To War 18.

Summer. Southern Melaurn.

Pirtgott isn't just the lands that are baron Wilmot's domain. It's also a city, the only one in both Corlinda and Karricaw.
And along with the port city of Ramaee in the province of Selvah Na. The only cities to be found in the south of the kingdom of Melaurn.
Within the city is the large keep that has been the ancestral home of the barons of Pirtgott for centuries.
And on the road that comes from the northeast of the city. The dark brown, almost red stone of the keep in the middle of Pirtgott, stands out in the morning light.
Lord Milson of Mottman Deep, whose lands are further west of Pirtgott, who has to come by the city to get back home.
Is leading his army back to Mottman Deep, which is a further twenty five miles to the south and west of the city of Pirtgott.
As his lands, and those of his ally, baron Wilmot. Butt up against each other, here towards the center of the province of Corlinda.
The lord of Mottman Deep who is riding near the front of his seven hundred strong army.
Who have just come over the last of the hills, where they camped during the night. And who now has a clear view of baron Wilmot's city.
Looks to his right, at the wizard Smesall who is riding beside him this morning.
"Think they've caught up to them?" asks Smesall the wizard.
"The way the baron and his army took off across the border the other day, i expect they'll catch his brother Gormica sometime soon" says lord Milson, the lord of Mottman Deep.
The spellcaster in the orange robes riding on a dun coloured horse, nods his head in agreement with the nobleman who has been baron Wilmot's staunchest ally during the border conflict with the province of Karricaw.
Though the wizard who is from Mottman Deep, and is good friends with it's lord.
Knows that though lord Milson is a strong supporter of the baron of Pirtgott.
Secretly he doesn't agree with the baron's personal vendetta against lord Gormica.
Lord Milson has confided to the wizard Smesall that the baron should of just let the mercenary army from the lands Farque wipe out the lord of Salmah Forest.
Like they've done to the vast majority of the nobility over in the province of Karricaw.
Instead of taking off across the new border into the province to the east. To chase down and destroy his twin brother Gormica, along with the lord of Salmah Forest's army.
"Gormica might be pretty good on the battlefield" quietly says the rather disheveled looking nobleman who has a battleaxe strapped to his back.
"But he's badly outnumbered by the baron's army" adds the lord of Mottman Deep.
Who though disagrees with his friend and ally, baron Wilmot. Going into Karricaw to find and fight his twin brother's army.
Still wants the baron of Pirtgott to succeed, and quickly too. As the province of Corlinda, which has been successful in it's conflict with the province of Karricaw.
So much so, that the actual fighting. If you can call it that, took just a few days, if that.
And no one actually from the province of Corlinda got involved in the fighting.
As it was all undertaken by the mercenary army from the lands Farque, that the province of Corlinda hired.
A mercenary army that spent more time traveling to the two provinces in conflict, here in southern Melaurn. Than they did in actual battle.
Which to lord Milson, is definitely a win, win situation. Defeating the forces of the province of Karricaw with ease.
And only having to pay the mercenary army from the lands Farque, just the once. As the terms of their hire is that they have to be paid weekly.
The lord of Mottman Deep, which is a large, and rather deep lake here in the middle of the province of Corlinda.
Is glad they only paid the mercenary army from the lands Farque once.
As it cost an absolute fortune to pay for their services.
Though, all in all. Lord Milson is glad he and the rest of the nobility here in his home province paid for their services.
As it gave the province of Corlinda a quick victory over their neighbours in the province to the east, the province of Karricaw.
The lord of Mottman Deep faintly smiles, then shakes his head. As he realises they spent way more time and effort building up their army.
As did those across the border in Karricaw. Than the actual war lasted.
A war, that no one from here in the province of Corlinda actually got involved in.
Lord Milson nods and says "Hopefully" in response to the wizard Smesall saying "Hopefully lord Gormica stands and fights, and doesn't draw it out".
The nobleman from the lands due west of the baroncy of Pirtgott, who is looking along the road that leads to the city of Pirtgott.
Where some people are spread out on the mile long section of the road to the city.
