Aftermath 26.

The Kaldel Plains...

Looking through his magical, brass cylindrical eyepiece. Tamric Drubine is just about to say that the third airship that's just landed in the nearby village.
The one that's been outfitted for battle. It's ballistas and magetubes on the port side are moving.
When all of a sudden, the thud of magetubes firing reverberates throughout the night.
There's a flash of colour that lights up the night in the village. Then the next moment the airship in question. Is torn apart from behind the bow, and back to a midships. As three magetube shots slam into it and explode.
In a house on the south side of the village green. Gorlic the former arena fighter who was crouching down next to an open window in the darkened house.
Heard the shout of command from onboard the merchantman, to fire upon those of the crew of illegal wreckers out in the open.
And since only the port side weapons on the airship had targets. They weren't expecting an attack from starboard.
Where Gorlic gave the quiet command to open fire. And the three magetubes still in their cradles. That had been placed in this house for this specific reason. Fired upon the merchantman that's traveled here from the kingdom of Druvic.
One shot comes blasting out of the next window along. While another appears infront of the open door when the wheeled cradle the magetube is in, is rolled forward before firing.
While the third magical weapon. Which is in the next room along from where Gorlic is positioned.
Blasts out the wall around the window it's placed infront of. As it and the other two shots. All nine foot wide or bigger.
Head to the rerigged airship, which they hit in quick succession. As it has set down, just forty feet from the house.
The entire bow is blasted away in an explosion. And just behind that, the next shot hits. Tearing away a large chunk of the merchantman. From the starboard side to port.
While the third shot slams into the hull, just forward of the leading mast. That's from the biggest, and heaviest of the magetubes hidden in the house.
Creating the largest of the explosions. Which sends the first mast of the merchantman toppling. And tips what remains of the airship onto it's port side.
Out on the village green, Mac the dwarf. Who also heard the shouted command to attack come from the converted merchantman.
Dropped to the ground, and covered his head with his arms as he knew what was about to happen.
The former shipwright from the Cascades. Those low mountains and hill country not far from the coast of the Southlands. Just inland from the crescent port of Gilsom.
Had worked his way forward, to be closer to the fourth airship that was about to land. As he knew it wouldn't be safe near the third vessel that had put down this night.
He lies there grimacing as the ground shakes as the merchantman away to his left, and behind him. Is torn apart by the magetubes under the command of Gorlic the former arena fighter from Brattonbury. Who with a number of the other wreckers. Is in one of the houses on the south side of the village green.
The house that Mac had the third airship from the kingdom of Druvic land directly inline with.
As he grimaces from the loud explosions so close by. The former shipwright can't help but grin too.
As they've been successful in countering a surprise attack upon them by those from the kingdom of Druvic who have traveled here under the pretence of purchasing the magetubes the crew of illegal wreckers have for sale.
On the north side of the village green. The blademaster Pallen when he hears the magetubes firing. Grabs his lover Sasha the former mercenary. And pulls her down to the ground next to one of the wagons that have the magetubes lying in them.
Others out on the village green, and around it. Duck for cover too. Though not a single one of the illegal wreckers were near or inline with the rerigged merchantman that had been outfitted for battle.
Or the empty looking house that it had put down close to. The house that Gorlic and a number of the other wreckers were in with three of the remaining magetubes that still had their firing cradles.
The lovers from the kingdom of Girdane watch as basically the front third of the merchantman is destroyed in three explosions. It's front mast is toppled. And lastly the ship itself. Or what's left of it. Is toppled over on to the port side.
The night is lit up with colours from the explosion as the airship from the kingdom of Druvic is rendered useless.
The dangerous blademaster, who is a tall, fairly fair plainsman. Sees that Samiel the mage is still standing out in the open.
And though the powerful spellcaster originally from the city-state of Tuledare quickly glanced over at the merchantman on the otherside of the village green as it was struck by the trio of magetubes under the command of Gorlic in one of the houses on that side of the wide, circular open grassy area on the west side of the village.  He's looking elsewhere.
And Pallen along with his lover Sasha sees that the powerful mage is looking beyond the first airship. Which belongs to the merchant from Druvic by the name of Rogar. And is looking at the vessel behind that one. He's looking at the second of the airships that have landed this night. Here at the end of summer in the northeast area of the Kaldel Plains.
Suddenly a mageglobe appears in the open right hand of Samiel, who flings it away. The living piece of magic takes off at speed.
