To War 75.

Summer. Calinar. Melaurn.

Calinar is not just the largest city in the kingdom of Melaurn. It's the largest city in the entire southern region of the Southlands.
Though that's not saying much, as there isn't all that many cities in the very south of the Southlands.
And that most inhabitants in the Southlands don't even know of the existence of those in the very south.
For example the lands Farque, which by size is the largest nation in all the Southlands.
Isn't all that well known outside of the southern region of the Southlands.
Infact you'd be hard pressed to find anyone outside of the southern regions, to of heard of the lands Farque.
Or the kingdom of Melaurn, or the Great Southern Tundra, or the elven forest city-state of Quinthain.
The only nation in the southern region of the Southlands, that's vaguely known elsewhere.
Is the elven island principality of Laerel, and then only mainly by other elves in the two other elven principalities found throughout the Southlands.
This is why, when there's trade deals and the like done within the southern region of the Southlands.
It tends to be done between the neighbouring nations in the southern region.
As the representatives from other nations further north in the Southlands, where it's far more populated, with far more nations.
Don't even bother coming south, that's if they even knew of the existence of the various lands, kingdoms, city-states and the like in the very south of the Southlands.
So it's no great surprise that in the morning, a trio of elven representatives of a number of merchants on the island principality of Laerel.
Turn up at the gates of the Palace of the King, here in the city of Calinar, the capital city of the kingdom of Melaurn.
"We arrived last night" explains Dalinvardèl Tanith the elven spy who is passing himself off as a trade representative from the island principality of Laerel.
"And we went to sir Macell's townhouse at first light" continues the elven spy who is originally from the principality of Alínlae.
"And his majordomo said he was staying here at the palace" continues Dalinvardèl Tanith, or Dalin as he's more commonly called by those who know him well.
"He should be expecting us" says the elven spy who is an officer in the scouts and rangers division of the armies of Farque.
The commander of the gate guard sends one of his men to find sir Macell, who probably isn't even awake as he's a notorious knockabout, who dines and drinks late into the night.
Then the gate guard commander invites the trio of elves who he believes are from the island principality of Laerel into the palace.
Where they wait for the city lord, sir Macell in the gate house just inside the palace grounds.
It's not all that long, and much to the surprise of the gate guard commander that the guard he sent off, returns with sir Macell, and one of the nobleman's vassals.
"Ah Dalin isn't it?" says sir Macell when he gets to the trio of elves who have stepped outside of the gate house.
"Yes indeed it is" says Dalinvardèl Tanith who shakes hands with the city lord.
"Falnic" says the ranger in the armies of Farque.
"Sethil" says the third of the elves, who happens to be a scout in the armies of Farque.
All three elves, preferring to use the diminutive of their actual names. Not their full names.
Which most humans have difficulty pronouncing anyway. As some elven names can be a tongue twister for humans.
"If you would come along with me" says sir Macell, after he introduces his vassal, a sir Dalacain, an underlord here in the city of Melaurn.
The city lord leads the trio of elves away from the gate house.
Where the gate guard commander who is still surprised sir Macell is awake, and doesn't appear to be hungover.
Hears the nobleman with a bit of a reputation, ask the trio of elves walking with him "Have any of you ever been the to the Palace of the King before".
"I have" truthfully answers the elven ranger Falnic, who actually is from the island principality of Laerel.
"Though it was quite some time ago" adds the elven ranger, who has been in the armies of Farque since the invasion of the Southlands by the Holy Norstran Empire four and a half centuries ago.
"Quite a bit has changed since then" adds the ranger Falnic.
"I'd guess so" says sir Macell, one of a number of city lords here in Calinar, the capital city of the kingdom Melaurn.
They don't go to the frontdoors of the main building of the palace. They head around to the side of it.
Where in an ornamental garden, the city lord, sir Macell says to the trio of elves "I'll leave you in Dalacain's hands then".
The nobleman from here in the city of Calinar nods to the trio of elves. Then makes his way out of the ornamental garden. Back to the main building of the palace.
The three elves who are posing as trade representatives from the island principality of Laerel, along with the underlord sir Dalacain watch sir Macell all the way back into the main building of the palace.
Then sir Dalacain turns and quietly says in the elven language "This way".
The underlord who is the main contact of the spies in the Farqian armies, here in the palace of the king of Melaurn.
Leads the trio in the other direction from the main building of the palace.
And once they're out of the ornamental garden, and heading across a courtyard.
Dalinvardèl Tanith the elven spy quietly asks the local nobleman "How much does he know?".
"Nothing" replies sir Dalacain, a vassal to the city lord, sir Macell.
"I had to have my liege lord get you in the palace" continues the underlord, who follows that with "He'll do anything i ask, as I've got something pretty damming on him".
"Oh what's that?" asks the spy who is originally from the elven principality of Alínlae, who is now a company commander in the scouts and rangers division of the first army of Farque.
"He's one of the old bat's favourites" quietly says sir Dalacain, the old bat being the dowager queen. The mother of the king of Melaurn.
Who aside from the king himself, is the most influential political force in the kingdom.
"But he's also been selling goods and weapons to the rebel lords down in Selvah Na" says the underlord here in the city of Calinar.
"You've definitely got one over him" murmurs the spy Tanith.
Behind him, his fellow elven spies, Falnic the ranger, and Sethil the scout, nod in agreement.
