The Hire 126.

In And Around The City Of Almaic...

Across on the otherside of the Mareb river. To the southeast of the city of Almaic. Sir Yarrim the sorcerer looks behind the downed frigate. And spots his fellow sorcerer Marx, a lieutenant in the duke's fleet is looking this way.
"Ready!" calls out sir Yarrim the sorcerer who doesn't want to use mindspeech as an enemy spellcaster might sense his fellow sorcerer Marx.
"Soon!" is the reply from Marx the sorcerer, who points up to the deck of the twin masted frigate, where a few of the crew are still climbing down off the crippled vessel.
There comes the loud thud and boom of one of the magetubes firing onboard the frigate, sending a shot towards the enemy.
The crew left onboard who just fired the heavy magical weapon. Cut the straps and ropes that was holding the magetube up, so it could fire down at the enemy as the crashed airship is on a lean to starboard.
The magetube smashes down through the decking and falls into the cargo hold below.
While those crew who just fired it, and cut it loose. Hurry up on deck, so that they can climb down off the starboard side, and join the rest of the crew who survived the crash, which was most of them, down on the ground.
The sorcerer Marx looks over at his fellow sorcerer, sir Yarrim who is behind a pile of rocks about thirty yards from the stern of the frigate, and nods his head.
"Get ready" says the nobleborn sorcerer to his two personal household guards "It'll be up to us to eventually hold them off" adds sir Yarrim.
And though his two guards both dread the prospect of that. They don't complain, and just nod to the noblebman whose estates along the southern border of the duchy of Phelm, they're from.
The powerful sorcerer watches his fellow spellcaster who is a lieutenant in the duke's fleet, who gives the signal.
The next moment sir Yarrim senses the sorcerer Marx casting a rift. The nobleborn sorcerer who is crouching behind the pile of rocks, stands up, steps to the side, and casts a firewave spell at the enemy. Who once again rush the port side of the downed frigate.
In the distance sir Yarrim spots more of the enemy rushing in this direction. They'll get to the crashed airship fairly quickly.
Ducking back down behind the pile of rocks, the powerful sorcerer who is the second most influential noble in the duchy of Phelm, behind only duke Hargen himself, says to his two personal household guards "Once they're all through, run that way".
Sir Yarrim points away to the southwest towards the Mareb river, then he adds "Keep as close to me as possible, i won't be able to protect you if you're too far from me".
"Yes sir" reply the guards in unison, then one adds "Sir, through what exactly?".
"That" says the sorcerer Yarrim who nods to behind the downed frigate, where a rift has just appeared next to lieutenant Marx, the otherside of which is in the city of Almaic.
Sir Yarrim stands once more, steps to one side, and sends a fireball flying off towards the enemy, towards a spellcaster he can sense amongst them. As they all scramble to get clear of his firewave which is nearly a hundred and twenty feet in length.
Ducking back down behind the pile of rocks, and looking back at the downed warship. The sorcerer Yarrim sees those of the crew with bows and crossbows. Standing at the stern and presumably at the bow. Shooting at the enemy who are trying to approach the twin masted frigate that crashed when an enemy spellcaster got particularly lucky, and got through its wards, and hit the magical keel, which keeps an airship in the sky.
While others in the crew who survived the crash landing, make their way into the rift that the sorcerer Marx has created.
Sir Yarrim sees a gaping hole in the starboard side of the downed frigate, and slightly nods, and murmurs "In there".
"Sir?" asks one of his personal household guards "Just thinking out loud" says the nobleborn spellcaster who is in a relationship with lady Elaine, who is the younger sister of duke Hargen. Who the duke, just yesterday, named as his new heir. After he had his younger cousin, sir Tanvar. Executed for criminal activity during a time of war.
His other personal guard has popped his head around the other end of the pile of rocks, then says "Hell, there's an awful lot of them heading this way alright".
Sir Yarrim just nods his head, and doesn't look that way. Instead he continues to watch the crew of the downed frigate go through the rift his fellow sorcerer, lieutenant Marx has cast.
Once the crew members with crossbows and bows start running to the rift one at a time, and enter it as the sorcerer Marx keeps an eye on everyone going through his rift.
