Aftermath 3.

Above The Kaldel Plains...

He smells the unimaginable stench first, then he quickly moves out of the way as hears a deep, rumbling and growling voice say "Out the way cunt".
Well, at least that's what he thinks it says. As it's more than a little difficult to understand.
The cleric Beldane looks up at the large ork who walks by him in a midships this evening. The same ork he struck down during the battle of Almaic with a powerful spell. And was unable to kill.
The ork, who stinks beyond belief. Briefly scowls at him, before continuing forward along the deck of the destroyer they're onboard.
The member of the church of Glaine looks at the small, bright green goblin who follows the big, burly ork everywhere. Who smiles in apology to the powerful cleric. Before he hurries to catch up to the large ork. Who Beldane has found is a warleader. Whatever that is.
The cleric, who is from the kingdom of Nastell. Which they left behind them yesterday morning. As they're now flying over the Kaldel Plains.
The vast track of unruled lands to the southwest of the kingdom of Nastell. Over a couple thousand miles in length, and nearly the same in width.
To the north of which is the kingdom of Druvic. While to the south of it is the kingdom of Girdane. Then the city-states of Vexil and Tuledare.
Shakes his head as he watches the odd sight of the ork and goblin walk beneath one of running lights, a lamp hanging from a spar. As they make their way forward.
The two of them, who were picked up a few days ago in the south of the duchy of Phelm in northern Nastell. Are by far the oddest pair onboard. And that's saying something. As Beldane thinks there's quite a few odd people onboard the warship that's taking them south.
The cleric in the church of Glaine, who for some reason. What, he's not exactly sure. Decided to join the mercenary army from some nation called Farque.
Even though it helped to defeat the army of his duke, duke Hargen of Phelm. A duchy that has a new duke, one of the robber barons from the unruled lands to the north of the kingdom of Nastell, by the name of Solamard.
The cleric looks around, and spots the young engineer named Tovis, speaking with the beautiful looking young woman by the name of Lisell.
And the young man, a teenager really, named Tamric. Who is one of the field commanders of the army he's joined.
They're standing near the forecastle, and Beldane makes his way forward to join them. As they are the trio in the group he's been told to stay close to. Who he gets along with best.
The destroyer is at the rear of the fleet this night. A fleet that's spread out over dozens of miles. With the exception of the krean strikeship the Fídiablo. Which is long gone. As it left the fleet a couple of days ago. After going through a ship rift.
On a troop transporter about four miles ahead of the trimasted destroyer the rest of the group are on. Helbe the elven thief, who has been checking up on the battalion of goblins onboard.
Has been talking with the captain and the officers of the transporter. Wondering where Narladene the ground pixie has got herself to. As he hasn't seen her since well before midday today.
The young elven noble who is standing on the aft deck, near the starboard side. Who is of the opinion that the goblin battalion are better off without Dorc da Orc around when they're not in battle.
Is just about to head back through the fleet, and rejoin the rest of the group on the destroyer. Which is flying sentry at the very rear of the fleet. When Narladene the ground pixie suddenly appears on his right shoulder.
After putting up a spell to prevent others from listening to them, Helbe the elven thief quietly asks the tiny winged creature who is only visible to him "Where have you been all day?".
"Down on the ground" replies Narladene the ground pixie, who can easily keep pace with the fleet, especially with the krean strikeship the Fídiablo no longer with them.
"You going to head back to the others?" asks the naturally magical creature who is attached to the elven magic user who hails from the island principality of Laerel.
"I am" is the reply of the elven masterthief, who happens to be a member of the royal family that rules Laerel.
Narladene nods, and gestures forward to where some of the goblins are up on the deck of the transporter this evening, and she asks "How's that lot doing without their general and their commander?".
"Perfectly fine" says the elven princeling who is member of the personal council to the lord and ruler of the lands Farque.
The young elven noble who is a highly talented spellcaster then adds in a murmur to Narladene "I think they're better off without Dorc when they're not in battle".
"I'm not surprised" dryly murmurs the ground pixie who is originally from the Sunreach Mountains, who first met prince Helbenthril Raendril in the city of Leeabra, the capital of the kingdom of Druvic.
The elven master assassin nods his hooded head, then he's about to drop his silence spell around them, and turn to the captain of the transporter and the officers on deck with the night duty. When Narladene suddenly says  "What's that?".
