To War 11.

Summer. Kingdom Of Melaurn.

They're not happy with it at first. Infact they're not happy with it at all.
They could be best described as shocked after learning about it.
But since they've got no say about it. As they don't command them. And indeed they've given the command of their own forces over to them.
They've got no say about how things are about to proceed.
With the southern provinces of Corlinda and Karricaw sharing a border that's in dispute.
And with the province of Corlinda to the west, and the province of Karricaw to the east.
And since the fleet from the lands Farque is coming from the east.
Lord Farque himself hasn't bothered to deal with the disputed area on the border.
Where armies from both Corlinda and Karricaw, have built up. And have squared off, and are facing one another across the border.
The lord and ruler of the lands Farque as is his way when it comes to warfare. Is to undertake total warfare, to defeat the enemy.
Has decided to attack the heart of the enemy territory, in the middle of the province of Karricaw.
Onboard the flagship battlecruiser, the son of baron Wilmot, Krissner shares a look with sir Jinpel.
Then they look down to where one of the frigates is lifting off from the ground, five hundred feet below them.
The two of them, along with others in the delegation from the province of Corlinda are in a midships.
Looking at a castle, and a nearby village, here in the heart of enemy territory, in the province of Karricaw.
As the frigate hovers about fifty feet off the ground, and a couple hundred feet from the castle.
They see those within the castle fleeing, running out of the main gates, and from the postern gates.
Some carrying possessions, and others with nothing in their hands.
Old, young, men and women, and children.
What few guards that are on duty, who have remained behind, and not joined their army out on the border with Corlinda, are fleeing too.
Both Krissner and sir Jinpel turn as they're joined by the young field commander Tamric Drubine, and the massive figure in the full heavy plate armour named Arveem.
The two nobles from the province of Corlinda don't know Arveem's position or rank in the army from the lands Farque.
But they've seen the young field commander at times listening to the advice of the large, near seven foot tall man, who is covered from head to toe, in heavy plate armour.
"We wouldn't ordinarily give them fair warning, but we decided to, more for your sensibilities than anything else" says Arveem the undead, heavy foot trooper.
Next to the undead being, the young field commander Tamric Drubine nods in agreement.
The warning isn't particularly long, because the frigate down low, close to the castle, opens up.
Firing a barrage from it's port side magetubes at the castle. The walls of which stand no chance against the balls of pure magical energy, some of which are more than twenty feet wide from heavy, two thousand pound magetubes.
"Word will spread pretty quickly throughout the province about what's happening" says Arveem the undead trooper, who after a brief pause adds "They're already defeated, and they don't know it yet".
The massive undead heavy foot trooper nods to the leaders of the delegation from the province of Corlinda.
Then he turns, and heads aft to the wheelhouse. While Tamric Drubine remains with Krissner and sir Jinpel.
As they continue to watch the destruction of the castle down on the ground below them.
As other airships in the fleet set down near the village, and soldiers in the first army of Farque disembark.
Krissner, who is the same age as field commander Drubine, asks him "What are they doing down there?".
"Burning that village" replies Tamric Drubine the field commander, who gestures away to the south and the east, as he continues with "And those fields too" followed by "We'll burn the crops so there's no summer harvest".
Both baron Wilmot's son, and sir Jinpel who is ordinarily one of the commanders of Corlinda's forces, wince when they hear that.
They knew they were going to get the unexpected when they won the services of one of the armies from the lands Farque.
But they didn't expect anything like what's happening now. Destroying enemy castles, villages, and crops.
Gesturing away to the west and north, Tamric Drubine or Tam as he's more commonly called by those who know him well, says "We'll set that forest alight too".
The nobleborn teenager originally from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin continues with "I understand that they make quite a bit from the timber in that forest".
"They do" says Krissner, the oldest of baron Wilmot's children.
"Not anymore" states the young field commander, who is one of three field commanders with the first army of the lands Farque.
Who have been hired by the province of Corlinda to defeat the province of Karricaw.
Tam glances at the young noble to his left, and asks him "Know your uncle well?".
"Not really" replies Krissner, next to him, sir Jinpel nods, as the baron of Pirtgott's son adds "He saw me just after i was born, that was the last time he was known to of been in Corlinda".
"Well, he's not going to be happy with this" says field commander Drubine as the twin masted frigate down below continues firing magetube shots at the castle.
"Considering that's his castle and village, crops and forest we're destroying" adds the senior officer in the armies of Farque.
Both Krissner and sir Jinpel are silent, though they both nod at the words of field commander Drubine.
As they watch the destruction of lord Gormica's castle, the village next to it. The nearby fields and crops. And the Salmah Forest. Which Gormica is the lord of. 
Krissner turns his head and looks at the others in the delegation who are on the deck of the triple masted battlecruiser.
And sees the sick look on their faces as they watch the destruction of lord Gormica's castle, and the surrounding countryside.
The son of baron Wilmot feels exactly like they do. But he does a better job of hiding his feelings. As does sir Jinpel beside him.
Then as the buildings in the village start going up in flames as villagers run for their lives.
And the castle is basically rubble, as the last of it's inner towers is blasted to bits by a series of magetube shots. That explode stone, wood, and anything else they hit, all over the place.
Krissner looks away to starboard, and sees other warships in the fleet from the lands Farque, dropping barrels of naphtha overboard into the fields across the countryside in that direction.
Lit torches follow them. And the crops of corn, beets, and various green go up in flames.
Since it's summer, and the grass between the crops is quite dry. The fields start burning and spreading fairly quickly.
Baron Wilmot's son glances sideways at sir Jinpel who murmurs "Damn". As the fields start going up in flames.
