The Hire 111.

The Battle For Almaic...

The smoke on the Mareb river gets thicker and thicker. So much so, that for a quarter of mile from the northeast corner of the city of Almaic, down the east side of the city. You can't see a thing across to the otherside of the river.
South of that down the Mareb river, the smoke continues to grow thicker. It's interspersed with fireballs and energyballs cast by spellcasters in the duke's army along this side of Almaic.
Burning away the increasingly thicker smoke, though only temporarily. While the spectre of a burning raft or barge that's caught on fire, can be seen occasionally through the white smoke. Trailing greasy black smoke amongst the white. Before they burn to the waterline or sink.
Through the smoke, catapult shots from both sides of the river occasionally appear. To hit those on either side of the river who are unprepared for them.
Though most of the shots from the otherside of the river from the city. Fall short of the docks and the boulevard that runs along the riverfront on the east side of the city of Almaic.
Those that do hit, tend to hit the jetties and docks that stick out some distance into the water. It's no mistake that they do.
For a little while later, in the early afternoon of what's already been a hot summer's day here in the north of the kingdom of Nastell.
As the smoke continues to get thicker and thicker on the Mareb river as it heads southwards. The attack upon the east side of the city of Almaic begins in full.
For everything that's been happening throughout the day, even on the other sides of the city that are under attack. Has been in preparation for this.
In the Mareb river along the east side of Almaic. A number of water elemental coursers in the Farqian mercenary army are ready and waiting.
In the army led by general Halvane from the lands Farque. Scaling ladders are brought forward behind the cover of smoke which has obscured much of the east side of the city from the army that's attacking it.
And likewise, it's obscured much of the riverbank to the east, from those defending this side of the city that's the capital of the duchy of Phelm.
Once the scaling ladders start arriving amongst the forward elements who are at the edge of the river.
The water elemental coursers who have been waiting patiently in the Mareb river since before dawn, before the battle got underway. Begin the next phase of their work to attack the city of Almaic.
The coursers who have been slowing down the flow of the wide river that runs along the east side of the city that's the provincial capital.
Briefly let the river return back to its normal rate of flow along the east side of Almaic.
And at least a half dozen rafts and barges with burning wax bushes onboard, pick up speed as they head south along the river, billowing thick white smoke behind them.
Then the water elementals, all from the coast of the lands Farque. Work in unison to slow the flow of the Mareb river once more.
They slow it so much, that the river starts to stop. And within the smoke, the water level to the south of the line of coursers, starts to drop in comparison to the north of them.
It soon begins to drop rapidly, without anyone on the city side of the river noticing it due to all the thick white smoke on the river. Smoke that's now enhanced by cloud and smoke spells cast by the practitioners of magic in the army led by general Halvane from the lands Farque.
While those in the forward elements start putting the scaling ladders into the water that's steadily dropping. Scaling ladders, that are the right height to reach the river bottom thanks to the water elementals who have told the engineers with general Halvane's army the depth of the Mareb river along this side of the city of Almaic.
Scaling ladders that aren't just placed down into the rapidly dropping water at random. They're in set positions for a reason.
They're directly opposite a number of the jetties and docks across on the city side of the river. Jetties and docks that have already been struck by catapult shots. Struck for a reason.
For the forward elements in the Farqian mercenary army on this side of Almaic. Are already on the scaling ladders, and are starting to climb down as the water continues to rapidly drop.
Once they're completely down on to the riverbed as the water south of the line of coursers drains away. More scaling ladders will be handed down to them. Which they'll use to climb up onto the docks and jetties on the otherside of the river. Docks and jetties that are significantly shorter than they were previously.
On a river which they and the soldiers following them will cross as it will be basically dry, and empty to the south of the line of the water elemental coursers who are holding back the flow of the Mareb river.
"You hear that?" asks Shawtus McQuade as he peers through the thick smoke which has now obscured pretty much the otherside of the river from view.
"Hear what?" asks his cousin Smawfri McQuade who with his mouth and nose, and lower half of his face covered with damp cloth, is vigorously waving a hand infront of his face to clear some of the thick smoke away.
"The water" says the older, and slightly taller of the dwarven warriors form the Sunreach Mountains, who are hired mercenaries in duke Hargen's army. "Sounds like it's rushing away" adds Shawtus McQuade.
