To War 26.

Summer. The Province Of Corlinda.

"Go down and keep an eye on things" says lord Farque.
"I'll keep in contact with the ship" replies Helbe the elven thief.
Who nods his hooded head to the undead warlord, and makes his way along the flat deck of the krean strikeship that's the command ship of the fleet from the lands Farque.
"Stay here" murmurs the heavily armoured deathlord in the ancient language of command as Hammer the undead wardog was about to follow the elven magic user.
The massive canine lets out a soft whine as he sits back down at the feet of his master.
While the young elven noble from the island principality of Laerel, who is a member of the personal council to lord Farque.
Breaks out into a run along the flat, mastless deck of the krean vessel.
The grandson of the ruling prince of Laerel, veers to his right, and leaps off the starboard side of the strikeship.
He falls through the clear, sunny, midmorning sky here in the south of the province of Corlinda.
The highly talented elven magic user freefalls towards the ground which is over ten thousand feet below him.
The elven masterthief disappears in midair well before he even gets close to the ground.
They've come up from the province of Selvah Na. Mercenary companies originally hired by the nobility of Corlinda. In their border war against the province of Karricaw.
And though more than half of the mercenary companies turned around and headed back to the port city of Ramaee on the south coast of Selvah Na.
When unexpectedly one night every single commander, and senior officer in each company was found dead.
Some of the mercenaries companies, many of whom have traveled from as far afield as Gilsom along the coast of the Southlands.
Have decided to push on, and continue across the border into the province of Corlinda.
After all, they've been paid to fight for the Corlindians. And the fact most of them don't know what else to do.
Once in the province of Corlinda, and the first town they come across. They learn that the province has been successful in it's border war with it's neighbour to the east, Karricaw.
Which is a little odd, considering that the local lord's castle, that's on a hill less than a hundred yards from the town which it overlooks.
Is completely destroyed, and recently from what the town folk tell them. Destroyed by an airship, that turned up a couple of mornings ago.
Giving those inside the castle a short time to vacate it, before the warship with it's magetubes destroyed the castle.
The mercenary companies, who number about three and half thousand soldiers and followers.
Continue on their way through southern Melaurn. Heading northeast, bound for the city of Pirtgott in the center of the province.
As that's the location they were originally heading to, before they were to head east to the border with the province of Karricaw.
Helbe the elven thief stands at the edge of some trees on a hilltop that looks over the road that goes through this part of southern Melaurn.
The elven spellcaster looks up into the midmorning sky, when he's contacted by one of the krean navigators onboard the strikeship.
The elven princeling from Laerel nods his hooded head as he replies to the powerful krean spellcaster who is in contact with him via mindspeech.
Once the practitioner of magic onboard the command ship breaks off contact, the elven master assassin looks at his right shoulder and quietly says in the elven language "They're in place".
Narladene the ground pixie nods, then quietly says in reply "I know". As she has sensed them.
The naturally magical creature who is from the Sunreach Mountains, and is attached to the young elven noble from the island principality of Laerel, asks him "You want me to go and watch them?".
The elven masterthief, who is a member of the royal family that rules Laerel, who is now a member of the personal council to the lord and ruler of the lands Farque.
Thinks about it for a few moments, then he says "No, I'll look on them as well".
The ground pixie arches one of her thin eyebrows, as she wonders how the elven magic user is going to accomplish that.
The highly talented elven spellcaster looks away from the mercenary companies making their way along the road down below.
Prince Helbenthril Raendril who has easily avoided the scouting patrols of the mercenary companies.
They're not particularly good at scouting in the opinion of the elven master archer. Who is of the belief that a blind cow would make a better scout than most of the one's the mercenary companies have at their disposal.
Then the elven magic user, who is blurred and shielded as he's want to do, casts a spell.
It's a viewing spell. Not a particular difficult or taxing kind of spell to cast for someone of his talents.
Though it's a new iteration of a viewing spell. Infact, the first of it's kind.
As it's another completely brand new spell that Helbe the elven thief has come up with, after having some lengthy discussions with the powerful navigators on the krean strikeship.
A viewing spell is usually cast upon something, or someone, usually the caster. Making it what is referred to as a fixed spell.
With it on something like a tree, or the side of tower, or a rooftop. The caster can see what it sees.
Either in one direction, or all around depending on the talent of the one who cast the viewing spell.
The same goes for the distance, and the ability to see in various light conditions, like in the middle of the night.
That all depends on the talent and skill of the practitioner of magic who casts it, and not all that necessarily upon how powerful they are at magic.
All of these things, Helbe the elven thief can do with ease. Having mastered the viewing spell at a young age.
A spell that comes in rather handy when one is a prolific thief like he is.
But the viewing spell the young elven noble from the island principality of Laerel just cast now. Is different again.
The one he's just cast isn't affixed or anchored to anything. The viewing spell is free, and floating above him in the midmorning sky, about a few hundred feet up.
"Well, look at that it worked" murmurs the elf who is the envoy for the armies of Farque when they deal with those who have hired them.
On his right shoulder Narladene the ground pixie arches an eyebrow again, then nods at the accomplishment of the elven masterthief.
"Got the idea from Mira" prince Helbenthril Raendril explains to the tiny winged creature, he then adds "He's done it with mageglobes he's created".
The elven master archer who is a member of lord Farque's personal council then dryly says "Which is a hell of a lot easier for him to do than to cast it in spell form".
The elven envoy with his eyes closed, looks through the viewing spell, which is an invisible orb in the sky.