It heads by the first airship, the one that Rogar the merchant owns. And heads to the second vessel.
And as some of the crew on that particular vessel were just about to jump overboard, with weapons in hand.
But had all stopped in surprise, to look across to the otherside of the village green when they heard magetubes firing. Then saw the merchantman over there get torn apart by a few explosions created by magetube shots.
The mageglobe created by Samiel. Plows into the second airship. Just below the bow. Where it hits the magical keel. There the living piece of magic comes to the completion of its brief life, and explodes upwards and outwards.
Sending planking and debris flying up into the air. Briefly lifting the airship up off the ground, before it comes crashing back down again, minus the bow and much of it infront of the lead mast.
Many of those onboard, who are hired mercenaries. Are knocked off their feet. Apart from those on the bow deck. Who were either killed, or badly wounded in the explosive that tore apart the front of the vessel.
The mage from Tuledare, doesn't even watch the effects of his mageglobe. He's too busy looking at the fourth airship. To see what it does.
The powerful spellcaster who once worked for the airdock authority in the city of Tuledare. Waits to see what that vessel does. And what it does, is fairly predictable. And Samiel creates another mageglobe to prevent what they're doing.
The fourth airship from the kingdom of Druvic. Which was just about to land when the hidden magetubes were fired.
Started to slowly rise back up into the night sky. As the captain and crew thought it prudent they abandon their plans. And instead get out of here.
Even more so when they see another of the airships in their small fleet get attack. This one on the north side of the village green. Just behind Rogar's bark, which so far has been untouched.
The fourth vessel, a wide bodied cargo ship. Gets to over a hundred feet up, and is starting to turn, when the second mageglobe created by Samiel, hits it.
This mageglobe, took a little bit more time for the Tuledarian spellcaster to create. And with good reason.
For when it hits, the living piece of magic doesn't come to the end of it's existence and explode.
This one smashes up through the hull, goes up through the decks, before smashing up through the top deck. Where it slams into one of the masts. Which it goes completely through
And as that mast cracks, and starts to break in two. The mageglobe drops back down through the top deck. Going at an angle, heading down through the airship. Smashing out of the underside of the hull.
Where it stops in mid air, and goes back up through the vessel from the kingdom of Druvic. It slams up through the decking. Comes out through the top deck, and smashes into the next mast as the first one finally breaks in two and falls down upon the deck.
The living piece of magic drops down through the vessel once more. Smashing through the decking before coming out through the hull.
And in mid air again, it stops and heads back up through the airship. Making it's way to the third and final mast of the cargo vessel.
On it's path of destruction, the mageglobe has kept well clear of the magical keel. As his creator, the mage Samiel. Wants that intact as his mageglobe brings down the fourth airship that's trying to make it's escape.
"Hell" mutters Tamric Drubine as he watches the fourth airship that's trying to escape, start to drop out of the sky after it's third and final mast breaks in two, and smashes down onto the deck. That one actually ends up going overboard. Over the starboard side, before it crashes into the ground below.
"Looks like they didn't attack that first ship that landed" quietly says Lisell Maera, who has found it easy to see what's going on, as one of the airships is definitely on fire. And it looks like fire has broken out on another one.
"They haven't" quietly says the nobleborn teenager from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin as the four of them lie there on a small rise, less than a quarter of a mile to the east of the village.
A village that's the home of a crew of illegal wreckers. Who less than a week ago brought down the warship that they were flying on.
"Think they're in cahoots?" quietly asks Beldane the cleric who is still holding his power within himself, as he lies to the left of the young field commander in the armies of Farque.
"I don't know" quietly says Tamric Drubine, who is more commonly called Tam by the others in the group.
"We're about to find out i suppose" quietly adds field commander Drubine as the four of them continue to watch what's going on in the village, that isn't all that far away from them.
Those wreckers who were going to help moor the airships once they had landed. Were prepared to do something else if those from the kingdom of Druvic attempted to attack them, and fail.
Now they're doing that. As they clamber up onto the airships. All four of the vessels. Three of which are badly damaged and are completely useless.
The brothers Tim and Tom. As well as the wizard Davon. Lead a group of the wreckers out from behind some of the houses on the south side of the village green.
And clamber up onto the rerigged merchantman. Which is lying on it's port side. It's remaining magetubes are useless. For if they're not sticking into the ground on the port side. Those that were left on the starboard side have fallen down the lower deck, to end up on the port side of the ship too.
