To War 31.

Summer. The Province Of Corlinda. The Kingdom Of Melaurn.

Tovis the war engineer watches as another block of stone is craned up onto one of the large Farqian transport ships.
He looks away to the right as another wagon comes up the track from the quarry.
There's a line of them coming up, to bring up more blocks that are bound for the province of Karricaw.
Lord Gormica of Salmah Forest wants to rebuild his castle, along with many of the other castles and keeps throughout the province of Karricaw.
And he's using stone from here in the province of Corlinda to do so.
The nobleman who led the province of Karricaw in the recent border war with Corlinda.
Who has retained the services of the first army of Farque.
Isn't taking the stone without paying for it. Quite the opposite, he's paying top price for it.
He's using what he's taken from the nobility here in the province of Corlinda to pay for it.
And considering there's no local lord at the moment on the lands where the quarry is located.
The lord of Salmah Forest is paying the quarrymen directly for the stone.
Which they're more than happy with. As they've never been paid this much for their stone ever. And they have the added benefit of not paying tax to a local lord, since there isn't one at the moment.
The young engineer from the kingdom of Druvic, who is now an officer in the armies of Farque.
A captain to be exact, who commands the engineering corp in the first army of the lands Farque.
Walks over to the edge, and looks down into the quarry.
Where the local workers are busy cutting out the gray coloured stone that's prevalent throughout southern Melaurn.
Some of the engineers in the corp are down there helping them out when necessary.
But for the most part, the locals are working efficiently and quickly on what's another warm summer day, here in the province of Corlinda.
"Great motivator keeping the coins you earn" murmurs Tovis the war engineer who knows the quarrymen would usually pay at least half of what they earn to the local lord.
The captain in the armies of Farque turns and walks away from the edge of the giant pit, that's at least a few hundred feet across in places. And near a hundred and fifty feet deep at it's deepest point.
The young engineer who has spotted a number of dwarves amongst the locals down in the quarry.
Is just glad Dorc da Orc and his battalion of goblins isn't here with him and the engineering corp, and the others.
The war engineer walks to the trees next to one of the large transporters, and stands in the shade there, next to his friend Beldane the cleric who has just showed up.
"How's things going?" asks Beldane the cleric as another horse drawn wagon goes by after coming up from the quarry, with a large, square cut stone in the bed of it.
"Pretty good actually" replies Tovis the war engineer, who continues on with "The quarrymen have roped in other locals who aren't working at the moment".
The young engineer who was previously the war engineer for a baron Harkonin in the east of his homeland, the kingdom of Druvic.
Pauses for a moment or two, before he quietly tells the powerful spellcaster "Soldiers in the local lord's army who have nothing to do since he's dead".
The member of the church of Glaine nods, as Tovis tells him "They're not complaining" followed by "They're earning more now than they ever did as soldiers".
"So it is elsewhere throughout the province" says Beldane the cleric, who like his friend the war engineer, is speaking in the elven language.
As an empty wagon, pulled by a team of four horses heads back down the track into the quarry.
The spellcaster who is a member of the group who travels with lord Farque, but out of all of them, has never set foot inside the lands of Farque.
Quietly tells the young engineer originally from the kingdom of Druvic "It's only been a few days since the baron surrendered" followed by "And life is returning to normal here pretty quickly".
The powerful cleric who hails from the kingdom of Nastell, continues with "Both here in Corlinda, and across the border in Karricaw".
"That's a good thing" quietly says the young engineer, who pauses for a moment, before asking the spellcaster originally from northern Nastell "How much longer do you think he'll hire us for?".
Beldane shrugs his armoured shoulders, the cleric in the burnished dark gold coloured half plate armour, whose only concession to being in the armies of Farque, is a lightweight black, knee length cloak.
Which at the moment is bundled up, and tied up, and slung across his back, quietly says "I have no idea" followed by "He's paid us for another week after this coming seventh day".
The powerful cleric who is a member of the church of Glaine, a god predominantly worshiped in the north of his homeland Nastell, then adds "He's certainly got enough to pay us for many more weeks to come".
"That's for sure" dryly murmurs Tovis the war engineer.
As they know lord Gormica of Salmah Forest, has enough wealth, that he's taken from the nobility here in the province of Corlinda.
To pay for the services of the first army of Farque, for months if he wants to.
The nobleman who led the province of Karricaw in the recent border war with Corlinda.
Has effectively made the nobility here in the province of Corlinda paupers, as he's taken all their wealth from them, while also destroying basically every keep and castle throughout the province.
Glancing sideways at his friend the war engineer, the fighting cleric says to him "Here" followed by "Some messages for you from command".
As he hands over a couple of missives to the engineer, who is the younger of the two of them, by about six years.
The powerful spellcaster continues with "Lis came with me, and is giving the other messages to subcommander Mesra".
Tovis looks at his friend, then over to the nearby destroyer that subcommander Mesra is using as her command post at the moment.
The war engineer spots the subcommander on the deck infront of the wheelhouse, speaking with the scout Lisell Maera.
Beldane who knows that his friend is still strongly attracted to the scout who is part of the group that travels with lord Farque.
Even though Lisell Maera or Lis as she's more commonly called by the others in the group.
Doesn't think of the war engineer in that way.
Infact, the powerful cleric is pretty certain Lis doesn't think of anyone in that way.
At least as long as he's been in the group. The young woman originally from the coastal city-state of Brattonbury, hasn't been attracted to anyone, anywhere.
