the north, they hear the distant thuds of the magetubes up on the north wall of Almaic, firing again. The heavy magical weapons are so loud that they can be heard firing for miles in all directions.
Sir Yarrim, who has been sensing on and off since the battle began at dawn. Frowns and looks back out the large open doors they've just come through.
The sorcerer from the very south of Phelm is sure that he can sense something magical that's inside his wards, which wasn't there a few moment ago.
Sir Yarrim senses again, and though it's difficult to locate. He senses in the right direction, to the west across the palace grounds, and he finds it.
He blinks in surprise as he realises what it is, then after a moment of disbelief, the sorcerer shouts out in warning "Mageglobe!". Then slams up a barrier as well as a protection spell around those with him and the duke as he senses the living piece of magic is heading directly this way.
Sir Yarrim, who is wondering how the hell the mageglobe got through his locked wards and into the palace grounds. Spots it at the last moment as it comes shooting towards the open doors here in the main building of the palace. Then explode right next to his barrier and protection spells he's just put up.
"It definitely went in" says Helbe the elven thief who has returned to the rooftop of the merchant's building just to the west of the ducal palace in the city of Almaic.
The blurred and shielded elven magic user who saw the mageglobe created by Mira Reinholt the mage pass over the wall on this side of the palace, continues with "Damn things are difficult to sense half the time".
"It's heading towards the main building in the palace" says Narladene the ground pixie who is upon the right shoulder of the young elven noble she's attached to.
The elven masterthief, who just happens to be a member of the royal family that rules the island principality of Laerel. Nods his hooded head, and senses where Narladene says the living piece of magic is heading.
"It's picking up speed" adds the naturally magical creature who is originally from the Sunreach Mountains.
The elven princeling from Laerel suddenly senses the mageglobe, and though he can't see it at the moment. He looks in the distance towards the main building within the grounds of the ducal palace.
There beyond the wards that surround the palace, he senses a powerful barrier spell, and equally powerful protection spell go up.
"That sorcerer really is powerful" murmurs prince Helbenthril Raendril as he continues to sense.
Then an instant later, he senses, then hears the living piece of magic crested by the mage Reinholt, come to end of it's existence.
A moment later, and both Helbe the elven thief and Narladene the ground pixie grin as they see an explosion of colours on one side of the main building of the palace of the duke of Phelm.
It's so bright and colourful, that it's easy to see in the bright sunshine of the morning.
"Definitely know where that is" murmurs the young elven noble who is a member of the personal council of the lord and ruler of the lands Farque.
"Now let's see what he does" quietly says the grandson of Prince Raendril who has sensed that the powerful sorcerer sir Yarrim survived the exploding mageglobe, as was intended.
Duke Hargen is knocked off his feet by the explosion, so was everyone else around him and sir Yarrim.
With his ears ringing, and his eyes seeing the after images of bright colours for a few moments. The duke rolls over, and shakes his head as he sits up.
Then he blinks in surprise as he looks around, and sees no damage to the entrance hall they're in. He was expecting to see it, as well as the outer wall of this side of the main building of the palace, to be heavily damaged, but they're not.
"What the hell?" mutters duke Hargen, who is helped to his feet by two of his personal guards. While sir Yarrim who was the first one to get up off the floor. Is helping sir Alfred to stand up, who groans as he gets to his feet.
"A damn mageglobe" says the sorcerer Yarrim in disbelief, who heard the reports that apparently a mage attacked one of the duke's armies up on the border within the unruled lands in the southern reaches of the Colevar Mountains.
But he didn't believe them. Nor did he think the enemy outside of the city would have a mage with them. For the simple reason mages aren't exactly shy about flaunting their powers. And the powerful sorcerer would of sensed one from miles away if one was with the enemy armies that are now attacking the city of Almaic.
The nobleman in mid twenties, whose lands are along the southern border of the duchy of Phelm, senses in all directions for as far as he can, after dropping his near depleted barrier and protection spells.
And though he can sense outside of the city, and sense quite a few spellcasters amongst the enemy. Not a single one of them is a mage.
Hmmm what's going on here? sir Yarrim thinks to himself, who then looks at the duke who asks him "What's going on Yarrim?" followed by "And what was that you shouted?" duke Hargen then adds "A mage something?".
"Mageglobe" says the sorcerer, who continues with "Magic that's alive, and can only be created by a mage".
The duke of Phelm nods, then says "One of those attacked the army i was with up north" .
"So i heard" murmurs the nobleman from the very south of the duchy, who then tells the duke "My lord, i must be off to deal with this threat" sir Yarrim then silently adds, and figure out how the damn thing got through my wards.