Some with wagons and carts, others on horses and foot.
Some heading into the city, and others leaving it. Farmers and the like, who have brought their produce into Pirtgott early, and now they're heading back home to their farms.
Glances at his friend the wizard, who had just murmured "Hmmmm" followed by "Whose airship is that?".
The lord of Mottman Deep, who knows word has gone ahead of them. Informing the people of the province of Corlinda.
That the province has been victorious in it's border war with the province of Karricaw.
Looks towards the city again, and sees an airship rising up from behind the walls of Pirtgott.
Lord Milson slightly frowns as he sees it's a large, triple masted warship.
Which definitely isn't one of the few warships that the province of Corlinda has at it's disposal.
"Must be one form the mercenary army from the lands Farque" says the nobleman, who no matter what he does, always looks disheveled and unkempt.
"Probably had to resupply before they head back home" adds the lord of Mottman Deep.
"Makes sense" murmurs the wizard Smesall, who then says "That's the biggest damn warship I've ever seen".
"That's for sure" quietly says lord Milson who nods in admiration at the size of the fighting vessel in the fleet from the lands Farque, as it rises up into the near cloudless morning sky above the city of Pirtgott.
On what already feels like it's going to be another warm summer day here in the south of the kingdom of Melaurn.
Then they hear church bells ringing in the nearby city. The two of them share a look, with the wizard thoughtful, while the nobleman frowns.
The lord Milson sees what he should've seen earlier. That there's no one on the walls of the keep in the center of the city.
Then on the city walls, the lord of Mottman Deep spots people, presumably the city guard, running.
Just then, he hears Smesall mutter through gritted teeth "Damn it".
Then the large warship, that they're correct, is from the lands Farque. Tilts down to port, as it's about three hundred feet above the city.
And it shoots off an entire volley from it's port side magetubes.
Firing at an angle down at the brown, almost red stone keep in the center of the city of Pirtgott.
An entire broadside of magetubes, forty of them. Shoots down at the large keep in the middle of the only city in either province of Corlinda, or Karricaw.
Lord Milson is so shocked he stops in the middle of the road, forcing his following army to come to a halt.
The nobleman from Mottman Deep, sits there upon his mount. Not quite believing what he's seeing this morning in the city of Pirtgott.
As magetube shot after magetube shot, slams into the walls and turrets of the baron's keep.
Exploding, sending stone and other debris flying in the air above the only city in the province of Corlinda.
As destruction rains down upon the ancestral home of the baron's of Pirtgott.
The wizard Smesall who is just wondering what he can do about the sudden attack upon the baron's keep, when he suddenly senses something approaching the army from behind.
The spellcaster quickly looks back, then shouts "Ride!" followed by "Scatter!".
Lord Milson quickly looks back too, and spots a number of airships approaching from the east.
All he doesn't recognise, and all he assumes are in the fleet of the mercenary army from the lands Farque.
Seeing the wisdom of the wizard's warning, the lord of Mottman Deep looks at his senior officers and orders "Scatter the army!".
As he knows that even a couple of the approaching warships will absolutely devastate his army.
"Get back to our lands if you can!" yells the nobleman, who until just a little while ago. Was feeling good, after their victory against the province of Karricaw.
Now he's fearing for his life, wondering if he'll even survive the morning as he puts his spurs to his mount.
Sending it running off the road, more or less in the same direction that Smesall the wizard is heading as well.
The lord of Mottman Deep is followed by a contingent of his personal guard.
While the rest of his army, breaks apart, and starts scattering as warships approach from the east.
And the other one, which lord Milson guess is a battlecruiser due to it's size.
Continues to fire magetube shots down at the baron of Pirtgott's keep in the middle of the city.
As he rides if his life depends upon it, which it does. Lord Milson flinches as he hears the loud thuds of magetubes firing from behind him.
The disheveled and unkempt looking nobleman knows that his army is being attacked too.
And hopes at least some of them are able to survive and return to their lands, as they scatter across the farmland here to the northeast, and north of the city of Pirtgott.
As he rides as fast as he can, wishing that his horse was even faster.