Sir Yarrim quietly says to his two personal household guards "Get ready".
One who like the powerful sorcerer, is watching the crew of the downed warship go through the rift just behind it, nods his head.
As does the other who is peeking around one end of the rock pile, who also winces as he's sees how many of the enemy are rushing this way.
The nobleborn sorcerer watches as the last two archers, who were standing at the prow of the crippled frigate. Hurry to the rift, and enter it one at a time. Once they're through, lieutenant Marx, without looking in the direction of his fellow sorcerer, is the last one through the rift.
"Now!" shouts sir Yarrim, his two personal household guards are up and running.
And as the rift cast by the sorcerer Marx vanishes as he drops the spell after going through the otherside, which is in the city of Almaic.
The sorcerer Yarrim casts an energyball, the most powerful energyball he can cast. Infact it's the most powerful one he's ever cast.
After doing so, he turns and runs after his pair of guards. While the energyball, over fifteen feet wide. Looking like a shot from a magetube. Heads right to the downed airship. To be precise, the large chunk missing in the starboard side hull.
Sir Yarrim doesn't look back, he just runs as fast as he can. And though he's in red armour, most of which is hardened leather. With the exception of his breastplate, pouldrons, bracers and greeves. All of which are a red coloured steel.
He soon catches up to his personal household guards. Who are attired in similar armour, just not red. But more heavy steel than their lord.
Once he's close to his personal household guards, and after flinching as he senses, then feels and hears his energyball go into the downed airship and explode.
Sir Yarrim who is looking towards the city of Almaic across on the otherside of the Mareb river, disappears with his two guards as he teleports them away to safety.
Not so safe, are those in the army led by general Halvane from the lands Farque. Who have got to the downed airship. After avoiding the firewave and fireball cast by the powerful sorcerer who hails from the southern border region of the duchy of Phelm.
They're all killed when the energyball cast by sir Yarrim enters the downed airship and explodes in spectacular fashion.
The crippled frigate is blasted to bits. The entire ship is blown apart. With wood shattering into untold pieces. And though large chunks of the crippled vessel go flying away in all directions. There's no saving the twin masted warship, which is well and truly destroyed.
Only the magetubes onboard survive more or less intact. Though they go flying off in all directions as the explosion is that powerful.
Many of the magetubes, though still in one piece. Are damaged in some way or another. Either cracked, which makes them useless. Or warped in someway, which renders them nearly useless.
It'll take a while to work out which ones can still be used. They have to be found first. As some of them are flung up to a couple hundred feet from where the downed airship was.
Even then, specially built cradles will be needed to be made. If and when, someone wants to fire them.
Though it won't be anyone who was climbing up onboard the crippled frigate. Or who were within a hundred feet of it when it exploded. As they're all killed in the explosion. And many of those further back, are badly wounded by the flying debris. One of the magetubes that was flung through the air, goes flying over a hundred feet through the air. Not all that high off the ground. Before it smashes into a handful of those in general Halvane's army who were rushing towards the downed airship, killing them instantly.
In total, nearly two hundred are killed in the explosion that destroys the downed frigate. And half that number, who were further back. Are injured, many of them badly. From the explosion from sir Yarrim's energyball, when it went into the crippled twin masted airship, and exploded.
Standing on the roof of one of the towers on the long boulevard, behind some of the docks on the city side of the river Mareb.
Sir Yarrim, along with his two personal household guards look back in the direction the nobleborn sorcerer just teleported them from.
And in the distance across in the countryside on the otherside of the Mareb river. They see the cloud of debris and smoke, mushroom up and rise up into the afternoon sky from the explosion that has destroyed the frigate that's part of duke Hargen's fleet.
It was just one of two in duke Hargen's small fleet that he had here in the city of Almaic. The rest of his warships are out and about protecting transporters and cargo ships here in the duchy of Phelm. Or elsewhere in the kingdom of Nastell. Making their way to the duchy, that's the largest and the most northern duchy in the kingdom.
