To War 24.

Summer. In The South Of The Kingdom Of Melaurn.

Tovis the war engineer nods his head, then says "Pull it down".
Some of his men lead the horses quickly away, and the ropes attached to their bridles which are in turn connected to grappling hooks, pull down one side of the warehouse.
Giving them easier access to the stored grain and other crops, that this town in the province of Corlinda has an abundant supply of.
Some of lord Gormica's men wait nearby to load the wagons to take the supplies to the airships waiting just outside of town.
While some of the town folk are further back, well those that haven't fled.
Watching their stored grain and crops being plundered, unable to stop it from being taken.
Tovis the war engineer, who has been given this task, because of his steady hand at command.
Steps back and looks away to his left as lord Gormica's men move in to take the stored grain.
And he looks away to the north through the town, to the castle up on the hill just outside of town.
That castle is a smoldering ruin, it's walls destroyed, and it now just a pile of rubble this warm, summer's day in the province of Corlinda, in southern Melaurn.
The young engineer originally from the kingdom of Druvic, who is a captain in the armies of Farque. Who at the moment, commands the engineering corp of the first army of Farque.
Shares a look with Beldane the cleric, who is standing beside him in the shade to one side of the large warehouse.
"At least we're not burning their summer crops to the ground i guess" quietly says Tovis the war engineer in the elven language.
"I guess" dryly says Beldane the cleric in the same language, a language the two of them have only spoken over the last couple of years or so, and which they're still learning.
The two of them, the engineer and the spellcaster look up, as one of the warships in the fleet passes overhead.
It's the large destroyer, that did what it's named to do. Destroy, the local lord's castle, here in the west of the province of Corlinda.
As the large fighting airship goes by, the Druvician, who was formerly the war engineer to a baron Harkonin in the southeast of the his homeland.
Quietly says to the cleric originally from the kingdom of Nastell "At least that Gormica isn't so hell bent on revenge, and wanted some leeway for the common folk here in this province when he negotiated our hire".
The cleric, who is a member of the church of Glaine, a god that's predominantly worshiped in the north of the kingdom of Nastell, nods his head in agreement with the young engineer, who is still in his early twenties.
"Unlike his twin brother the baron, who wanted all out victory no matter what" says Beldane the cleric referring to baron Wilmot of Pirtgott, who led the forces of Corlinda in the border conflict with the province of Karricaw.
"Not to mention the lord of Salmah Forest can get what he wants a bit more easily, as he's paying us a hell of a lot more than those in Corlinda did previously" continues the powerful spellcaster from the kingdom of Nastell.
"With their own wealth" dryly adds the captain in the armies of Farque.
"Like others have said, lord Gormica is a hell of a lot smarter than his twin brother the baron" says Beldane, as the two of them look up at the passing destroyer again.
As onboard it is all the wealth the local lord kept in his treasury in his castle.
Which like all the rest of the fortunes of the nobility here in the province of Corlinda, is being taken to pay the first army of Farque.
As lord Gormica of Salmah Forest, who has led the province of Karricaw in the border conflict between the two neighbouring provinces here in the south of the kingdom of Melaurn.
Initially hired the first army of Farque not just to attack the province of Corlinda after their terms of hire came to an end with that province.
But to also specifically target the centers of wealth in the province. The castles, towns, and the city of Pirtgott.
To take the fortunes of the nobility here in the province of Corlinda. So he can pay the first army of Farque for as long as he needs to.
And though the border war came to an abrupt end, with a victory for the province of Corlinda thanks to the first army of Farque.
The province of Karricaw is now basically guaranteed a certain victory in a longer, more widespread war between the two provinces. Also thanks to the first army of Farque.
As the armies of Farque, when they're hired out to whoever pays them the most.
Are true mercenaries. Fighting to the end of their terms of hire. Then if someone else wants to hire them. As in this case between the provinces of Corlinda and Karricaw in southern Melaurn. Then so be it.
Lord Farque and his armies have no allegiance to anyone. They will fight for whoever it is that's paying them.
The young engineer Tovis who has read up on some of the history of the lands Farque, ever since he first arrived there a few years ago.
And he knows that in the past, one or another of the armies of Farque.
Have changed sides in the middle of a war at times.
Where the terms of hire have come to an end with one side in a conflict. And they've taken a hire from the otherside in a conflict.
At least here in the war between the neighbouring provinces of Corlinda and Karricaw, in southern Melaurn.
They changed sides after the province of Corlinda had basically gained victory in the border conflict.
Though that victory was very short lived to say the least.
The war engineer originally from the kingdom of Druvic, has also learnt that in the past the armies of Farque have turned on those who have hired them.
When they refuse to pay one of the armies from the lands Farque.
Those who hire one of the Farqian armies are given fair warning when they negotiate a hire.
If you refuse to pay the weekly payment. The terms of hire are forfeit.
And the army from the lands Farque that you hired will turn on you.
And they're definitely more destructive then, than they are when they actually fight for you.
Tovis the war engineer has read of one such incident, when lord Farque was still alive.
And as a seventeen year old battlelord, he had command of a couple of the armies of Farque.
During a war between a couple of nations in the Hynralv Archipelago, out in the Great Western Ocean.
And when the island kingdom that had hired the Farqian mercenary armies refused to pay them when they were so close to victory in the war with another island nation.
The mercenary armies from the lands Farque turned on that kingdom. And wiped out that civilization forever just over four hundred and fifty years ago.
Now with the armies of Farque over the last two and half years, being hired out once again.