"Don't get yourself killed" says duke Hargen "I'll try not to" say the nobleborn sorcerer, who then makes his way back through the entrance hall, after telling a couple of his own soldiers to accompany him.
Sir Yarrim shields himself as he and his men make their way out of the large doors that are on this side of the main building of the ducal palace.
"Where did he go?" quietly asks Helbe the elven thief, who all of a sudden is unable to sense the powerful sorcerer.
"He's shielding" says Narladene the ground pixie who can sense any spellcaster no matter what they're doing to mask themselves from other practitioners of magic.
The blurred and shielded elven magic user nods his hooded head when the tiny winged creature standing on his right shoulder, says "He's exiting that big building in there".
The naturally magical creature who has been attached to the elven masterthief for a dozen years or so, grins then says "You should be able to sense him soon, even though he is shielded".
The young elven noble who is from the island principality of Laerel grins as he knows exactly what the ground pixie is referring to.
The mageglobe created by Mira Reinholt that just blew up within the grounds of the palace of the duke of Phelm.
Had one specific task to do, along with making a lot of noise and colour as it came to the end of it's fairly brief existence.
And that task was to tag those it basically blew up. In particular any spellcasters. Though one in actuality. As it's rather fitting considering it homed in all that person just before it exploded at the end of it's life.
That person being sir Yarrim the sorcerer.
The mageglobe left untold little miniscule bits of magic floating in the air at it's death. And when the sorcerer Yarrim dropped his depleted barrier and protection spells.
The miniscule bits of magic which are too small to sense unless you know what to look for.
Fell upon those who were caught up in the explosion. Especially anyone who is a spellcaster. In this case, sir Yarrim from the border region in the south of the duchy of Phelm.
Helbe the elven thief grins again as he suddenly senses the sorcerer Yarrim. Who thinks he's undetected by other spellcasters due to being shielded. But the highly talented elven magic user knows what to sense and look for.
The elven princeling who himself is shielded, along with being blurred, murmurs "What's that?".
"Teleport" is the quick reply of Narladene the ground pixie, who then tells the young elven noble from the island principality of Laerel "He's heading north through the city".
"Now isn't that interesting" quietly says the elven master assassin, who with the naturally magical creature clinging onto his right shoulder. He shifts away before sir Yarrim is even able to complete his teleport spell within the grounds of the ducal palace. A teleportation spell which will take the sorcerer further north into the city that's the capital of the duchy of Phelm.
Sir Yarrim and two of his men disappear for a few heartbeats before they reappear upon the roof of a building in the northern quarter of the city.
The sorcerer who could barely see their destination from the palace of the duke of Phelm. Is totally oblivious to the minute particles of magic he and his two men are covered with.
Him especially, due to the fact that he acted like a magnet with iron filings in close proximity to it. As in, like attracts like as the old saying goes.
Practitioners of magic tend not to sense themselves. As there's no particular reason to do so.
And the fact you have to know what to sense for. Makes it doubly impossible for the nobleborn sorcerer to know what he's covered in.
"Looks the wall has been badly damaged in places" says one of the sorcerer's men who points away to the top of the north wall of the city which is about a quarter of a mile away from where they are on top of a roof of a four storey building.
Sir Yarrim nods his head as he looks up and down the length of the north wall of Almaic.
Even from where they are, they're able to hear the sounds of the battle beyond the north wall of the provincial capital. Even over the noise of the thundering booms coming from the magetubes firing every once in a while.
The sorcerer who is trying to locate a mage who sent a mageglobe into the grounds of the ducal palace . Finds it a little odd that a mage isn't easily located.
That's the main driving point of all mages. They and their vasts amounts of power like to be known and seen.
But apparently this mage is hiding himself somewhere. Where? Yarrim the sorcerer isn't exactly sure where.
"Keep an eye out for anything odd" says sir Yarrim to his men, who are amongst a number of his household, he's taught to keep an eye out for things that are deemed to be odd, in a magical sense.
The sorcerer who is shielded, which he assumes is keeping him hidden from other spellcasters, says to his two guards "Let's go". Then he teleports away with them.
Helbe the elven thief, along with Narladene the ground pixie, who are on a rooftop not far from the one sir Yarrim was just on.
Look towards the top of the north wall of Almaic, where the sorcerer Yarrim and his two guards are just about to appear after teleporting.
After they do, prince Helbenthril Raendril quietly says to the naturally magical creature "They've just made their first major mistake of the battle".
Narladene nods her tiny head in agreement with that, just before the elven magic user shifts them away . . . . . .