The Hire 121.

Battle Of Almaic...

One moment Teabagger the goblin Cunt sees his general about to shoot the magetube he's holding.
Then the next moment the large ork standing on the road infront of the north gates of the city of Almaic. Is hit by a bright white light that comes down out of the clear blue afternoon sky.
The next moment the ork warleader is lying on the road, not moving. While the magetube has been flung from his hands. And lies off to the otherside of the road.
"Got him" says Beldane the cleric from where he stands up on the north wall of Almaic, above the city gates. "Is it dead?" asks the officer with the powerful cleric.
"I'm not sure" replies the cleric in the church of Glaine, who can't actually sense the life of an individual. Though he can sense their power if they happen to be a spellcaster.
"But whatever has happened to it" adds the fighting cleric, who continues with "It won't be bothering us again, or using that magetube".
Next to the cleric who has just used his magical mace to strike from a distance the troll, or what they believe to be a troll. The officer nods as he looks at the large, green, figure lying completely still, down on the road below.
For a few moments, members of the battalion stand there in shock after seeing what's just happened to their general.
Then it's Teabagger, their battalion commander. Who has been with the battalion since it first formed in the kingdom of Melaurn. When their general took some of them under his command.
Who takes control of the situation as they all look at one another, wondering what to do.
"Quick get the boss" orders Teabagger the goblin Cunt in the language of goblins. He's the first one to run out onto the road. Quickly followed by others in the battalion,
"Carry him back to the wall" says the small, bright, green goblin who grabs an arm of his general. And along with over twenty others in the battalion. Is able to lift the big, burly ork who weighs in excess of seven hundred and fifty pounds.
"Is he dead?" asks another in the battalion, Teabagger just grunts in response to that, as he has no idea. For their general is totally unresponsive, and is at least unconscious.
"What about that?" asks another of the goblins who with a few others, has rushed over to help those carrying the large ork.
That particular goblin has nodded to the magetube lying to the west of the road.
"Forget it" says Teabagger, who grunts in effort as he helps to carry the ork warleader who is their general.
Who though rather heavy, not to mention he reeks. Especially with the rain poncho he's worn during the hot days recently. They're able to carry to the base of the wall, without a single one of them tripping up, or dropping an arm or a leg of the big, burly ork from the southern polar region of the world.
They put their general down not that far from the road and the gates, at the base of the north wall of the city that's the capital of the duchy of Phelm.
"Is he breathing?" asks Assfacedick who like the others who helped carry the ork weaponsmith, is breathing heavily.
"I'm not sure" says the small, bright green goblin who commands the battalion of goblins in the Farqian mercenary army. Who crouches down next to the head of his general, and looks carefully at him, and listens.
Teabagger finally nods as he hears the large ork slowly, and shallowly breathe through his nose.
"He's alive" says the goblin commander much to the relief of the others who have gathered around.
For though they find their general annoying most of the time. Who constantly yells and swears at them. As well as shove, push, and pick them up and throw them at times. And the fact he pongs beyond belief. Who none of them like to get too close to.
For all that, many of them. Those who can get close. Are gathered closely around the unconscious ork warleader. Who is first and foremost, their general. Who leads them.
Their general who well over a decade ago. Made those who he originally took command of during a war between two nobles in the kingdom of Melaurn. Into an army.
Where in the history of the Southlands. Or for that matter in the entire world of Volunell. There has never been an organised army of goblin soldiers.
Teabagger the goblin Cunt looks quickly around, and knowing that none of them can help their general.
He says "He needs a healer" followed by "A magician of some kind would be best".
Then just as rocks start falling down around them from the top of the wall. The goblin commander sends a number of the battalion off to go and get a spellcaster from their army who can heal the unconscious ork warleader.
"Where did they take it?" asks Beldane the cleric "Over here father" says a soldier further to the right of where the fighting cleric and those with him are standing above the gates, here on the top of the north wall of the city that's the provincial capital.
The cleric in the church of Glaine after seeing none of the enemy are approaching the magetube that's lying just to the side of the road.
He and the others with him, make their way along the top of the wall for about forty feet. To where a few soldiers are dropping rocks down at the enemy.
Beldane sees that they're dropping rocks down at the goblins. Many of whom are gathered around the troll that the heavily armoured cleric struck with a spell through his magical mace.
It was the only way to hit the troll, or what he thinks is a troll. Which was about to shoot the magetube at the gates in the north wall of the city.
Which the fighting cleric knows would of been disastrous for those defending the city of Almaic.
