The Hire 99.

The City Of Almaic. The Duchy Of Phelm. The Kingdom Of Nastell...

"A mage?" says the court wizard Melbar with a frown upon his face.
"Yes a mage" says sir Yarrim the sorcerer as they stand upon the north wall of the city of Almaic.
"No, i would of sensed one by now don't you think" says the court wizard, who then adds "And I've only recently got here from around on the west side of the city".
Changing tack a bit, the sorcerer who is in a relationship with the new heir of the duchy of Phelm, the lady Elaine.
Asks the older spellcaster "How are things going around on the west side?".
"Could be better" says the court wizard with a grunt, who then continues with "They've got most of their war machines around on that side of the city, and are using them to good effect".
The sorcerer in the red armour, who has a longsword on his left hip, slightly winces at hearing that.
Then he nods his head in answer to the wizard Melbar asking him "You sure it was a mageglobe?".
"Hmmm" murmurs the court wizard, who then says "If it was, and it got through your wards, why didn't it blast that side of the palace to bits?".
The wizard, who was born and raised here in the city of Almaic continues with "From what I've heard about mages, they like to destroy things for good" followed by "Not do what you described it doing".
"I know" murmurs the younger, and more powerful of the two spellcasters.
The court wizard, who is the epiphany of his calling, in long flowing colourful robes. The only thing missing that would make him more of a wizard, is a tall, pointy hat and a wand.
Though he does have a number of wands, just none on him at the moment. As none of the ones he owns, are particularly useful during battle.
Looks to the right, to the east along the top of the north wall of the city, then says "You know" the court wizard briefly pauses before continuing with "Dominic mentioned something when i got here a little while ago?".
"Oh?" says sir Yarrim, who then adds "What was that?".
"Just that something strange happened just after the battle got underway" says the wizard Melbar, who momentarily pauses as he a nearby catapult on top of the wall, flings a load of rocks and broken masonry at the enemy, who are amongst the battlelines just to the north of the city.
"Just beyond where the gates are" says the court wizard who points to the east along the top of the wall, and continues with "He thought it might of been a mageglobe that did that" Melbar briefly pauses before adding "I doubt anything else could of got through the wards along the wall".
The nobleman whose estates are located along the southern border of the duchy of Phelm nods his head as he looks that way along the top of the wall. Where beyond the main gates of the north wall of Almaic. A large chunk of the top of the wall is missing. So are two of the magetubes that were situated there.
There's definitely one amongst them, and that was definitely a mageglobe that got through my wards at the palace, sir Yarrim thinks to himself, who was doubting the presence of a mage amongst the enemy.
As the wizard Melbar explained, if a mageglobe had got through the wards at the ducal palace. It should of done a hell of a lot more damage than it actually did. It essentially just knocked over all those who were caught up in the rather loud, and rather colourful explosion that it created.
"Is he still hanging out with that cleric friend of his?" asks sir Yarrim about his fellow sorcerer Dominic "I hate that guy" adds the nobleman in a mutter.
"Beldane?" says the court wizard, followed by "Yeah he is". Melbar, who is an advisor to duke Hargen looks eastwards along the top of the wall, and adds "I think he's on the top of the wall that way".
Sir Yarrim sourly smiles at hearing that, which causes the older spellcaster to chuckle, then say "He is annoying isn't he?" followed by "Still, he's been in more battles you and i will ever get to see, so he's good for something i guess".
The sorcerer just grunts at that as he senses along the top of the north wall of Almaic, and locates his fellow sorcerer, Dominic amongst the other spellcasters here in this part of the city.
He sourly smiles again as he also senses the cleric Beldane, who is a cleric of the god Glaine. Probably the most popular deity worshiped not just here in Phelm, but throughout most of the north of the kingdom of Nastell.
Then the nobleborn sorcerer glances at the court wizard who is about to cast. And a few moments later, a fireball appears on the otherside of the wards, and heads off towards the enemy army, that's now advancing it's front ranks towards the city of Almaic.
Following after it's forward elements, who are well and truly amongst the battlelines of those defending the city, just to the north of the wall.
