To War 68.

Summer. The Province Of Corlinda.

Beldane the cleric appears out of nowhere in the middle of the fighting.
The powerful spellcaster kicks out and sends an enemy soldier flailing backwards into another, after getting hit in the midriff.
The cleric, who is originally from the kingdom of Nastell swings his mace, and there's a blinding flash.
And a dozen of the soldiers in the king's own army drop to the ground, writhing and groaning as the rain continues to fall.
The soldiers in the mercenary army from the lands Farque who are close to the fighting cleric.
Rush forward, and plunge through the gap in the enemy lines Beldane has just created, followed by soldiers from the provinces of Karricaw and Corlinda.
The powerful practitioner of magic vanishes. Though not until after he swings his mace again.
And a shaft of white light beams down from the rainy skies. And strikes further back amongst the enemy.
Creating an explosion, where soldiers in the king's own, along with the rain sodden ground they're standing on.
Goes flying up and outwards in all directions from the spell cast by the powerful cleric who is a member of the church of Glaine.
A god predominantly worshiped in the north of Beldane's homeland, the kingdom of Nastell.
"Going to get involved?" asks Jarjin Littlefoot the hobbit as he looks down at the battle that's been underway for a little while now.
"Maybe" replies Mira Reinholt the mage, as they stand beneath the branches of a tree.
About three quarters of the way up the hill, that overlooks the part of the local countryside where they've decided to battle the enemy army.
That's come south across the border into the province of Corlinda. As the war between the crown and king of Melaurn, and lord Gormica of Salmah Forest continues to rage on.
"Perhaps soon" adds the spellcaster originally from the city-state of Vexil, which he's in exile from.
The once powerful mage, who is also a highly skilled swordmaster, looks along the line of battle, then behind it on either side, then he asks the halfling who is a former air sailor "What are you doing with the heavy horse?".
As the division in question, has only done one charge at the start of the battle, before the hobbit, who isn't all that he appears to be, ordered them back.
"Just waiting for the opportune time for them" is the reply of Jarjin Littlefoot, who like the mage Reinholt, is a member of the personal council to lord Farque.
The spellcaster, who was once the most powerful mage of his generation to be found anywhere in the Southlands.
Until he lost the vast majority of his powers when he went offworld through a rift/void spell he accidentally cast.
Nods his hooded head in agreement with his fellow councilor, then he quietly says "They're putting up a fight, that's for sure".
As the enemy, who they've lured away from the nearby road. Haven't broken, and are holding their own against this particular force, of the Farqian mercenary army and the combined army of lord Gormica of Salmah Forest and baron Wilmot of Pirtgott.
Who are leading, well technically the lord of Salmah Forest is leading them. Though in actuality, since three of the members of the personal council to lord Farque are here.
They're just as likely to command what the army does or does not do.
Thinking of the third member of the personal council to the lord and ruler of the lands Farque who is here.
Jarjin Littlefoot asks "Heard from Helbe?" followed by "What's he up to?".
"I have no idea" is the response from the swordmaster Reinholt, who continues with "Just what he told us earlier".
The halfling who though from the far eastern coast of the continent. Is in reality, a hordes outrider from the southern tundra by the name of Zubutai Timaginson.
Who just happens to inhabit the body of Jarjin Littlefoot. Who died in battle last summer, in the Sultanate of Dreese.
The homeland of the hobbit, who is a former air sailor, who served in the Sultan's fleet.
Grunts at hearing that, and isn't too surprised that their fellow council member, Helbe the elven thief hasn't got in contact with the mage Reinholt.
Then the hobbit former air sailor, and the human mage, turn their heads away as a bright explosion rocks the ranks of the combined army of Corlinda and Karricaw.
A moment later, and a bright white light forms, and explodes behind the frontlines of the crown's army.
Slightly wincing from such a bright white light on a gloomy and rainy morning, Mira Reinholt says "That was Beldane retaliating".
"I figured as much" dryly says Jarjin aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman. As without doubt, the fighting cleric is the most powerful spellcaster on both sides of this battle.
Though the practitioner of magic from the city-state of Vexil, the mage Reinholt can still be thoroughly destructive like only mages can be, when occasion requires it of him.
Such as now, as the Vexilian mage in exile says "Think i will get involved now".
And as he watches through the falling rain, Mira Reinholt creates one mageglobe in his right gloved hand. And a second one appears in his gloved left hand.
The first is bright fiery red, and it shoots from the right hand of the spellcaster, who was the youngest member ever of the mage council of Vexil.
The second mageglobe, this one a dark blue coloured one the size of an apple. Takes off from the left hand of the once powerful mage.
With both mageglobes heading down to the battle. One, the red one sinks down into the ground. While the blue travels through the air.
Just then, Helbe the elven thief suddenly appears beside the two members of the personal council to the lord and ruler of the lands Farque.
"Who's that?" asks Jarjin Littlefoot as he sees an unconscious man over the left shoulder of the elven magic user, who like the two of them, is a member of the personal council to lord Farque.
"This is lord Simkins" says Helbe the elven thief, who shrugs the unconscious man off his shoulder. And onto the damp ground, here beneath the trees about three quarters of the way up the hill, where they're watching the battle from.
"Their commander" adds the young elven noble from the island principality of Laerel, with a nod of his hooded head down at the enemy lines.
"Oh?" says the halfling from the Sultanate of Dreese, who is a former air sailor.
"Nobleman from the city of Calinar" says the highly talented elven magic user, who continues on with "Who happens to be a favourite of the dowager queen".