Seeing where they're heading, Dalin glances sideways at their contact, and quietly says to him "Is there a reason we're going to those barracks".
"The entrance to the dungeon is there" says the local nobleman, who quietly and quickly adds "If anyone asks I'm giving you a tour of the palace".
The underlord sir Dalacain continues on with "Pretend you're here to sell weapons to the crown".
The city breed nobleman then says "The dungeon entrance is right next to the armory behind the barracks" followed by "So that'll give us an excuse for being here".
As they approach the barracks, the local noble who is one of the contacts here in the Palace of the King, quietly asks "So what's the plan?".
"You don't want to know" is the quiet reply of Dalinvardèl Tanith.
Behind him and the underlord, the other elves, Falnic and Sethil. Who, both are originally from the island principality of Laerel, slightly nod.
As they're of the opinion that the plan devised by Dalin, though brilliant. Is absolutely crazy too.
They both figure it's probably come about due to the amount of time the spy Tanith has been in the group that travels with lord Farque.
Some of the members of which, are the craziest, and most carefree individuals you'll ever likely to meet.
"How will i know when it starts?" asks sir Dalacain.
"You'll know" is the dry sounding reply from the elf who is a company commander in the scouts and rangers division of the armies of Farque.
As they step through the front doors of the barracks, and the underlord calls out to an officer in the king's own that he knows.
As the officer calls out hello, and heads over this way. The spy Tanith quietly tells sir Dalacain "You might want to run when things kick off" quickly followed by "It's not going to be safe around here".
A little while later, and the officer, a captain in the king's own. Is showing them around the armory.
Where Falnic is chatting with some of the weapons makers, and an officer of the quartermasters office.
After the ranger Falnic finishes speaking with the weapons makers. They step outside the armory, where Dalin speaks with sir Dalacain, the captain in the king's own, and the officer from the quartermasters office.
The spy Tanith is just discussing how many elven bows the crown would like to purchase.
When he shares a quick look with his fellow elven spies, Falnic and Sethil.
All three of them have just heard what they've been waiting for. Something that they with naturally enhanced hearing have picked up.
Which the humans with them, definitely aren't able to hear.
An explosion in the distance to the southwest across the city. To be exact, over a mile and a half away. Where the main airdocks of the city of Calinar is located.
The spy Tanith looks at the scout Sethil, and gives him slight hand signal. That if you don't know to look for, you'll never notice it.
Sethil, who is older than Dalin, but not as old as Falnic, slightly nods in reply to the hand signal from the elf who is a member of the group who travels with the lord and ruler of the lands Farque.
Then the elven scout originally from the island principality of Laerel, starts to silently count.
"Longbows will be a little bit more difficult, it takes a while to grow the right tree for each one of them" Dalinvardèl Tanith is saying to the two officers in the king's own.
"And frankly our bow makers don't like them ending up in human hands" says the elven spy, who then adds "Sorry".
"I figured as much" says the captain in the king's guard, next to him, the officer from the quartermasters office nods in agreement.
As he has tried to secure a supply of elven longbows for a number of years from the island principality of Laerel, but has been unsuccessful.
"I could try buying some from people who already own them" says Dalin, who then adds "But it'll be expensive, and it'll only be very small numbers of them".
The two officers in the king's own share a look, then the captain says "Even a handful would be good enough" followed by "If you want to try that, then go for it".
It's the nobleman, sir Dalacain who is standing next to the elven ranger Falnic.
Who spots it, as he looking in the exact direction to see it.
"That ship is flying low" says sir Dalacain the underlord.
The others turn, and look in the direction the nobleman from here in the city of Calinar, points.
"Heading this way, or at least out towards the harbour" says the captain in the king's own as they see a small, sleek looking, single masted airship heading this way, the captain then adds "It's moving fast too".
Then they all hear the unmistakable thud of magetubes firing in the distance, from somewhere near the airdocks of the city.
There's a slight pause, and the captain in the king's own says "That was magetubes firing" followed by "What the hell is going on?".
Sethil the scout, steps back, turns and wanders away a short distance, as the others discuss what could be happening.
The elven spy who hails from the island principality of Laerel, stops at the top of some steps right next to the armory.
Down the steps, is the entrance to the palace dungeon. The doors down there, are guarded by a pair of soldiers.
The spy Sethil nods in greeting, and waves in a friendly manner to the two guards. Who are wondering who he is. And why they're pretty certain, they just heard magetubes firing.
Sethil takes something from beneath his cloak, twists the end of it, and tosses it down the steps, where it lands at the feet of one of the soldiers in the king's own.
The soldier along with his fellow guard look at the cylindrical metal canister, about two feet in length, wondering what it is.
Then they look back up the steps, and see that the elf who was standing up there, has gone.
Sethil the scout walks back to the others, trying not to flinch in anticipation.
He doesn't, but when he quickly rejoins the others, he does flinch in fright, as a fairly large explosion occurs not that far behind them.
From down the steps that leads to the dungeon beneath the palace grounds. As the mage canister he just activated, explodes.
"Run!" shouts Dalinvardèl Tanith the elven spy after some of them stumble forward from the explosion behind them.
"To safety!" adds the elven spy, who hopes to hell, and the forest gods too, that what he and the other spies in the armies of Farque here in the city of Calinar are about to do, is going to work . . . . . .