The Lost Ones 24.

Summer. The Islands Of The Mainland Of Dreese. The Island Of Solma.

He's used to it now. Not having complete control over himself and his magic.
At first he fought it. But now it's second nature. And he accepts it.
Even though, deep down. There's a small part of him, hidden away from everything. That still fights to be free.
There's moments when he regains small control of who he was.
Usually first thing in the morning, and during the night.
But that's more of a hindrance than anything else. As it's a small taste of what things used to be like.
Before he was under the control of another spellcaster. A devious individual when it comes to magic. Who happens to be the Sultan of Dreese.
Mira Reinholt the mage is sitting on his bunk in his cabin he shares with three other captured spellcasters.
When he gets the call to attend the Sultan up on the deck of the flagship of the fleet.
The once powerful mage who at the moment is alone in his cabin. Stands up, straightens his hooded cloak.
Then makes his way from the cabin. Out in the passageway, he briefly winces as he gets the call to hurry up.
Further down the passageway, a sorcerer who is in the same captive situation he is in.
Does the exact same thing. Briefly pauses, and winces. Before continuing on his way towards the nearest ladder.
The mage Reinholt follows after him. And when he reaches the ladder, he climbs the steps to the deck of the triple masted airship, that serves as the flagship of the Sultan's fleet.
The spellcaster who is from the city-state of Vexil in the Southlands. Looks around when he's up on deck. And sees that the Sultan's airship has picked up speed.
They're flying at a height of about a thousand feet above the water. And are heading towards the island of Solma.
Which the Sultan's forces, are attacking the south end of. As the campaign against the Viceroy and his forces continues.
The mage, who also happens to be a highly skilled swordmaster. Who unfortunately no longer has any of his swords, as they were taken off him when he was first captured. Just after he came through the rift/void spell he accidentally cast.
Makes his way forward, as he sees the other captive spellcasters are gathering up on the bow deck of the triple masted airship.
The Vexilian mage in exile and the rest of the practitioners of magic under the control of the Sultan of Dreese.
Not already there, make their way onto the bow deck. Of the large, rather wide of beam flying vessel. That doesn't have much in the way of weapons. Just four ballista, fore and aft. And no magetubes.
It doesn't really need any. Considering there's twenty captive spellcasters onboard, who are under the control of one man. The Sultan of Dreese.
Mira Reinholt leans against the port side rail up on the bow deck. As the flagship approaches the island of Solma. Which is a stronghold for the Viceroy and his forces.
The mage from the Southlands. Looks at his fellow spellcasters, who are held captive with him by the Sultan.
They're a diverse, and a motley bunch of spellcasters. All of varying degrees of power. Not to mention a whole range of types of practitioners of magic.
There's conjurers, illusionists, magic users, sorcerers and wizards. There's even a witch, and another mage.
They're all human spellcasters, as the Sultan doesn't trust non human spellcasters.
And most are from the Sultanate of Dreese. Though a few are from other nations along the east coast of the continent.
The mage Reinholt recognises one is from the five kingdoms. The kingdom of Wah Lee to be exact.
As that man is short, and has the slightly golden hue to his skin tones. That all people from that particular nation has.
But Mira himself is from the furthest away. Coming from the Southlands, which is all the way on the otherside of the continent. Over twelve thousand miles to the west.
The highly skilled swordmaster who is in exile from his homeland of Vexil.
Looks away to the north, at the island of Solma the flagship is rapidly approaching.
The spellcaster who was once the most powerful mage of his generation to be found anywhere in the Southlands.
Until he was stripped of most of his vast powers when he went through another rift/void he accidentally cast, that sent him offworld.
Can now see the battle taking place along the south side of the island of Solma.
The Sultan's sea fleet is just outside of a lagoon, and his forces, who are using dinghies and ship's boats to get into the lagoon, through gaps in the reef.
Are storming the beach, that the Viceroy's forces have set up defensive positions on.
From this height, and distance. The smaller craft in the calm waters of the lagoon on the south side of Solma.
Look like toys as they go back and forth through the reef, as they ferry soldiers and guards from the waiting fleet in the open water, into the lagoon, so they can attack the enemy.
Mira Reinholt peers around a robed wizard standing infront of him, to get a better look at the battle taking place down on the beach on the south side of Solma.
As he does, he suddenly stiffens and grimaces. As does the wizard infront of him. And the rest of the cadre of twenty spellcasters under the control of the Sultan of Dreese.
They all turn, and look aft. Where they see the Sultan of Dreese standing infront of the wheelhouse on the raised aft deck of the flagship.
The flying vessel is so large, it has a wheelhouse. Something only found on the largest of ships, both air and sailing.
Or on more rare looking vessels, that aren't of non human design. Which you won't find here in the Sultanate of Dreese. Or anywhere else along the east coast of the continent.