As the magetube would of easily gone through the wards. Both barrier and protection spells infront of the gates. Then would of destroyed the gates too.
Which would of been much easier than trying to shoot at the actual wall here along the north side of the city that's the capital of the duchy of Phelm.
As he sees a number of the goblins take off, and head back through their own army.
Beldane says to the soldiers dropping rocks off the top of the wall "Keep doing that" he then looks away to the right, and calls out to some archers and crossbowmen "Shoot at them" as he points at some of the enemy who have nearly got to the wall with a scaling ladder.
Then he looks in both directions along the top of the north wall of the city. And though the enemy has just begun their push against the wall itself. He sees that those defending this wall, which is the longest in Almaic. Are so far doing a commendable job.
Back amongst the battlelines north of the city that's the provincial capital. There are those in one of the makeshift fortresses. Who witnessed what just took place on the road infront of the gates in the north wall of Almaic.
It was field commander Tamric Drubine himself who spotted Dorc da Orc had grabbed the magetube that was lying out on the open ground not far from the north wall of the city.
Then hoping that the large ork wouldn't actually shoot it at the wall itself. The nobleborn teenager from the kingdom of Sarcrin was more than relieved when he saw the large ork, and his battalion of goblins.
Reach the base of the wall, where they immediately headed west. Tamric Drubine, or Tam as he's more commonly called by those who know him well. Nodded in understanding and relief as he realised the ork warleader was headed towards the gates in the north wall of Almaic. A far better option to shoot at with the magetube than the wall itself.
The young field commander in the Farqian mercenary army pointed this out to Mira Reinholt the mage, who stands beside him on an archers platform in the fortification.
Then they along with a couple of others in the senior staff of commander Drubine watch what Dorc da Orc and his battalion of goblins get up to.
While the rest of the young field commander's senior staff continue to watch the overall attack by their army upon the north wall of Almaic, on the east side of the road that leads up to the gates. While to the west of that road here to the north of the city. It's field commander Leivyn's army that's attacking the wall.
The nobleborn teenager and the once powerful mage watch their travel companion the ork warleader hurry out onto the road while the goblins remain at the base of the wall.
They see Dorc da Orc lift the magetube, aim it at the gates. Then as he's about to fire it. There's a flash of bright white light that comes down out of the clear blue afternoon sky. Which strikes the large ork who is the general of the goblin battalion in the Farqian mercenary army.
The next moment Dorkindle is lying prone on the ground, unmovimg. While the magetube is off to the side of the road.
A nearby spellcaster in the armies of Farque calls out that a cleric just above the gates of the north wall of Almaic is the one who just attacked the big, burly ork who hails from the southern polar region of the world.
And as Tam asks the member of lord Farque's council next to him if Dorc still lives. Mira Reinholt the mage is the first one to do something. And has quickly created a mageglobe. Which instantly shoots from his right hand. And goes flying straight up into the air. Heading skywards on it's way towards the city that's under attack.
As they watch a number of the goblins, including their commander Teabagger. Pick up the ork general, and carry him to the base of the wall. And gather around the warleader of the ork race.
Tamric Drubine once again asks "Is he alive?" in a worried tone of voice.
"I'm not sure" replies Mira Reinholt the mage, who briefly glances up into the clear, blue afternoon sky this hot summer's day, looking for his mageglobe he's just created. But it's already gone from sight as it heads towards it's target up on the north wall of the city that's the provincial capital.
The mage who is in exile from his homeland, the city-state of Vexil. Looks back to where the goblin battalion are at the base of the north wall of the city. And he spots a handful of them take off, back through their army that's attacking the city of Almaic.
The mage, who is also a highly skilled swordmaster, slightly nods his hooded head, then says "He must still be alive".
The spellcaster who was once the most powerful mage of his generation to be found anywhere in the Southlands, continues with "Some of the goblins are heading back this way, presumably for help for their general".
The mage Reinholt, who is a member of the personal council to the lord and ruler of the lands Farque. Knows it's the goblin commander Teabagger who sent those others off to get help for Dorkindle.
As the small, bright green goblin who commands the goblin battalion is fiercely loyal to his general, the ork warleader.
As field commander Drubine asks his senior staff if there's anyone to spare, specifically a spellcaster. Who can go off and assist the goblins and their general who is out of the battle at this moment.
Mira Reinholt looks towards the top of the north wall of the city of Almaic. Above the gates, and just to the sides of it. Trying to spot the cleric who struck down Dorc da Orc.
The once powerful mage who is at the limit of how far he can sense, slightly nods as he's just able to sense the cleric he's searching for.