Beldane glances at his friend again, who is watching the attractive young woman who is in the scouts and rangers division of the armies of Farque.
And though the war engineer says he isn't interested in Lis anymore. As she's made it clear, she doesn't feel attracted to Tovis at all.
The powerful spellcaster without even resorting to magic, knows that the young engineer originally from the kingdom of Druvic, still pines after the attractive young woman who hails from the coast of the Southlands.
Thinking it's best to get Tovis to concentrate on something else, Beldane gestures towards the quarry, and asks his friend "How much do you think you'll ship to Karricaw?".
Taking his eyes off the scout on the nearby warship speaking with the subcommander, the war engineer says to the cleric "A lot".
The captain who commands the engineering corp in the first army of Farque, continues with "We'll load up two of the large transporters, and send them off across the border to Karricaw".
Tovis follows that with "It'll give the quarrymen more time to cut out more stone" he then adds "There's going to be a lot of rebuilding going on over in Karricaw".
The practitioner of magic originally from the kingdom of Nastell nods his head in agreement with the young engineer, then quietly says to him "Not so much here in Corlinda".
As the noble families here can't afford to rebuild. As they've basically been stripped of all of their wealth.
"They might have some of their wealth in the capital Calinar" says the fighting cleric, who continues on from that with "And other business interests throughout the kingdom" he then adds "Even if they do, there won't be a hell of a lot of rebuilding going on here in Corlinda for some time".
"That's for sure" quietly says the war engineer, who sees the scout Lisell Maera finish her conversation with the subcommander.
Then make her way along the deck of the destroyer, and climb over the port rail, and make her way down the cargo netting draped over the side of the warship.
Beldane the cleric also sees Lis coming down off the nearby destroyer, and head this way.
"I'll be heading back" quietly says the fighting cleric, who then asks his friend the war engineer "Anything you want me to tell the others?".
The young engineer slightly shrugs, then says "Just that everything here is going pretty smoothly".
"Lord Gormica will be pleased to hear that" says the powerful spellcaster as the scout Lisell Maera makes her way to the trees that the two of them are standing beneath.
Not wanting to draw things out for the sake of Tovis, Beldane says to Lis as she walks up to them "We're off".
The scout nods, then Lisell Maera looks the war engineer's way, and says "Tovis".
"Lis" is the reply from the young engineer who is a captain in the armies of Farque.
"I'll see you the next time i come down this way" says the powerful cleric who is already casting.
He points to their right, and a few moments later a gateway forms where he pointed.
After a nod from Beldane, the scout Maera goes through the gateway first.
The fighting cleric nods farewell to his friend the war engineer, then he goes through the gateway he's cast.
A couple moments after that, Tovis sees it disappear.
The commander of the engineering corp in the first army of Farque looks at the spot where the gateway just was for a little while.
Then he makes his way from the shade, and heads to the edge of the quarry again.
To see how things are progressing down there, on what's another warm summer day here in the south of the kingdom of Melaurn.
Meanwhile on the otherside of the gateway, the scout Lisell Maera, and the cleric Beldane, step out into a hive of activity.
The tower room here in the city of Pirtgott, that usually only has a couple of guards at the doors.
Has at least a half a dozen soldiers in the armies of Farque in it. All messengers, all of whom have been waiting for the two of them to return.
The fighting cleric and the scout share a look as each of the runners starts speaking at once.
Then Beldane holds up a hand, and says "Silence" followed by "Just one of you will do, since you're all trying to say the same thing by the sounds of it".
Nodding at one of the runners who she somewhat knows, Lisell Maera says "Furnid what's the message?".
"Scout Maera" says Furnid the runner, who continues with "The councillors want to see you and the cleric Beldane immediately".
"Where?" asks the attractive young woman who is originally from the city-state of Brattonbury.
"They said you'd know" is the reply from the teenage runner, who only joined the first army of Farque in the springtime after finishing a course of basic training during the winter.
The powerful spellcaster and the scout share a look, then Beldane says "Very well".
He then tells the runners "Dismissed" followed by "Return to your posts".
As the messengers with the exception of one file out of the tower room.
The cleric and the scout walk over to the window, that faces north out of the city.
Beldane sticks his head outside, and has to crane his neck to one side to look away to the right.
Then the practitioner of magic teleports himself and Lisell Maera away.
A short time later, and the two of them are on the roof of an inn, here in the city of Pirtgott.
The city in the province of Corlinda, that's under the temporary rule of lord Gormica of Salmah Forest.
The two of them, the cleric and the scout make their way down the steps in the middle of the roof.
And once in the hallway below, they head to one of the rooms, that's guarded by a pair of Farqian soldiers.
One of whom opens the door for the two of them.
Beldane the cleric and Lisell Maera enter, and walk through the room, and step out the open doors into the central courtyard here in the middle of the inn that the army of Farque has taken over.
In the central courtyard are a number of people, one of whom is the councilor Jarjin Littlefoot, who turns as they walk into the courtyard.
"Good you're back" says Jarjin Littlefoot the hobbit.
"What is it?" asks Beldane the cleric, followed by "What's going on?". As he and Lisell Maera wonder what's happening.
Next to the halfling who is a former air sailor, and is now a member of the personal council to lord Farque.
His fellow councilor, Mira Reinholt the mage turns around too, and says to the fighting cleric, and the scout who have just arrived "Trouble, that's what's going on" . . . . . .