While the remaining ballistas on the starboard side. One in a midships, and the other aft. Are just sticking up into the air on that side of the ship.
Gorlic the former arena fighter steps out of the house that the hidden magetubes are in.
He looks at the merchantman that he and the others of the wreckers just took out, and grins.
The former arena fighter from the city-state of Brattonbury, who is a bit of a hot head at times. Can't help but feel satisfied at what he and the others have done.
Taking down three airships, and securing a fourth, after the rerigged merchantman was about to attack them.
Gorlic shakes his head, and after he watches the brothers Tim and Tom, and some of the others climb up onto the merchantman, which is now on fire.
He makes his way around it, and heads across the village green. Mac the dwarf joins him. And after the two of them nod to acknowledge their efforts this evening.
They cross to where the others are standing. The couple Sasha and Pallen. Along with Samiel the mage. Who has a more than satisfied look upon his face.
"That went better than expected" says Gorlic the former arena fighter when he and Mac joins the other three.
"I know" says Sasha the former mercenary as they make their way to the first vessel that landed, the one that belongs to the merchant Rogar.
Noticing Samiel glancing around, Pallen the blademaster asks the powerful spellcaster from the city-state of Tuledare "What is it?".
"Thought i sensed someone else" quietly says Beldane the mage, who then murmurs to himself "Felt like a cleric of all things".
Then the mage nods to the airship they're approaching, and says "They've still got a wizard onboard" he then gestures over to the fourth airship, the wide bodied cargo vessel and adds "And there's a sorcerer onboard that one, he's unconscious".
"Any others?" asks the good looking one eyed woman who is originally from the kingdom of Girdane.
"Dead" says the powerful Tuledarian mage who continues with "The two onboard that converted merchantman had no chance against those direct magetube shots" Samiel then adds "And i killed the other one" as he points to the airship minus it's bow thanks to one of his mageglobes.
They get to Rogar's vessel, and see that Arvelle and a number of others are already onboard. They climb up the cargo net that's over the port side.
And once onboard they see the crew are under guard of some of the illegal wreckers. While Arvelle along with the twins Sasha and Famic are speaking with Rogar the merchant, and two other men. One the ship's captain, and the other the wizard that Samiel has sensed.
Sasha leads the others to stern, to the aft deck where Arvelle is speaking with the merchant.
The former mercenary from the kingdom of Girdane nods in greeting to the twins Sasha the sorceress and Famic the mercenary.
Then she along with Pallen, Gorlic and Mac listen to the conversation their leader and the merchant from the kingdom of Druvic are having.
"Well we've got a problem" says Arvelle the leader of the crew of illegal wreckers, who continues with "I know you and your crew weren't planning anything untowards me and my lot".
Arvelle nods over to the sorceress Sara who has confirmed to him that Rogar had no other plans here apart to purchase some of the magetubes the wreckers are selling.
"But you did get these others to come along with you" says the tall, fair plainsman with the shaved head who leads the illegal wreckers.
"Just one other" says Rogar, who is a rotund man, fairly short, who is originally from the city of Leeabra, the capital of Druvic. But now plys his trade across the south of the kingdom.
The merchant who has done business with the illegal wreckers over the last year a number of times, points at the airship behind his, and adds "Just Hamard" followed by "He got the other two to come along, since we'd need protection and well, more purchasing power, since the two of us probably couldn't afford to buy all the magetubes you're selling".
Arvelle looks over at the sorceress Sara, who nods to him. Then the leader of the illegal wreckers looks at Samiel the mage, who nods too, then quietly says "He's telling the truth". As he like Sara, has been reading the mind of the merchant from the kingdom of Druvic.
Arvelle nods, then says "Well, we've still got a bit of a problem" the plainsman who leads the wreckers, looks over at the merchantman lying on it's port side across the otherside of the village green, and he quietly adds "And I've just got more magetubes available to purchase".
He looks at Rogar, then says to him "Now who's going to buy all of them now?".
The short, rotund merchant from Druvic knows he's in no position to bargain, and he says "Maybe we could come to some kind of deal?".
"The kind of deal where i let you live, and you pay more for the merchandise than originally agreed upon?" says Arvelle as he lifts an expressive eyebrow as he looks down at the merchant from the kingdom of Druvic standing infront of him.
"Ah, yeah" hesitantly says Rogar, who continues with "A deal like that".
"I knew you'd see things my way" says the leader of the crew of illegal wreckers as he grins . . . . . .