The younger of the two McQuade cousins lifts his thick, bushy eyebrows in surprise at that. Then the two of them look at the tall figure of the elven mercenary ranger standing beside them and the young squad leader Barron.
"Wait here" says Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy, who then moves forward into the thick white smoke, which doesn't particularly stink that much, as it comes from the Keros bush, which is fairly odourless.
The elven spy who is in the armies of Farque, who has infiltrated duke Hargen's army. Is gone from view in half a dozen steps.
He reappears a few moments later as he walks back to them from the dock infront of them.
"The water level is dropping" says Dalinvardél Tanith who sees no reason to lie about that, as everyone on this side of the river is about to find out about that fairly soon anyway.
The elven spy who is originally from the principality of Alínlae, nods his head and says "Who knows?" followed by "Probably". In response to the squad leader Barron asking him "Magic of some kind?".
The spy Tanith, who is more commonly called Dalin by those who know him well. It's also the name he's going by whilst ensconced in the army of the duchy of Phelm.
Isn't certain that his own army is going to use the docks right infront of him, to get to this side of the Mareb river that's rapidly dropping in level.
Says to Barron and the McQuade cousins "We should probably move back to the otherside of the boulevard just incase something happens".
"Sounds like a good idea to me" says Smawfri McQuade, who continues with "Because those bastards over there are up to something for sure".
The young squad leader agrees to Dalin's suggestion, and he calls their small squad to him. And the dozen of them start making their way through the smoke, to the otherside of the long boulevard that's runs down the east side of the city of Almaic.
Meanwhile in the city proper, in the palace of the duke. There's a tower just off the main building in the palace grounds.
The top of the tower is the highest point in the palace grounds. It's no where near as tall as the old bell tower in the grounds of the church of Glaine. Or for that matter, as tall as the new bell tower in the new cathedral in the grounds of the most popular church here in the north of the kingdom of Nastell.
The tower here in the ducal palace doesn't give an all round view of the city of Almaic and its surroundings. Infact it doesn't even give an observer on the top of it a view of the north wall of the city that's the capital of the duchy of Phelm.
And it doesn't give much of view away to the west as well. You can barely see into that quarter of the city. And nothing of the city where it spills out of where a wall would've been built.
But it does give a view away to the south of Almaic. After all the ducal palace is more in the southern quarter of the city, than it is in the city center.
And the top of the tower also gives an excellent view to the east of the city that's the provincial capital. And much of the river Mareb that's on that side of the city.
The only reason the tower was built in the first place was so that those in the palace could have a view of the river. As it's rivercraft and boats that go up and down it. Provide the backbone of the economy here in Phelm. And in other duchies in the north of the kingdom of Nastell.
From the top of the tower, which is located at the southeast corner of the main building in the palace grounds.
One of the lookouts up there is shouting out something down to the messengers at the foot of the tower.
The messengers have a hard time trying to understand what the lookout is shouting. Then one of them realises what the excitable lookout is going on about.
The messenger takes off running, and sprints into the main building of the palace through a set of open doors.
The messenger, who is one of the pages here in the palace of the duke. Who is nobleborn himself, hurries to the room where the duke along with others are, waiting on various reports of the goings on in the battle, that's taking place around the city of Almaic.
Sir Yarrim the sorcerer who along with two of his personal household guards, who spent a bit of time before midday watching the battle before returning to the palace of the duke of Phelm.
Turns as a messenger runs into the large chamber that duke Hargen has been using as his command room.
The messenger is yelling out something, that causes the powerful sorcerer to frown as he can't quite understand what the young page is shouting.
Then the nobleman whose estates are on the southern border of the duchy blinks in surprise when he figures out what the young messenger is shouting.
"What the hell?" mutters sir Yarrim, who looks over to where his two personal guards are standing, and nods for them to follow him.
The sorcerer who is in a relationship with the younger sister of duke Hargen, hurries from the chamber before anyone else.
He's quickly followed by his two guards, and the three of them rush through the main building of the palace. Heading for one of the back, or southern exits.
The three of them hustle out of the main building of the palace, and turn left. Then once sir Yarrim gets a good view of the tower at the southeast corner of the main building. He teleports himself and his guards to the roof of the tower.
"Where?" asks the nobleborn sorcerer once he and his two personal guards appear on the roof of the tower "There sir Yarrim" says one of the lookouts, who points to the river Mareb and adds "It's low there".