The flagship slows down, and drops in altitude, as it sweeps away to starboard, now that it's over the Sultan's fleet down on the open water below, just outside the lagoon.
The mage Reinholt along with the rest of the cadre of spellcasters under the direct control of the Sultan of Dreese.
Receive their orders from him. Then they all turn in unison, and look down at the battle, as they prepare to act.
The little part at the very center of his mind, that's still him.
Sourly smiles within his mind at the presence of the Sultan. An obese man of intermittent years. Who apparently is his mid thirties. Which is around Mira's own age.
Who stands infront of the wheelhouse, with his herald beside him.
And behind him are a number of his concubines. Men and women. Some little more than children. Barely adolescents.
Amongst them is the newest of the Sultan's concubines. General Martos, who until the start of this week. Led the Sultan's army against the Viceroy and his forces.
That small part in the mage Reinholt's mind that's still his. For all the hate and anger he has at being in the situation he's in at the moment.
Knows it could be a hell of a lot worse, he could be a concubine to the Sultan of Dreese.
But thankfully he's a practitioner of magic. And the supreme ruler of Dreese, likes to keep the spellcasters he has under his control in other ways. Compared to the poor individuals who serve as his concubines.
As the flagship continues to drop down in altitude towards the ocean below.
Layers of wards spring up along the port side of largest airship in the Sultan's fleet, as it continues it's sweep to starboard.
The fleet of airships that the Sultan of Dreese has at his disposal isn't particularly large.
And those that are nearby, quickly get out of the path of the flagship.
One such airship, is the Quick Gull, the smallest and quickest airship in the fleet.
Onboard it, Helbe the elven thief says to the captain and the officers on the aft deck "Looks like they're going to attack" as he gestures at the flagship that's now below them, and away to starboard.
"Hope they don't kill our own men like they've done before" murmurs the captain under his breath, that the young elven noble from the island principality of Laerel off the coast of the Southlands, clearly hears.
"Here they go" murmurs Narladene the ground pixie in the elven language as she stands upon the right shoulder of the elven magic user she's attached to.
"They're going to cast" says the elven masterthief to the spellcaster onboard "Get ready for any backlash" adds the elf from the Southlands.
The spellcaster onboard, who is standing with the representative from the Sultan's court, nods his head. And readies to slam up wards. As one can never be too careful, when the Sultan's cadre of spellcasters enter battle.
Just then, a multitude of spells are cast from the flagship of the fleet, which is following the curve of the reef, that separates the lagoon from the open waters of the ocean.
Fireballs, energyballs, lightning bolts, and all manner of spells make their way from the largest airship in the Sultan's fleet.
The spells either go up and over the wards along the port side of the flagship, then head towards the island of Solma.
Or they drop down from beneath it, then head towards the south side of the island that's a stronghold for the younger brother of the Sultan, the Viceroy of Dreese. To be exact, the former Viceroy of Dreese. Who led an attempted coup against his older brother the Sultan.
The highly talented elven magic user from the Southlands, spots a small ball of bright light drop down from the flagship, then shoot off towards the island of Solma.
It's a mageglobe, and he wonders if it was created by his fellow spellcaster, and fellow member of lord Farque's personal council, Mira Reinholt the mage. Who is now part of the Sultan's cadre of spellcasters.
It's not, it was created by the other mageglobe in the Sultan's cadre.
As Narladene the ground pixie points at something, and quietly murmurs to him in the elven language "Mira's".
The young elven noble who is the grandson of the ruling prince of Laerel spots another small bright ball of light in the midday sunshine.
This one also drops down from beneath the largest ship in the Sultan's fleet.
But this particular mageglobe continues to drop downwards, and shoots down into the water below.
"What's it do?" murmurs Helbe the elven thief.
"Something destructive no doubt" is the whispered reply from the naturally magical creature with a shrug of her shoulders.
As even she finds it difficult to sense what a mageglobe, which is a living piece of magic, is designed to do by it's creator.
The elven princeling from the Southlands nods his hooded head. Then he goes back to watching the spells cast by the cadre of spellcasters under the control of the Sultan of Dreese, that's just been unleashed upon the south side of the island of Solma.
The young elven noble who is the third in line to take the throne of Laerel. Behind his mother, and older sister.
Sees that most of the spells are heading, or have hit amongst the trees up behind the long curving beach, here on the south side of Solma.
Where a large number of the Viceroy's forces are dug in. As a lot of their war machines are hidden amongst the tropical forest behind the beach.
Though some of the destructive spells hit the beach. And they're pretty indiscriminate where they hit.
Not just going for the structures and fortifications the enemy have behind walls of sand bags. That aren't being attacked by the Sultan's soldiers and personal guards who are on the beach, fighting the Viceroy's forces.
But also those ones which are being attacked by the Sultan's army and members of his personal guards, who are on the beach.