Watching the after effects of his energyball exploding, sir Yarrim quietly says to his pair of personal household guards "Even if they get their hands on any of the magetubes that were onboard, I'll doubt many will be fully intact to use".
The powerful sorcerer continues with "And the fact they'll need firing cradles to actually use one if it's not" damaged" the nobleborn spellcaster then shakes his head, and adds "It's not as though you can pick one up and use it".
Both of his personal guards nod in agreement with that assessment from the noble whose estates are on the southern border of the duchy of Phelm.
There's a handful of city guards and soldiers in the duke's army upon the roof of the tower too, and sir Yarrim turns to them and asks "Have they made another attempt to cross the river?".
"No sir" replies one of the lookouts, a soldier in the duke's army, who points and adds "They've just spread out along the riverbank over there a bit more".
Sir Yarrim nods as he sees, thanks to there being hardly any smoke along the river now, that the enemy have done that. And have moved up and down the opposite bank of the river, more than they were previously.
With the exception of those who went southeast to the downed frigate.
The nobleborn spellcaster looks away in that direction again, and sees some of them coming back towards the river Mareb. While others are searching for survivors, as well as magetubes as the last of the debris of the destroyed frigate rains down upon that area.
The sorcerer who is the second most influential noble in the duchy, only behind duke Hargen himself, slightly nods his head, then looks up the long boulevard, as the tower he's on, is towards the southern end of this side of the city.
"Any more fighting going along up there?" asks sir Yarrim "Not for a little while sir" is the answer from the lookout who spoke previously.
The powerful sorcerer slightly nods as there doesn't seem to be anymore fighting going on along the city's riverfront.
He turns to the lookout who tells him "We're been told to keep an eye out for any of them who might of got into the city sir" he continues with "One of the squads between this tower, and the next one north, have gone into the city, to search for any of them who might of got through us, and entered this side of the city".
"Good" says the sorcerer Yarrim who suspects that squads up and down the long boulevard that runs alongside the city, have made their way into Almaic to search out any of the enemy who were able to enter the city.
The nobleborn spellcaster who spots the top of one of the towers further north along the riverfront is missing, presumably after getting hit by an enemy spell.
Quietly says to his two personal household guards "I don't think they'll attempt to cross the river again anytime soon" he continues with "The attack upon this side of the city has been halted for now".
His two guards nod to that, then one says "They'll concentrate all their efforts upon the othersides they're attacking now since they've failed here" he gestures first to the north, then to the west, and adds "Along the north wall, and around on the west side of the city".
Sir Yarrim nods to that, then says "We'll go and check on them" the nobleman whose estates are along the southern border of the duchy of Phelm, continues with "But first it's back to the duke's palace, to see what reports have come in this afternoon before we actually see for ourselves".
As the nobleborn sorcerer wants to see if there's any recurring patterns amongst the attack from the enemy, as they tend to do whilst attacking a fixed position such as a city.
Sir Yarrim might not of experienced a lot of warfare in his lifetime. But he has read an awful lot about it from history books.
And one thing he's read over and over again about battles for castles and cities. Is that those who are laying siege, and attacking the castle or city. Are quite predictable, and one can see the recurring patterns in their assault upon the castle or city.
Apart from when they have completely overwhelming numbers, like ten to one. It's when they're totally unpredictable that they're truly dangerous.
As the enemy here were, when they stopped the flow of the Mareb river, and crossed over to the city that's the capital of the duchy of Phelm.
The powerful sorcerer knows that they got extremely lucky in spotting what the enemy were up to on this side of Almaic. And that he quickly thought of a way to counter them.
If not, he knows that if the enemy from the unruled lands in the Colevar Mountains, who have invaded the duchy of Phelm. Were able to cross the river in large numbers. They would of easily defeated those defending this side of Almaic. And once they did, they would've been able to freely enter the city itself. And more than likely take it with ease. As the rest of those defending Almaic, are too busy fighting along the north and west sides of the city to do anything to stop them.
But stop them we have, and i intend to stop them completely, and send them packing, back across the border, sir Yarrim thinks to himself, who then says to his two personal household guards "Back to the palace".
A moment later the three of them disappear as the powerful sorcerer teleports them away . . . . . .