The Vexilian mage in exile spots the armoured cleric amongst the enemy, just on the east side of the gates. Above where the goblins and their unresponsive general are at the base of the north wall of Almaic.
The councilor narrows his eyelids slightly as he watches the enemy cleric, then the highly skilled swordmaster faintly smiles in anticipation.
The young field commander Tamric Drubine sees the mage Reinholt smiling, and he asks him "What is it?".
"Watch" is the reply from Mira Reinholt who nods his hooded head towards the north wall of the city, and adds "The top of the wall, above where the goblins and Dorc are".
Tam lifts a questioning eyebrow, but doesn't say anything. He just watches where the council member has indicated, and waits.
After a rock drops down onto the chest of the immobile ork general, and bounced off him with a thud, after hitting his plate of natural dragon armour he wears beneath the rain poncho he's got on. And another rock, smashes the right shoulder of one of the battalion.
One of the goblins, Nutsack the Fifth to be exact. Shoots his crossbow straight up. And gets extremely lucky, as the bolt from his crossbow slams into the face of an enemy soldier, whose head is over the top of the wall, and is looking down at them.
For a few moments the rocks falling from above them stops. And when they do resume, they fall out a bit further from the base of the wall. As the enemy above them are just tossing them over the top of the wall now, without looking down at the goblins.
"What should we do now?" asks Youdead "Wait for the boss to get healed" replies Teabagger "No i mean, the attack upon the wall and the city" adds Youdead.
The small, bright green goblin who has looked over at the magetube on the otherside of the road. Which is pointing barrel end at the gates of the city. And wonders if it can be fired in some way.
He knows pulling the lever up as it lies on the ground will be lethal for the person doing that. As it needs to be steady in it's firing cradle. Or held by someone immensely strong like the general.
Otherwise it'll just go backwards with force. And on the ground it'll probably spin to. Sending it all over the place where it'll likely smash into those nearby.
Teabagger who briefly wonders if a rope can be tied to the firing lever to shoot it from a safe distance. He forgets about that idea, as the lever needs to pulled upwards to fire the heavy magical weapon.
The goblin commander then looks away to their right, to where one of the scaling ladders is up against the wall. And those in the army of the robber baron Almard are starting to climb it.
"We might have to go up a ladder after all" announces Teabagger the goblin Cunt, who will wait to see if their general can be healed before he makes a decision on what they'll do.
For now, the battalion will wait here at the base of the north wall of Almaic.
Up on the top of the wall, the cleric Beldane looks at the soldier who he can't do anything for after an enemy crossbow bolt went through his face, and is sticking out the back of his skull.
The powerful cleric takes a few steps forward, and quickly glances down to the base of the wall, before pulling his head back as there's only protection spells along this section of the wall, no barrier spells.
The fighting cleric is just wondering if he can do an area effect spell down at the base of the wall, where those goblins have gathered. When he and the others with him, see that an enemy scaling ladder is up against the wall about fifty feet to their right.
Where some of the defenders that way are using polearms to try and push the ladder off the wall.
"It's going to be a long afternoon" says Beldane to the officer with him, who nods in agreement with the cleric in the church of Glaine.
The fighting cleric is just about to tell the officer they should go over and help those trying to push the ladder off the wall.
When he suddenly senses something directly above him in the sky, coming straight down at him at speed.
And though he goes to put up wards. It's his mace which he's still holding. That's quicker, and shoves up wards around him. Just before the mageglobe that's streaked down out of the clear blue sky hits.
The living piece of magic doesn't hit the powerful cleric or the wards that have suddenly surrounded him. It hits the top of the wall near the feet of the fighting cleric.
It goes down about half a foot or so, then it comes to the end of its brief life, and explodes. It explodes upwards and outwards.
The top of that section of the wall explodes, there's no fire or magical energy in the explosion. It's just that section of the top of wall that's shattered into countless pieces, that goes flying upwards and outwards.
Also going upwards and outwards, and goes sailing off the back of the wall by the explosion is the cleric Beldane, who sees the officer next to him get shredded to bits by the flying debris. And the soldiers close by get eviscerated too.
The powerful cleric as he goes flying through the air, feels the wards around him from his mace. Being pelted by the debris in the midst of the explosion. That's so powerful that Beldane feels himself blacking out from the force he's enduring.
The fighting cleric after going backwards and up through the air for what feels like an eternity, but is just a moment. Starts dropping through the air. And as he falls uncontrollably, Beldane quickly blacks out into unconsciousness . . . . . .