Councilor Raendril moves it away to the right over the trees, so he can get a better view away to the east and south, behind the hills, one of which he's on.
The elven master assassin nods his head, and murmurs to himself as much to Narladene "There they are".
With his eyes closed, the elven magic user watches through his hovering viewing spell, a sizeable force of the first army of Farque under the command of general Salmic.
The young elven noble briefly opens his eyes, and glances down at the nearby road, where the mercenary companies are continuing on their way to the east and north, here in the province of Corlinda.
"Your morning is going to get a whole lot more interesting" murmurs the highly talented elven spellcaster.
On the right shoulder of the elven masterthief, the naturally magical creature widely grins as she nods in agreement with the elven master assassin.
Who again closes his eyes, to look through the viewing spell he has cast, which is floating above the hilltop he's on top of.
Lord Gormica of Salmah Forest in the province of Karricaw, who has hired the first army of Farque. After the same mercenary army won a victory for his enemies here in the province of Corlinda.
Doesn't want the conflict between the two neighbouring provinces to expand beyond it's borders.
And to put a stop to any possible chance of attack upon his home province of Karricaw.
One such possible attack, could come from the mercenary companies. Who are from further to the north in the Southlands.
Predominantly along the coast, and as faraway to the north as Gilsom. Which is an easy two and a half thousand miles to the north of northern Farque.
Even further from the kingdom of Melaurn, which is the southern most nation in the Southlands.
Who have entered the province of Corlinda, and are making their way to the city of Pirtgott, which is near the middle of Corlinda.
Obviously this is something lord Farque has agreed to as well. And the undead warlord has sent a portion of his first army, under the command of general Salmic.
Into southern Corlinda, to deal to the potential threat of the mercenary companies from elsewhere in the Southlands.
"They going to do a strafing run at them?" quietly asks Narladene the ground pixie.
"One by the looks of it" replies Helbe the elven thief as he stands there with his eyes closed, looking through the viewing spell he has up in the air.
The young elven noble who is the grandson of Prince Raendril of Laerel, sees that general Salmic has a few of the warships in the fleet at his disposal. As they're just out of sight behind the hills.
"The lord wants to see the army in action" quietly says the elven masterthief who will have a fairly close seat to what's about to happen.
The highly talented elven spellcaster who knows that lord Farque up onboard the krean strikeship, that's the command ship of the fleet.
Will also be watching what's happening, through viewing spells cast by the navigators onboard.
"This is the first time the first will face a sizeable force" continues the elven master archer.
Who is glad that over the months since the end of winter when he and the others in the group returned to the Southlands.
After spending months and months traveling back from the far eastern coast of the continent.
His power of foresight hasn't come upon him at anytime, which it has often done in the past.
As he's still yet to master it, something he figures will take decades to fully control.
As it's not related to casting magic in anyway. It's a separate power altogether. Something that's more than a little odd to say the least.
Helbe the elven thief with his eyes closed, watches the portion of the first army of Farque under the command of general Salmic.
The highly talented elven magic user sees the trio of warships the general has with him about to move.
The elven princeling from Laerel opens his eyes, and as he looks down to the road that the foreign mercenary companies are on, he quietly says to Narladene "Not long now".
The naturally magical creature nods her head in agreement as they watch what's about to happen.
The mercenary companies, even though there's still more than a dozen of them, are varied in numbers.
Move more or less as one as they travel through southern Corlinda as they head towards the city of Pirtgott.
And though the scouts from so many different companies are a lot to be desired.
The companies as a whole, even with their camp followers. Move fairly swiftly, with the foot soldiers marching behind those in the van who are mounted.
Even with multiple leaders, new leaders too. They're pretty cohesive in their line of march.
That all falls apart, and their lack of a proper chain of command comes about in the middle of the morning.
When they're traveling eastwards along a road to the north of a small hill range.
As sweeping over the eastern end of the hills, comes a trio of warships. A pair of fighting frigates, and a larger destroyer.
Which come down, heading westwards, flying at an angle to the ground, in particular the road.
With the two frigates infront, and the larger destroyer following as they fly bow to stern.
The starboard side magetubes of the warships open up.
Firing down at an angle at the foreign mercenary companies down on the road.
Who have absolutely no idea who is hitting them.
Magetube shots explode amongst the various mercenary companies.
With those with quick thinking officers, having them, whether they're mounted or on foot, scatter.
As the three Farqian airships do a strafing run upon those on the road that goes through this part of the province of Corlinda.
And though the three warships fire just a single salvo from each starboard side magetube.
They wreck havoc amongst the various mercenary companies from further north in the Southlands.
Explosion after explosion wracks the countryside as magetube shot after magetube shot, blasts anything, and everything away when they hit the ground.
On the hilltop they're up, Helbe the elven thief and Narladene the ground pixie watch the trio of Farqian warships come up, and head back over the hills after raining down a barrage of magetube shots upon those on the road below.
The young elven noble who is a member of the personal council then looks to the end of the hills, where the cavalry under general Salmic's command, comes into view.
And heads for the foreign mercenary companies, well those of them who are still alive.
The cavalry, both light and heavy. Are followed by the foot troopers, who run after their mounted comrades.
"They had no chance" murmurs prince Helbenthril Raendril, on his right shoulder, the ground pixie, Narladene nods in agreement.
As they watch the black clad soldiers in the first army of Farque under the command of general Salmic.
Descend upon the devastated foreign mercenary companies, who find themselves under attack on this warm, summer day, here in the south of the kingdom of Melaurn . . . . . .