The Hire 151.

The City Of Almaic...

On the east side of the city of Almaic. Along the boulevard that runs down that side of the city. And amongst the neighbourhoods closest to the Mareb river.
A number of the goblin battalion in the mercenary army from the lands Farque. Have fought their way through the defenders along this side of the city. And entered the city itself.
One of the last goblins is a small dark green one, simply renamed Shit by his general.
Who has an enemy arrow in his side. And who doesn't make it across the boulevard into the city.
But instead stumbles inside one of the towers along the riverbank. Where he trips over, avoiding an enemy's sword that would of taken his head off.
And as he lies there on the floor at the bottom of the tower. He twists one end of what he's holding. Which is a mage canister.
Wincing as he looks back across the long boulevard, where he sees one of the watchtowers along the waterfront loudly explode, and go instantly up in flames like an out of control candle.
The goblin Youdead shouts out in his native language for any of the others in the battalion who might still be on the long boulevard, to head into the city.
Youdead does that too. Though after he looks to the south along the Mareb river. Where he last saw his general and his commander who were swept downriver some time ago.
Once again not seeing the two of them. He heads into the city. Youdead who is one of the officers in the goblin battalion in the mercenary army from the lands Farque.
Runs down a dark lane, at the end of which, are two others in the battalion who are waiting for him.
Youdead and the two others with him turn north. As he knows the others in the goblin battalion who have entered the city of Almaic are doing right now.
For their plan this night once they got off the river, and entered Almaic, is to head north through the city that's the capital of the duchy of Phelm.
And get to the north wall of the city. Where they're to either open the main gates on the north side of Almaic. Or to open one or more of the many sally ports along the north wall of the city that's the provincial capital.
Youdead and the two others with him, are soon joined by three more in their battalion. And they head quickly and quietly through the streets here in the eastern quarter of the city.
Hardly tripping over their own feet, or each other's as they make their way northwards through the city that's the capital of the duchy of Phelm.
Meanwhile, across on the otherside of the city. In the west of Almaic. Just within the city itself. Within where a wall would normally of been built along this side of the largest city here in the duchy.
Tovis the war engineer winces as hears the barrage of magetubes firing again. From an enemy airship in the sky somewhere a bit further within the city.
The young engineer who hails from the kingdom of Druvic, who is now a captain in the armies of Farque. Looks at his second in command, the sorcerer Larris.
"Think you can take down a warship" quietly asks Tovis the war engineer in the elven language as they follow the scout Jaxs and others through a series of lanes and side street, here in the western quarter of the city of Almaic.
"If there's no wards on it i could" replies Larris the sorcerer in the same language, who is holding his power within himself at the moment, so as not to give himself away to enemy spellcasters.
The two of them, and others in the group with them. Look straight up into the night sky above the lane they're in. And they see a number of magetube shots go roaring by, as they pass overhead.
On their way to hitting the ground somewhere just outside the city proper. Most likely amongst the army led by field commander Talbot, which they're part of. Which is attacking this side of the city that's the provincial capital.
"It doesn't matter if i can take down an airship or not" quietly says the sorcerer Larris as they continue down the lane they're in.
The fairly powerful sorcerer in the mercenary army from the lands Farque, slightly nods behind the two of them, at who's following them as he quietly adds "The councillor can" followed by "And with ease i believe".
Captain Tovis nods in agreement, as he glances back at Shur Kee the monk who is following behind the two of them.
"We need to find him a spot with an unobstructed view of that airship" quietly says the young engineer who was once the war engineer to a certain baron Harkonin in the eastern region of the kingdom of Druvic.
The sorcerer Larris nods his head in agreement, then after they briefly pause at the end of the lane. Then one by one they cross a dark street to another lane. The sorcerer in the armies of Farque quietly says "We need to tell the others".
The captain who commands the engineering corp in the Farqian mercenary army quietly calls out in elven to Jaxs that they need to stop and talk about something.
The scout who is a subaltern in the armies of Farque, who also happens to be a trained assassin. Has a quiet word with the other subaltern and the sergeant at arms, whose squad they've joined up with.
The order to stop is given, apart from two scouts who continue forward. Whilst the war engineer, his second in command, make their way forward. Followed by the short, statured monk wearing the odd, conical shaped hat. Who is an honorary member of the personal council of the lord and ruler of the lands Farque.
Once they've stopped at the edge of a small square at the intersection of four buildings. Tovis briefly explains in the elven language what needs to be done as they hear the enemy warship firing some of it's magetubes again.
"Up on a roof perhaps" says the sergeant at arms "Or a wide street where you can see a bit more of the night sky" adds the subaltern of the squad they've joined. Which is predominantly made up of those in their own army. With less than ten who are in the army of the robber baron Markell.
"Whatever it is, the closer the better" quietly says the sorcerer Larris, who continues with "The enemy won't know what the hell it is, and the less time they have to try and figure it out, the better".
"Makes sense" quietly says the young engineer who is from the kingdom of Druvic.
Then as the subaltern starts issuing orders, mainly to do with finding a spot to see the enemy warship that's somewhere above this quarter of the city.
The war engineer and his second in command turn to the physical adept behind them, and in the common language, Tovis the war engineer quietly says to him "Councillor we were wondering if there was something you could do".