The lord of Mottman Deep doesn't even bother to look behind him. He has a fair idea at what's happening, as he hears a magetube shot hit the ground, and explode.
It's not all that far behind him, as he can feel the heat of the magetube shot exploding.
The nobleman who has been the staunchest ally of baron Wilmot flinches again as another magetube shot, explodes close by.
This one away to the right of the fleeing lord of Mottman Deep. Sending dirt, grass, and other debris spraying over lord Milson and his mount.
Which has got the bit between it's teeth, and runs through the spray of debris.
As do a number of the other riders and their mounts as they follow after their lord, who is fleeing westwards away from the road that goes to the nearby city of Pirtgott.
Lord Milson lets out an involuntary shout as out of the corner of his left eye, he sees a number of magetube shots streak through the air.
Heading in the direction some of his soldiers are riding.
The nobleman who is the lord of Mottman Deep doesn't look that way as the magetube shots hit the ground and explode amongst his men.
He's down low in the saddle, hoping at least some of his army survive this. Knowing that his foot soldiers, and the auxiliaries, along with the wagonmen, and the other camp followers will be absolutely decimated by the actions of the airships in the fleet from the lands Farque.
Lord Milson grimaces in anger as he wonders why they've apparently turned on the province of Corlinda.
Then he realises their terms of hire ended last night. And wonders if they've been hired by the province of Karricaw.
And in Karricaw, he means lord Gormica of Salmah Forest. As most of the nobility in the province to the immediate east, and their armies have been wiped out.
The lord of Mottman Deep gets his answer a little bit later. When by some miracle, he finds himself in some woods on a farm.
There's a few of his personal guards with him, and he spots the wizard Smesall on his dun coloured horse.
The spellcaster who is breathing heavily, has stripped off his orange coloured robes, and is wearing a plain looking tunic over his under clothes.
Nods his head when lord Milson joins him, and quietly asks him "You okay Smesall?".
"I'm holding my power within myself so their spellcasters can't locate me" is the reply of the wizard Smesall, who then adds "It's rather difficult" as he continues to breathe heavily.
Then the spellcaster from Mottman Deep says to the nobleman "There, through the trees".
Lord Milson looks to where the wizard has nodded, and through the trees, he can see the city of Pirtgott in the distance.
The lord of Mottman Deep sees the battlecruiser is slowly circling the city, and no longer firing it's magetubes.
And he can no longer see the baron's keep in the middle of the city, sticking up over the city walls.
It takes him a moment to realise that the central keep in the city of Pirtgott has been destroyed.
But that isn't what's got the wizard Smesall's attention. Lord Milson spots that a moment later.
Airships are putting down infront of the city. And those onboard are disembarking.
And though the nobleman from the lands to the west of the baroncy of Pirtgott.
Sees black clad figures who he assumes are soldiers and others who are in the mercenary army from the lands Farque.
He sees other soldiers he clearly recognises, even from this distance. As just a few days ago, he and his army were facing them across the border with the province of Corlinda.
"The hell?" says lord Milson in disgust, followed by "Gormica's men".
As he sees the familiar uniforms and tabbards, of the lord of Salmah Forest's army disembarking from some of the airships, as more of them land infront of the city of Pirtgott.
Which the residents are fleeing, not from just the front, or northern gates. But from the gates in the other walls too.
The lord of Mottman Deep grimaces as next to him, Smesall the wizard bitterly says "We made a grave mistake my lord".
Lord Milson nods in agreement, then mutters "We should of paid them another damn week".
As he realises that the mercenary army from the lands Farque has been hired by lord Gormica of Salmah Forest. The only noble of standing left in the province of Karricaw.
Who by the looks of things this morning in and around the city of Pirtgott, in the heart of baron Wilmot's lands.
Is retaliating for the recent defeat in the border conflict between his province of Karricaw, and the province of Corlinda.
The nobleman shares a look with Smesall the wizard, then the lord of Mottman Deep says what they're both thinking at the moment.
"Holy shit" says lord Milson in a tone of disgust at the situation they find themselves in . . . . . .