The grandson of the ruling prince of Laerel then says "I suspect that's how he got command of this army, instead of that general that Tam and that lot captured, who Dalin took to the capital".
"Well imagine that" says Jarjin aka Zubutai Timaginson as he looks at the unconscious figure lying on the ground.
The halfling, who is a member of the personal council to the lord and ruler of the lands Farque.
Along with the elf, who is a member of the royal family that rules the island principality of Laerel.
Look at their fellow councilor, the mage Reinholt, who hasn't really been following their conversation, as he's been concentrating on something else.
The Vexilian mage in exile, covers his ears with his hands, as he does, the elven masterthief asks him "Bad?".
"It could be" is the reply from Mira Reinholt the mage, who then adds "They can overdo it at times".
The elven princeling from Laerel nods his hooded head in understanding.
While councilor Littlefoot, who is a little slower to understand what the two spellcasters are discussing.
Winces, then mutters "Oh hell". As he realises they're talking about the two mageglobes Mira Reinholt created.
Just then, there's a rather loud explosion that hits amongst the enemy army. Quickly followed by another. Signifying the mageglobes, which are living pieces of magic. Coming to the end of their brief lives.
Amongst the enemy army, in this instance, the king's own. To be exact, the crown's army. Though everyone calls them the king's own.
A large explosion rips up through the ground, there's flames and fire in the rather large explosion. The largest so far of the battle, this dark, gloomy and rainy morning.
The next instant, just above the location of that explosion. As the ground starts mushrooming up from the explosion.
There's another one, this one flashes blue. As suddenly an explosion of water occurs right above the fiery one. With the inevitable results.
Beldane the cleric who has just teleported to another spot in the battle.
Suddenly feels his mace, which is magical, and at times, has a mind of it's own. Activates in his right gauntleted hand, and cast.
Wards suddenly appear infront of the member of the church of Glaine.
And the next moment, the explosions from the mageglobes created by Mira Reinholt the mage, occur. Not all that far from where the fighting cleric is standing infront of the enemy.
"Bloody hell" mutters Beldane the cleric, who stumbles backwards even with the barrier and protection spells infront of him.
As they're hit by a wall of fast moving steam, is what it can only be described as.
The powerful spellcaster, who didn't even sense the mageglobes. As they're near impossible to locate and find, even if you are actively sensing for them.
Sourly smiles as he figures it was something Mira Reinholt the mage just did, that's hit the enemy ranks.
And as the hot steam starts to dissipate, the cleric who is part of the group that travels with lord Farque.
Though he has never set foot in the lands Farque, nor does he have an actual rank in the armies of Farque.
Sees scores and scores of the enemy soldiers near him are down. Hit by the wall of moving steam.
While others further back, where the explosion actually took place.
Where there's now a crater in the ground between here and the nearby road.
Are dead, with their clothes and armour burnt off them, and a lot of their skin and flesh stripped off them as well.
Beldane winces when he's able to spot this through the dissipating stream as the rain continues to fall this morning.
Not just here in northern Corlinda. But right across southern Melaurn. Infact a fair chunk of the kingdom, that's the southern most nation in the entire Southlands.
The fighting cleric who hails from the kingdom of Nastell, looks back and calls out "Charge!".
A Farqian officer hears the call of the powerful cleric, who is a member of the group that travels with the lord and ruler of the lands Farque.
And he repeats the call to charge. And the infantry behind Beldane, predominantly from the combined army from the provinces of Karricaw and Corlinda, charge at the enemy.
Where there's now a large gap in the battlelines of the king's own army.
"Looks like it worked" says Mira Reinholt the mage as be looks down at his handiwork.
The once powerful mage briefly pauses, before he continues on with "Didn't know if it would, to be honest".
Jarjin Littlefoot the hobbit looks sideways at his fellow councilor the mage, and sourly smiles.
Then the halfling who isn't really what he appears to be. Looks at the other council member up on the side of the hill, beneath the trees.
Helbe the elven thief, who glances down at him, slightly shrugging, whilst grinning.
"You're no better than him, half the time" mutters Jarjin aka Zubutai Timaginson in the hordes dialect of the southern tundra.
Then switching to the elven language, the halfling originally from the far east coast of the continent, says in a dry tone to the mage Reinholt "You know, you could of told us what you were doing".
Shrugging his shoulders, the Vexilian mage in exile says "Best not to when mageglobes are concerned" he then adds in a slightly dry tone "The results could be different than what i actual intend".
Next to the spellcaster, who is also a highly skilled swordmaster. His fellow practitioner of magic, the elven masterthief nods his hooded head in agreement.
As he's been around Mira Reinholt long enough, to see how mageglobes react when they come to the end of their, normally brief lives.
"We've got a significant breach down in their lines now" says the mage Reinholt with a nod of his hooded head down at the raging battle below.
"And our forces are taking advantage of it" says Helbe the elven thief, who then gestures at the unconscious enemy nobleman he's captured, and says "Without a commander now, i think the twins will have a better time of it now".
"Looks like it" quietly says Jarjin Littlefoot, who then turns to the nearby signalmen, and says "Have that heavy horse that's been waiting in reserve move up" followed by "Hit them on the right flank near where that new breach in the enemy lines is".
As the signal is conveyed, the three council members, Jarjin Littlefoot the hobbit, Mira Reinholt the mage, and Helbe the elven thief continue to watch the battle that's taking place below them as it continues to rain this morning . . . . . .