"What?" asks Helbe the elven thief who immediately senses as far as he can behind them as the naturally magical creature points to aft with a look of concentration upon her face.
Spinning around and looking to the north, the young elven noble scans the night sky, and those airships following behind the transporter he's onboard.
"Down on the ground, about five miles away, a rift" suddenly says the tiny winged creature, who briefly pauses then she adds in alarm "Mageglobe".
The elven magic user disappears as he suddenly shifts away, heading quickly as he can back through the fleet.
Onboard the trimasted destroyer at the very rear of the fleet. The cleric Beldane is standing near the forecastle talking with the trio of Tovis the war engineer, Tamric Drubine the field commander and Lisell Maera the messenger.
When he leans back against the forecastle behind him, resting a hand on the top of his mace on his belt loop.
His mace feels warm. A sure sign of danger from the magical weapon. Which Beldane is glad hasn't sent him through a gateway as it is want to do when it thinks he's in danger.
"Beldane you alright?" asks Tovis the war engineer who from the light of a nearby lamp, sees a look of concern on the face of the member in the church of Glaine.
The cleric who is sensing as far and wide as he can, frowns as he thinks he might of momentarily sensed a rift down on the ground a thousand feet below them. But he doesn't sense anything there now.
All he senses are the other spellcasters onboard, and their wards they have around the warship. He also senses the nearest airship in the fleet, another warship, a frigate nearly a mile away.
"I don't know, there's something" says Beldane the cleric as he continues to sense, then from somewhere to aft, they hear someone shout "Mageglobe coming up!".
Beldane, along with Tovis, Tamric Drubine, and Lisell Maera look forward, to just ahead of them. Where on the bow deck, stands Mira Reinholt the mage. Along with Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy, Shur Kee the monk. As well as Dorc da Orc and Teabagger the goblin cunt. While sir Percavelle Lé Dic stands off to one side, as he hates being too close to the ork warleader.
From the running lights they see the look of surprise on the face of the once powerful mage. Who hurries to the nearby starboard rail, to look overboard.
"Can you sense anything?" asks Tamric Drubine to the cleric, as the young field commander knows a little bit about magic.
"They're damn difficult to sense" says Beldane referring to mageglobes, who also hurries to the starboard rail so that he can see what he's unable to sense at the moment. He can't sense a another mage, apart from Mira Reinholt, who doesn't sense like one anyway. Infact the cleric in the church of Glaine can't sense the mage Reinholt at all.
"Cleric!" shouts Mira Reinholt the mage from the bow deck, who then shouts "Ward!".
That's also yelled out from one of the officers, a spellcaster further to aft. As they've both spotted a small pin prick of light shooting up towards the trimasted destroyer.
Beldane shoves up wards around himself and those closest to him as he looks overboard, then he too spots the small ball of white light coming up towards the warship, moving quickly too as it gains height. The member of the church of Glaine who can now sense it. Wonders what it will do. As the living pieces of magic do what their creator wants them to do. Though they have a mind of their own, and go about doing their task, as they see best.
Beldane sees a mageglobe appear in the gloved right hand of Mira Reinholt who throws it overboard, and it shoots down through the night sky towards the ground.
The blue mageglobe going downwards, and the white one coming up into the night sky. Pass one another, missing by about twenty feet.
Beldane realises the spellcaster named Mira has sent it after the other mage that's somewhere about. As two mageglobes could chase one another for a long time if they wanted to. For the best way to deal with one. Is to let it do what it's been created to do. And defend against it.
"I don't know what it's going to do" says the powerful cleric who is now holding his mace in his right hand as the white mageglobe shoots up by the starboard side of the trimasted destroyer, which is now climbing and turning to port as it's come under attack.
They look up, and see the white ball of living magic. The size of a large apple. Suddenly stop about fifty feet above the deck of the warship. Then drop down faster than it went up.
Beldane winces as he wonders if the mageglobe can get through the ships wards. It does.
And slams down through the deck further aft of a midships. Nothing happens. Infact there's a momentary pause from just about everyone on deck who saw the living piece of magic hit, and go down into the airship.
Then the next moment, an explosion rocks the trimasted warship. Down below somewhere. Infact along the hull. To be exact the magical keel of the destroyer. The magical keel that keeps it in the air.
Wood and debris from aft of a midships goes flying into the air. And the warship suddenly dips forward in the bow, and starts to drop out of the night sky.