"Of course" quietly says Shur Kee the monk, who has a feeling what's going to be asked of him, and he adds "Is it do with that?" as he points in the direction they can hear the enemy warship firing some of it's magetubes once more.
Captain Tovis nods his head, then they all turn as a quiet call comes from the otherside of the small square. They cross it, where they find the scout Jaxs talking with one of the others. Who informs them that the enemy airship can be seen from the side street at the other end of the building they're next to.
They make their way along the side of the building, once they're at the end of it. First Jaxs, then Tovis, followed by Larris look away to the left down a street. And they get their first view of the enemy warship in the night sky.
"Bit too far away" says the sorcerer Larris, Tovis the war engineer nods in agreement, then turns and gestures the short statured monk forward. Who looks around the corner and spots the battlecruiser in the sky, which is easy to see as it has a number of lamps lit for running lights. And the fact every so often, it's port side magetubes are firing westwards.
"A bit closer i think" quietly says Shur Kee the monk "Down the end of the street there" says subaltern Jaxs who points to a two storey building as she adds "Up on the roof of that building".
"Sounds good to me" murmurs captain Tovis who turns to the other subaltern and the sergeant at arms and quickly tells them what they'll do.
Two of the scouts, along with the assassin Jaxs move out first. Followed by the others, who head down the street either singly or in pairs.
At the end of the street, it's the subaltern Jaxs who in a lane finds a set of outside steps that lead up to the roof of the two storey building they've picked out.
And as they start heading up them, Tovis who is still in the lane, turns to the other subaltern who quietly tells him "There's some of them nearby".
"Do your best to keep them away" quietly says the young engineer, who like the others in the Farqian mercenary army, speaks in elven unless they speak to someone who doesn't know the language.
"Will do" says the subaltern, who like Tovis and the others in the mercenary army from the lands Farque with the exception of councillor Kee, is wearing the black surcoats or cloaks that's their uniform over their armour.
As the subaltern and the sergeant at arms gathers a number of his squad and move off. The war engineer who is originally from the kingdom of Druvic hurries up the steps to the roof.
Once he's up on the flat rooftop of the two storey building, the young engineer can clearly see the enemy airship. Which he sees is a tri-masted battlecruiser.
"Not really moving that much" quietly says Larris the sorcerer who continues with "Just drifting to starboard really".
"They're marching their line of fire back in this direction" explains the scout Jaxs as she points at the enemy warship that's on a slight tilt as they look at the back of it, as it's bow to stern, north to south in the air, about two hundred feet above the ground, and a similar distance away from them.
"Pretty standard maneuver for an airship shooting at targets on the ground" adds the assassin whose training was completed by prince Helbenthril Raendril himself.
Then the three of them, along with two others in the engineering corp in the Farqian mercenary army. Look over at the short, statured monk, who moves towards one end of the roof.
Where he puts one foot infront of the other as he slightly bends at the knees, then reaches up and takes a hold of the jade pendant he wears on a fine silver chain around his neck.
The pendant starts to glow green when the acolyte in the philosophical order of Bru Li takes a hold of it.  Onboard the battlecruiser, up on the bow deck of duke Hargen's warship.
Sir Yarrim the sorcerer is looking to port, watching a number of magetube shots streaking down through the night, heading west, to hit the warren of buildings and lanes just outside the city proper.
The nobleborn spellcaster grins as he sees a couple of them hit the ground and explode, and in the light of the explosions, he sees an enemy catapult get blown apart.
"We're definitely getting them" says sir Yarrim the sorcerer, who is helping to maintain the wards on the forward port quarter of the airship, as it slowly drifts to starboard on a bit of an angle.
So that the magetube crews down below, can shoot down at the enemy positions, whilst marching their line of fire back towards the city proper, where the enemy are now trying to enter.
The spellcaster whose estate is located along the southern border of the duchy of Phelm. Senses then sees a fireball come up towards the airship, just to the north of them.
And as he's just about to retaliate as he knows his wards will easily halt the incoming fireball that's streaking up into the night sky towards them.
There comes a shout from aft, infact quite a bit of shouting from that end of the battlecruiser.
And as the second most influential noble in the duchy behind only duke Hargen himself, looks back to the wheelhouse on the aft deck.
Next to him, the guardsman Harvin leans over the port rail, and looks to aft.
"Shit!" exclaims Harvin the guardsman who quickly adds "Sir look at that" followed by "It's just like from before".
Sir Yarrim leans over the port rail too, and looks aft. Where he just spots a white ball of energy about to hit the stern of the battlecruiser. And he too recognises it as the same type of ball of strange, non magical energy, that hit him and Harvin earlier at dusk.
It hits the aft section of the warship, which shudders. The powerful sorcerer grimaces as he sees bits of wood and debris go flying. It's part of the magical keel of the airship, which allows it stay in the air and fly.
"Fuck" mutters the nobleman in the red armour, who grabs onto the port side rail as the warship suddenly tilts violently to port, then starts to head quickly down in that direction as all control of it in the wheelhouse has been lost.
And as there's screams and shouts from the crew as the battlecruiser starts to quickly tilt and drop port side towards the ground, picking up speed as it does so.
Sir Yarrim drops the wards he's casting, takes a hold of Harvin's right arm, and teleports them as the duke's warship starts to roll to port as it heads down towards the ground, and the city just a couple hundred feet below. On this warm summer's night here in the north of the kingdom of Nastell . . . . . .