The lord and ruler of the lands Farque wants it known throughout the Southlands.
That if you hire one of his armies, you will get a victory. But you have to pay to do so.
And not to stop paying them on the way to victory in whatever conflict they're in.
The young engineer turns as a runner hurries up the street to him, as the warehouse continues to be emptied.
"Message captain" says the runner Marshay as she hands the war engineer a missive.
Tovis unfolds it, and reads it, nodding his head, he says to the messenger "Return to the ship".
"Yes captain" says Marshay the messenger, who heads back down the street.
While the war engineer, calls over one of his sub officers, as he does, he hands the missive to Beldane to read.
The fighting cleric in the half plate armour, lifts an eyebrow as he reads the message.
Then he waits for Tovis to finish talking to one of his officers.
After he does, and the young engineer looks back at him, the spellcaster originally from the kingdom of Nastell asks "Back to the ship?".
The war engineer nods, then waves over his adjunctant after the sub officer yells out some orders.
Basically telling those emptying the warehouse to hurry up.
Then the young engineer, the powerful cleric and the adjunctant disappear as the practitioner of magic after looking around, teleports them away.
Once out of town, they walk to the flagship, which is to the south of the town.
A bit behind the three of them, the young messenger Marshay runs out of town.
Wryly smiling to herself, as she sees the war engineer, the fighting cleric and the adjunctant are walking to the nearby flagship that's just put down a short time ago.
While she has had to run through town to get here.
The young runner, who completed her basic army training at the end of winter.
And now it's summer, and though just only fourteen years old, is in the middle of her very first war.
Turns to one side, and heads to the large transport ship, one of the handful of similar vessels.
That the engineering corp in the first army of Farque are using in this campaign, here in southern Melaurn.
Beldane the cleric teleports himself, Tovis and the war engineer's adjunctant upon the deck of the triple masted battlecruiser that's the flagship of the fleet.
Onboard they're met by a young teenager, an officer in training, who is an acting adjunctant to both the undead heavy foot trooper Arveem, and field commander Tamric Drubine.
"Captain, cleric" says Hamblin the adjunct to the two men, who he knows are part of the group who travels with his lord.
"This way" continues the teenager, who completed his basic army training at very end of winter, up in the northwest of the lands Farque.
"The field commander is in his cabin" says Hamblin who leads the way to the nearest ladder, and below deck.
Then along a passageway that goes to the very stern of the large warship. Where the captain's cabin is located, which field commander Drubine has taken over when he's onboard.
In the ward room, the young engineer asks "What is it?" followed by "Your message had something to do with the general".
Referring to general Salmic, who along with field commander Drubine, and two other field commanders.
Are in charge of the first army of Farque, here in the conflict between the two provinces of Corlinda and Karricaw, located in the south of the kingdom of Melaurn.
"It does" says Tamric Drubine the field commander in reply to his friend the war engineer.
"Here look at this" adds the nobleborn teenager originally from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin, who points at one of the maps on the table.
The war engineer and the fighting cleric look at it as the young field commander tells them "A lot of those mercenary companies that the baron and the others hired, have turned tail and headed back to the port city of Ramaee down in Selvah Na now they've got no leadership".
Tamric Drubine or Tam as he's more commonly called by those who know him well, continues on with "The rest have got it in their heads to continue north, and come up here into Corlinda to collect what they're owed".
The son of a previous knight of castle Drubine, which can be found in the forested north of the kingdom of Sarcrin then says "The general has taken some of our forces down to the south to deal to them since lord Gormica doesn't want any interference from outside here in Corlinda, or over in Karricaw".
Tovis nods in understanding, and looking at the maps, he says "I see you've got a copy some of my men did of the redrawn border".
The war engineer from the kingdom of Druvic who is now a captain in the armies of Farque, asks the young field commander "Has it been sent to the capital?".
Nodding his head yes, the young field commander says "One of the few ships the lord of Salmah Forest actually has at his disposal has left for the capital with it".
The war engineer slightly snorts, then says "Wonder what the crown will think when they get the second redrawn border in quick succession?".
"They'll be wondering what the hell is going on that's for sure" says field commander Drubine who nods his head to the undead scout Dargarven who enters the cabin, and goes over and sits down near Saanea the witch, and the young adjunct Hamblin.
The nobleborn teenager who is now a senior officer in the armies of the lands Farque, pulls the redrawn map of the border out further, so that it's on an open spot on the large table in the stateroom.
Tovis the war engineer and Beldane the cleric look at it, then the captain who commands the engineering corp in the first army of Farque, quietly asks "Any word on the baron and his army?".
"They're being watched from a distance" says Tamric Drubine who continues on with "They're probably in the border region now, wondering where the hell all their forces have got to".
"They're in for a surprise" says captain Tovis of the first army's engineering corp.
"That's putting it lightly" dryly says Beldane the cleric.
Which gets nods of agreement from the young engineer and the young field commander.
As lord Gormica of Salmah Forest, doesn't want his twin brother, baron Wilmot and his army attacked at all.
He wants the baron of Pirtgott to return to the Corlinda. And see the destruction wrought upon his province because of the decisions he's made.
The nobleman who has led the forces of the province of Karricaw in the border conflict between the two provinces.
Knows his twin brother well even though they've only seen one another just the once in twenty years.
And the best way to exact revenge upon his brother the baron. Is for Wilmot of Pirtgott to think that he had victory over the border conflict, but in reality he's been defeated in a now wider war between the provinces of Corlinda and Karricaw . . . . . .