Combatants from both sides of the battle are caught up in explosions and fire. As indiscriminate spells hit the beach.
A couple of the spells cast by the cadre on the Sultan's flagship even fall short. And hit the water of the lagoon.
A dinghy heading back to the reef, explodes when an energyball hits it.
While a bunch of the Sultan's personal guards, who are running through the shallow water towards the beach. Are struck by liquid fire when a fireball from the flagship falls short of the beach, and hits them instead.
"Hell" loudly mutters the captain in disgust when he and the others witness that "The useless bastards" adds the ship's captain in a loud mutter.
Then he quickly shoots a glance at the representative of the Sultan's court who is onboard.
One has to be careful at what they say about the Sultan's actions infront of his representatives from his court.
If you criticise the supreme ruler of the Sultanate of Dreese. You're likely to be punished.
Hopefully death. As that's preferable to being turned into one of his personal guards if one doesn't want that in life.
Or even worse. One of his concubines. As everyone in his armies and fleets knows what he gets up to with his concubines.
Who are little more than shells of who they were previously. And are nothing but sex slaves, and playthings for the Sultan of Dreese.
Fortunately for the captain of the Quick Gull, the representative from the Sultan's court is too busy watching the battle down on the beach, to care about what he just said.
Then they all look sharply to beyond the beach, amongst the trees up behind him. As the largest explosion by far takes place.
Prince Helbenthril Raendril slightly nods his hooded head when Narladene whispers to him "The other mageglobe".
They watch burning trees, and bits of debris, mushroom up into the midday sky, on this warm topical summer's day, in the islands of Dreese, off from the mainland of the Sultanate.
The explosion is so massive, that even some of those fighting each other on the beach. Briefly halt their combat, to look at what's just happened amongst the tropical forest behind the beach.
The tiny winged creature on the right shoulder of the elven magic user she's attached to.
Points at one of the enemy fortifications on the long, curving beach on the south side of the island of Solma.
It's one yet to be attacked by anyone in the Sultan's forces. Whether they be down on the ground, on the water, or up in the air.
"Mira's" quietly adds the ground pixie, and a moment later. There's another large explosion. Not as large as the one amongst the trees. Where the debris is still mushrooming up into the sky above the tropical forest.
This one is on the beach. At the fortification that the naturally magical creature just pointed at.
Sand, wood, and bits of body go flying everywhere.
And it's by far the most destruction done to any of the enemy fortifications on the beach.
Infact more than half of it has been destroyed and is missing.
And though there's none of the Sultan's forces to it at the moment.
There's now a clear path for them to the tropical forest along that part of the beach.
The elf from the Southlands, who is a member of the personal council to the lord and ruler of the lands Farque. Slightly nods his head in understanding.
For whatever it is the Sultan of Dreese has got his cadre of spellcasters to do. They do have some say in the decisions they make.
For though Mira Reinholt's mageglobe didn't create an explosion anywhere as large as the other mageglobe amongst the trees behind the beach.
It was far more strategic, and ultimately more destructive. A sure sign of someone who has had a lot of experience in wars and battles.
The young elven noble from the island principality of Laerel suspects his fellow councillor, Mira Reinholt. Is probably more experienced at battle than all of the other spellcasters under the control of Sultan, combined.
The Vexilian mage in exile knows what to do in battle, to give his side an advantage.
And true, when he was young man. He would of used his vast amounts of powers to basically blast away anything that got in his way.
But nowadays, with far less power at his disposal. He's much more smarter when it comes to combat.
Onboard the flagship of the fleet. The very small part of his mind, that's still his.
Mira Reinholt the mage is grimly satisfied with what he just did.
He and the rest of the cadre of spellcasters under the control of the Sultan of Dreese.
Were ordered by him to smash through the enemy down on the south side of the island of Solma.
And that's exactly what the once powerful mage from the Southlands, just did.
Far more effectively than anyone else in the cadre of spellcasters, who the supreme ruler of Dreese, has under his control.
Even the other mage. Whose living piece of magic was clearly destructive. But no where near as strategic with what the spellcaster from the city-state of Vexil just did.
Mira Reinholt the mage takes a deep breath, and is glad for the slight respite from the Sultan's mind touch for the moment.
As the supreme ruler of Dreese, his herald and others of his court on the aft deck of the large airship, look at the effects of the multitude of spells that were just hurled at the enemy.
Then the spellcaster from the Southlands, along with the rest of the cadre under the Sultan's control.
All stiffen, and wince in pain as they stand upon the bow deck of the triple masted airship.
As the Sultan of Dreese, by way of his mind touch he has upon all of them.
Tells them to resume the attack upon the enemy on the south end of the island of Solma.
Which is exactly what the mage Reinholt and the rest of the Sultan's cadre of spellcasters do . . . . . .