The lookout, one of the palace guards, then points northwards along the river and continues with "And there at the edge of the smoke, it's hard to see, but it looks like there's very little water in the river".
Sir Yarrim casts a farsight spell, then mutters "Shit" once he sees what's at the leading edge of the thick smoke along the east side of the city.
"The bastards are draining the river" says the powerful sorcerer, who has no idea how the enemy are doing that, as he can't sense any magic or spellcraft in relation to that.
"That's how that bloody army over there is going to cross to the city" adds the nobleman who is one of the most, if not the most influential noble in the duchy behind the duke.
The sorcerer Yarrim drops his farsight spell, and spins around and looks to the western side of the palace grounds. To be exact, to beyond the headquarters and barracks of duke Hargen's personal guards.
The nobleborn sorcerer casts a mindspeech spell to one of the sorcerers onboard the two ducal airships that have been lying in wait.
After speaking to his fellow sorcerer by way of mindspeech onboard one of the two warships.
Sir Yarrim glances down, and sees a number of others have exited the back of the main building of the palace, and are making their way to this very tower.
One of whom is the swordmaster Berric, the commander of duke Hargen's personal guard. Who the powerful sorcerer has always considered a nuisance.
And not just because the commander is a commoner who holds a high position here at court. But because the nobleborn spellcaster is certain the guard commander is doing all that he can, to thwart sir Yarrim from eventually taking the ducal seal once he's married to lady Elaine, when she succeeds her older brother the duke.
"Tell the duke the enemy are going to make a major push across the river" says sir Yarrim to the lookouts "Where are you going sir?" asks one of the lookouts after the powerful sorcerer nods for his two personal household guards to stand close.
"To deal with it" is the reply from the sorcerer Yarrim before he vanishes with his guards as he teleports them to the eastern side of the city of Almaic.
While behind them in the western part of the palace grounds, the crew of one of the two airships has undone its mooring lines, and is starting to rise up into the early afternoon sky.
"He's about to teleport again" says Narladene the ground pixie "Where to?" asks Helbe the elven thief as he stands upon a rooftop of a two storey merchants shop on the street across from the west side of the ducal palace.
The blurred and shielded elven magic user who can't sense through the powerful wards surrounding the palace of the duke. Is relying upon Narladene to tell him what the enemy sorcerer, sir Yarrim is up to.
"He's going to go east" says the ground pixie, who like all naturally magical creatures can sense a spell before it's completely cast, and knows what it's going to do.
"Damn, he must of spotted what's going to happen over there" murmurs the young elven noble who is from the island principality of Laerel, who is now a member of the personal council of the lord and ruler of the lands Farque.
"Look!" says the tiny winged creature who points into the palace grounds "I see it" says the elven masterthief as he sees one of the two enemy warships within the palace grounds, slip it's moorings, and start to rise up into the air.
"Have to deal to that as well i suppose" quietly says the highly talented elven spellcaster, who then adds "Once it clears the palace wards".
The ground pixie upon the right shoulder of the elven princeling nods in agreement to that. Then Narladene holds onto the right shoulder of the elven masterthief who she senses is about to cast his shift spell.
The tiny winged creature yelps in surprise as suddenly prince Helbenthril Raendril's eyes roll up into his head, and he topples over.
The ground pixie flutters out of the way, as the young elven noble who is of the royal family that rules the principality of Laerel, falls onto the roof.
Narladene drops down to the elven magic user and finds him unconscious. She didn't sense a magical attack upon the elven master assassin. Who is now visible as the spells he was casting have been dropped as he's knocked out.
Then the naturally magical creature who is originally from the Sunreach Mountains, who is just glad the elven princeling fell onto his side, and not backwards where he could've smacked the back of his head, mutters "Drats" as she realises what's happened.
Narladene lets out a sigh as she stands next to the face of the young elven noble she's attached to, who is under the influence of his powers of foresight.
The tiny winged creature knows Helbe the elven thief could be unconscious from anywhere of a few more moments, up to a quarter drop of a sand glass.
Narladene turns and looks eastwards, the direction that enemy sorcerer sir Yarrim went. And the direction the rising warship above the palace grounds is turning.
"Drats" mutters the ground pixie again as she waits for the elven princeling to wake up, hoping he's not out for too long . . . . . .