"Shit!" exclaims Beldane the cleric who is almost flung over the starboard rail as the destroyer pitches forward at an alarming rate.
He's grabbed by both Tovis the war engineer, and Tamric Drubine the field commander, who says in a matter of fact tone "I think we're going to crash".
The young engineer grabs Lisell Maera who is about to tumble forward as the airship continues to nose dive, as it starts to break apart towards aft.
People are jumping onto the jolly boats, and the ships boat, so that they can off as quickly as possible as the call from the aft deck to abandon ship can be heard.
"Cleric!" shouts out Mira Reinholt, who follows that with "Get them off the ship" as he points at Beldane, and the trio with the member in the church of Glaine.
While on the bow deck next to the once powerful mage, Dorc da Orc is standing firm, holding onto Teabagger the goblin Cunt and Shur Kee the monk.
Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy leaps up and lands upon the back of the large ork. Who staggers forward, but stands upright as the destroyer continues to pitch forward at an alarming angle as it drops out of the night sky.
"Get us the fuck out of here mage" says Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy from on top of the shoulders of the ork warleader.
"I'm trying" mutters the once powerful mage who is levitating just behind the large ork, as one of the crew goes tumbling by them, and goes over the bow sprit, then overboard.
"Percy get over here!" shouts the Vexilian mage in exile to the large heavily armoured knight who is clinging onto the nearby starboard rail here on the bow of the doomed airship.
"Not if it means i have to go with that fat smelling oaf!" calls out sir Percavelle Lé Dic.
"Oh for fucks sake" mutters the spellcaster who is also a highly skilled swordmaster.
"Dorc grab him" says the mage Reinholt "Nah get fucked" says Dorc da Orc who is basically the only one onboard who is still upright.
"Dorc, I'll tell" starts the once powerful mage "Oh alright" mutters the ork warleader.
Mira Reinholt drops his levitation spell, and crashes into the back of the big, burly ork who hails from the southern polar region of the world, and clings onto him.
At the same time, the exiled Vexilian mage quickly levitates sir Percavelle Lé Dic, and hauls the knight in the order of Saint Mar'che this way across the bow deck.
As the former earl of Lé Dic in the kingdom of Druvic yelps in surprise as he goes flying sideways through the air.
Dorc da Orc, with Teabagger the goblin Cunt clinging onto his right arm. With his big, meaty, skillet sized right hand, grabs the former paladin.
As he does, the large ork finally loses his balance, and starts to fall forward through the air along the deck.
As he does, the ork warleader and all of those holding onto him, and those he's holding, disappear in the night as Mira Reinholt the mage teleports them all.
Meanwhile, further back near the forecastle as the trimasted destroyer continues to pitch forward towards the ground as it breaks apart.
The cleric Beldane is casting a spell with the aid of his magical mace. Unfortunately when the cleric casts this particular spell, it takes a bit of time.
"If you're going to do something, i suggest you do it now" says Tamric Drubine who is clinging onto the starboard rail, as is the war engineer Tovis next to him who is also holding onto Lisell Maera.
The cleric Beldane who is clinging onto the starboard rail just up from the young field commander, says through gritted teeth "I am".
"Fuck me" mutters field commander Drubine as out of the corner of his eye, he sees Dorc da Orc and the others up on the bow deck disappear.
Then as a crewman goes overboard nearby, screaming in a panic. The airship tips so far forward that it now basically nose dives towards the ground, which is now only a few hundred feet away.
Then as the nearest mast snaps in two, and crashes down to port, and goes tumbling over that side of the destroyer.
The gateway that the cleric Beldane has cast, forms and appears on the deck on the starboard side just infront of the forecastle.
"Through the gateway!" shouts the powerful cleric as the warship continues to break apart behind them.
Tamric Drubine, or Tam as he's more commonly called by those who know him well. Doesn't even wait for the member in the church of Glaine to shout to go through the gateway.
When the young field commander sees it form, he lets go of the starboard rail. And falls down through the air, and through the gateway.
The war engineer Tovis lets go of the starboard rail next. And he and Lisell Maera tumble and roll through the air, and fall through the gateway too.
Then the fighting cleric lets go of the starboard rail as well, pushing himself off as he does so. He actually runs a couple of steps down the almost vertical deck. Then he dives forward in the air, and goes head through his gateway.
Which once he's through, it disappears behind him. As the trimasted destroyer continues it's inevitably dive towards the ground that's rapidly approaching . . . . . .