Krissner who agrees with his fellow noble from the province of Corlinda, turns and asks the field commander in the armies of Farque "Would you of done the same over in Corlinda if my uncle and the others here in Karricaw had hired you?".
"Probably" says Tamric Drubine with a slight shrug of his shoulders.
The teenage noble who is the son of a previous knight of castle Drubine, which can be found in the forested north of the kingdom of Sarcrin.
Then tells the son of baron Wilmot "Though we would of have had to of dealt with your army on the border most like".
The senior officer in the armies of Farque gestures at the castle that's now just a pile of rubble after dozens and dozens of magetube shots exploded in it, as he adds "With this lot it's easy, might as well deal to them before even bothering to get to their army".
Field commander Drubine looks at Krissner then sir Jinpel, and asks them "Think their army will last long on the border knowing that this is happening right across their province?".
Both of the nobles are silent for a few moments, then it's sir Jinpel who answers with "They won't" followed by "This will break them apart".
"As intended" states the young field commander of the first army of Farque.
While baron Wilmot's son looks away to the north, and in the distance, he sees smoke rising up into the clear morning sky, on what's another warm summer day here in southern Melaurn.
The nobleborn teenage from the province to the west, spots a couple of more ships in the fleet rise up into the sky in the direction of that smoke.
Not doubt after setting another village here in the lands of lord Gormica in central Karricaw on fire.
The son of baron Wilmot, slightly flinches as the warship closest to the flagship, opens up with it's starboard side magetubes.
As it shoots down while at an angle to the ground. Firing away at the forest to the west and north of the now destroyed castle, and the village that's on fire.
As magetube shots explode amongst the forest, blasting trees and the ground apart. And setting other trees on fire.
Krissner looks at those from the castle and the village, fleeing upon the road that heads westwards.
Wondering if his aunt, and cousins are amongst the groups of people fleeing the destruction.
He hopes so, even though they're the enemy.
Baron Wilmot's son, who didn't think they'd be destroying their enemies homes and livelihoods.
Listens to the young field commander in the armies of Farque, who is saying "As destructive as this seems, we really want to give you a victory as soon as possible".
Tam continues on with "Fighting war in this way tends to see your enemy give up fairly quickly" the nobleborn teenager originally from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin then adds "They either surrender in a hurry, or try and do something in retaliation which will see them be wiped out".
Krissner hopes it's the former and not the latter. For though those here in Karricaw are the enemy. He doesn't particularly want to see them wiped out.
After all, they are fighting over what the border looks like, and nothing more.
Though deep down, Krissner knows it's way more than that to his father, the baron of Pirtgott.
As baron Wilmot has never forgiven his twin brother Gormica of abandoning the province of Corlinda.
And moving to their rivals across the border in the neighbouring province of Karricaw. To marry a noblewoman, the daughter of the previous lord of Salmah Forest.
"Which one do you prefer they do?" asks sir Jinpel, a lean, not particularly tall man, in his early forties who continues with "Surrender, or wipe them out?".
As he voices what baron Wilmot's son, Krissner is thinking.
"Either doesn't matter" says field commander Drubine with a shrug of his armoured plate shoulders.
The son of a previous knight of castle Drubine, which is located in the forested north of the kingdom of Sarcrin, then says "Though for you lot, it would be best if they surrender".
The young field commander who is a senior officer in the armies of Farque continues on with "Because if we have to wipe them out, it will take longer, and you'll have to pay us more".
Both Krissner and sir Jinpel grimace at the truth of that. They're paying a fortune for the services of the army from the lands Farque.
And they have to make a payment every week to the army from the mysterious nation to the north of the kingdom of Melaurn, as it fights for them in their war against the province of Karricaw.
Both nobles from the province of Corlinda definitely want to see this war over with as soon as possible.
The oldest child of baron Wilmot watches as trees, and the ground are blasted into the air.
As magetube shot after magetube shot slams into the forest, that gives this area of the province of Karricaw it's name.
Krissner is just glad the flagship he's on isn't firing. As the triple masted battlecruiser has pretty much more magetubes onboard of it, than any other warship in the fleet from the lands Farque.
The nobleborn teen from the province of Corlinda figures it must be an absolute racket onboard the flagship when it fires a broadside.
And both the provinces of Karricaw and Corlinda combined, couldn't muster up even quarter of the firepower of the warships in this fleet from the nation of Farque.
Magetubes are expensive, and outfitting airships with them is even more expensive.
Baron Wilmot's son knows that the warships, more than the actual numbers of soldiers from the lands Farque.
Is the major advantage that they have in the war against the province of Karricaw.
Krissner, and sir Jinpel, along with the rest of the delegation from Corlinda look along the port side rail, to where loud, deep, growling laughter comes from.
There they see the large ork, laughing and hooting as he points away to the nearby forest.
"Look at them" says a laughing Dorc da Orc, who follows that with "The dumb fuckers" he shakes his large head, as he continues laughing as he adds "Running right into that shit".
Krissner looks to where the massive green creature, covered in weapons, is pointing.
And he spots some of those who have fled the burning village, and the destroyed castle. Are running straight into Salmah Forest. Which is getting blasted apart by half a dozen warships in the fleet from the lands Farque.
Baron Wilmot's son can only nod, as next to him, sir Jinpel mutters "Damn".
As they see some of the fleeing villagers disappear in a blast of red energy that hits the ground, and explodes.
Sending a cloud of debris mushrooming up into the air amongst the forest that's now burning out of control.
Krissner just shakes his head, as he knows that similar things are happening right across the province of Karricaw.
As the rest of the fleet from the lands Farque. Attacks the castles, towns, villages, farms, and fields in the province that is now at war with his home province of Corlinda . . . . . .