The sorcerer Yarrim casts a fireball of his own, easily twice the size of the one that the court wizard has just cast.
It too appears on the otherside of the wards protecting the north wall of the city that's the capital of the duchy of Phelm. And it burns through the morning air on it's way towards the enemy army which are advancing.
Sir Yarrim briefly looks at the other enemy army that's to the north of Almaic, this one further west. Which has yet to advance forward.
"Keep an eye on that lot" says the nobleborn spellcaster gesturing at the enemy army that's yet to advance at all.
"I will" says the wizard Melbar, who then nods his head in response to the powerful sorcerer telling him "And stay safe".
Sir Yarrim nods for his two guards to follow him along the top of the wall. The court wizard watches his fellow spellcaster walking eastwards along the top of the wall.
Still amazed he cannot sense him at all. Even when the sorcerer from the very south of the duchy cast that large fireball.
The wizard Melbar slightly shrugs his shoulders, then he goes back to watching the enemy from the unruled lands in the Colevar Mountains. Who have invaded the north of the kingdom of Nastell, specifically the duchy of Phelm.
And who are now attacking the city of Almaic, the capital of Phelm.
"You two fought alongside the clerics of Glaine before?" quietly asks sir Yarrim to his two guards, both of whom are members of his personal household guards.
The more elite members of his guards, who are essentially an army in their own right. A number of his regular household guards are around on the riverfront along the east side of the city.
But the nobleborn spellcaster keeps his personal guards closer, usually going everywhere with at least two of them, as he's doing at the moment.
"I have" replies one of the guards, while the other shakes his head no, as the three of them walk along the top of the north wall of the city of Almaic.
"With the cleric Beldane?" asks the sorcerer Yarrim "I haven't" replies the guard who has spoken up, who after a slight pause, dryly adds "Though I've heard about him".
The nobleborn spellcaster sourly smiles, then mutters "Does anyone like that guy?". Sir Yarrim shakes his head, for his fellow sorcerer, Dominic gets along with the cleric Beldane. So much so, that they're good friends.
Which is kind of odd, as the only human practitioners of magic, who are almost as aloof as mages, are clerics. Pretty much all clerics of any number of gods, are the most standoffish of all spellcasters you'll ever likely to meet with the exception of mages.
They pass over the main gates of the north wall of Almaic. And as they approach the large chunk that's missing along the top of the wall. Sir Yarrim teleports himself and his two guards, to the otherside of the top of the wall, which is missing a more than thirty foot long section from it.
After reappearing, sir Yarrim glances down at the ground below, behind the north wall of Almaic.
There he spots a number of people, predominantly city guards, helping a few soldiers, and an officer. To carry a magetube, minus it's wooden wheeled cradle, towards a wagon.
The sorcerer slightly nods as he figures the explosion that blasted a more than thirty foot section out of the top of the wall. Must of been powerful to send a thousand pound magetube down to the ground below.
The nobleborn spellcaster looks back up when he hears his name being called out by someone, he spots who it is, and replies with "Dominic!" as he waves to his fellow sorcerer.
The two sorcerers, one nobleborn and the other commoner. Are more than acquaintences, they're friends. Well as much as a noble and a commoner can be friends in a society such as the one found here in the kingdom of Nastell.
They're of similar age, who have learnt their spellcraft together over the years. Infact sir Yarrim was first taught by Dominic's father. Who was a well respected sorcerer here in northern Nastell until he passed away.
The nobleborn spellcaster shakes the hand of his fellow sorcerer, who unlike him, isn't wearing armour. And doesn't have a weapon apart from a belt knife.
Sir Yarrim looks beyond Dominic, and spots the cleric Beldane further along the wall, next to a catapult. Talking to the crew who are operating it.
Feeling sorry for the catapult crew who have to listen to the cleric of Glaine. And feeling relief that he isn't over here with Dominic.
Sir Yarrim asks his fellow sorcerer if he's sensed or seen a mage amongst the enemy so far this morning, and tells him about the attack upon the ducal palace.
"No i haven't" replies Dominic, who is rather short and rotund. While his fellow sorcerer, Yarrim. Is tall and athletic.
"Though something odd happened a little earlier" says the common born sorcerer who like sir Yarrim, hails from the very south of the duchy of Phelm.
The sorcerer Dominic explains how he thinks a mageglobe might of created the destruction further back along the top of the north wall of Almaic.
He also tells sir Yarrim that a couple of army spellcasters he's spoken with over the last day or so. Who survived the battles up north along the border. Swear that a mage was amongst the enemy up there. Just that none of them couldn't sense the mage.
"That doesn't make sense" quietly says sir Yarrim, who is pretty certain there's a mage within the ranks of the enemy spellcasters.
"Everything I've heard about and read about mages, is that they're front and center with everything" says the nobleborn sorcerer who continues with "Hell, they're proud of the fact they're so powerful, and they like to flaunt it".
The sorcerer Dominic nods in agreement, then he says "It's true alright" the commoner then adds "I've met a couple of them, and you could sense them from miles away".
Dominic has traveled a fair bit, not just throughout the kingdom of Nastell, but also elsewhere around the Southlands.
"And they weren't shy in letting other spellcasters know that they were about" says the common born spellcaster.
"Then" quietly says sir Yarrim who looks out at the enemy from the unruled lands in the Colevar Mountains, who have invaded the duchy of Phelm.
"What the hell are we dealing with here?" adds the nobleman after he briefly pauses.
"If you sensed it was a mageglobe at the palace, then it must be a mage" says Dominic who continues with "Another spellcaster might be able to fake what one looks like, but not what it senses like".
The nobleborn sorcerer from the southern border region of Phelm nods in agreement with that, and does so again when his fellow sorcerer quietly says "They must have a mage with them, just one who doesn't act like one would normally act".
It's the same conclusion the sorcerer Yarrim has come to. That there's an enemy mage somewhere. And that whoever it is, isn't behaving like any mage would normally behave.
Sir Yarrim who would normally expect a mage to blast away the city gates with ease, quietly says to his fellow sorcerer "Why the hell would a mage act like this?".
The common born sorcerer shrugs his shoulders, and replies with "I'm not sure".
The nobleborn spellcaster who is in a relationship with lady Elaine, the new heir to duke Hargen. Is about to ask his fellow sorcerer something else, when he notices his two guards are discussing something with urgency.
"What is it?" asks sir Yarrim as he turns to his personal household guards "Sir, in the distance there, on the river" says one of the guards who points away to the northeast of the city.
The nobleman in the red armour, who has a longsword on his left hip, looks that way, as does the sorcerer Dominic.
"Smoke" says sir Yarrim "And a lot of it" adds Dominic the sorcerer who continues with "Coming south along the river towards the city".
The nobleborn sorcerer nods in agreement with his fellow spellcaster, then quietly says "They're trying to hide something no doubt".
"Send a message to the east wall" orders sir Yarrim to a nearby army officer "Have the spellcasters there douse those fire boats, and sink them" adds the nobleborn sorcerer, who might not be in the duke's army. But he's still of the nobility, and is obeyed like one is normally obeyed.
Sir Yarrim goes back to looking at the enemy attacking the north wall of Almaic, and wonders if the mage in their ranks, is somewhere on this side of the city.
The nearby catapult flings off a shot at the enemy who are amongst the battlelines just north of the city.
The nobleborn sorcerer watches the trajectory of the shot of rocks, and where they'll land. And he blinks in surprise when he spots something amongst the battlelines.
Are they goblins? sir Yarrim thinks to himself in surprise, then out of the corner of his right eye, the sorcerer who is shielded, spots something or more precisely, someone approaching from the nearby catapult.
"Oh hell" the nobleborn sorcerer mutters to himself as he sees Beldane the cleric of Glaine walking this way.
"Keep at it" quickly says sir Yarrim to his fellow sorcerer Dominic.
The nobleman from the very south of the duchy of Phelm then nods at his two guards and tells them "Let's go".
And heads back along the top of the wall, the way in which they came from.
They walk away, not knowing they're being secretly observed by an enemy spellcaster, and a naturally magical creature who have followed them here to the north wall of the city from the ducal palace. Watching everything they say and do, and who they interact with . . . . . . .