To War 76.

Summer. The City Of Calinar.

Dalinvardèl Tanith the elven spy is almost knocked off his feet by the explosion.
And is almost again, when he's hit by the water that blasts up in all directions from the steps leading down to the entrance of the dungeons.
Here next to the armory, beside one of the barracks, within the grounds of the palace of the king of Melaurn.
Sir Dalacain the underlord has taken his warning to heart, and takes off running when the explosion occurs.
Not so the captain in the king's own, who turns to see what's happened. And ends up getting kicked in the side of the head by the elven ranger Falnic, who knocks him out.
Meanwhile, the officer in the quartermasters office is hit full in the back by some of the water.
And he is knocked off his feet, sent tumbling across the courtyard infront of the armory. He's knocked out before he even comes to a stop.
The three elves, all spies serving in the scouts and rangers division of the armies of Farque.
All look at one another, standing there, drenched from the watery explosion.
Then it's the oldest of them, the ranger Falnic, who breaks the silence by dryly saying "Fucking mages".
The other two can only nod in agreement, then Dalinvardèl Tanith the elven spy says "Quick, let's go".
The three of them hurry to the steps that lead down to the dungeons. While overhead, the Quick Gull is making it's way over the palace, heading towards the harbour. As magetube shots tear through the morning sky after the small, sleek looking, single masted airship that's in the Farqian fleet.
The trio of elves, one from the principality of Alínlae, and the other two from the island principality of Laerel, hurry down the steps.
As they do, the oldest of the three, the ranger Falnic mutters "You could of picked a better one".
"How the hell do i know what it's going to do" is the reply of the scout Sethil, who then sourly adds "The damn thing didn't have an inscription on it".
At the bottom of the steps they find the doors ripped off their hinges, and the guards gone.
They make their way through the entrance of the palace dungeons, and down a tunnel.
That's fill of water, about an inch or two deep. In the tunnel they find the two soldiers who were standing guard.
Both dead, as they were at the epicenter of the explosion. As Sethil the elven scout threw a mage canister at them. That landed right at their feet.
Dalinvardèl Tanith or Dalin as he's more commonly called by those who know him well, stops at the two dead guards, and starts searching one of them.
"Search the other" says the spy Tanith who nods his damp, hooded head at the other dead guard.
The ranger Falnic does so, while Sethil the scout keeps an eye out for any of the king's own who might show up.
"Keys" says Dalin, holding up a set of keys from the dead soldier he's been searching.
"Same" says the elven ranger, who is originally from the island principality of Laerel.
And has been fighting under the command of lord Farque since before the undead warlord died.
When the then Kaiuss Farque the battlelord, was the heir to the then lord and ruler of the lands Farque.
"Didn't fancy using one of those damn things to blast him out" says the elven spy who hails from the principality of Alínlae, where he served in one of the more prominent noble houses of his homeland.
"It would probably kill him, and blow us up in the process" dryly adds the spy Tanith.
The older elf, Falnic grunts in agreement. Then the two of them, along with Sethil, hurry to the end of the tunnel.
Where there's another set of steps, where the water is running down, and which they hurry down.
"Open all of them" says Dalin once they're down the steps, he continues on with "A bit of confusion will help with our escape".
I hope, silently adds the elven spy who is a member of the group that travels with lord Farque.
With the scout Sethil standing at the base of the steps, keeping an eye out, and listening for any of the king's own who might show up.
The two other elves, the spy Tanith and the ranger Falnic hurry along either side of this lower tunnel in the dungeons. Where they open up cell after cell with the keys they took from the dead guards.
And though most of the cells end up being empty, they eventually release eight prisoners being held in the dungeons beneath the palace of the king of Melaurn.
"Run!" shouts the elven ranger Falnic in the common language to a prisoner who stumbles out of one of the cells.
"It's a jail break" adds the ranger who also happens to be a spy, who serves in the armies of Farque.
The disoriented prisoner looks around, and though the tunnel is dark and gloomy. He along with the other prisoners hurry to the steps.
Where the scout Sethil tells each and everyone of them to hurry up, and to flee before the king's own shows up.
Dalinvardèl Tanith opens up the last cell on the side of the tunnel he's on, and he finds a disheveled looking general Sumic sitting in the cell.
"We're getting you out of here" says Dalin to the prisoner, who was captured in a battle between the first army of Farque, and an army of allies to the king of Melaurn, an army the general was in command of.
"Never thought those who took me prisoner would release me from my own king's dungeons" dryly says general Sumic, a commoner who has attained the highest rank in the king's own army.
"Still got those missives with you?" asks Dalinvardèl Tanith who then adds "Or did they take them from you?".
"I've got them" says the common born general, who grew up here in the palace. As his parents were servants who worked here.
"They didn't even bother to search me" sourly says general Sumic, who is friends with the king.
Though that didn't save him from being shoved into a cell in the dungeons.
As he was caught by the dowager queen's men before he had a chance to give the missives to the king of Melaurn.
"Good" says Dalin, who follows that with "Hand them over".
Once general Sumic does, and the spy Tanith tucks them away beneath his tunic.
The elf who hails from the principality of Alínlae says "Someone else can get it to the king".
As they hurry to the steps that water is still running down, Dalinvardèl Tanith tells the general "We have to get you out of here" followed by "It's not safe for you here anymore".
The enemy general grunts in agreement with that as they follow Sethil and Falnic up the steps.
Last week, Sumic never thought he'd have to rely on his enemies to keep him safe.
But here he is, getting busted out of the palace dungeons by three of them.
As his position is seen as a threat to the dowager queen. As she thinks he's too much of an influence upon the king.
A definite no, no in her opinion. Considering he's a commoner too. A son of servants of all things.
Who has risen through the ranks of the crown's army, to the highest rank of general.
Up in the next tunnel, they see the last of the other prisoners going through where the doors previously stood.
They take just a few steps, when Sethil the scout stops, and puts up a hand.
"Soldiers" quietly says the scout who is originally from the island principality of Laerel.
He looks at the other two elves, and quietly says "I've just got the one left".
General Sumic, who can understand the elven language. Frowns as he wonders what the elf who spoke is talking about.
Then he looks at the one called Dalin next to him, who says "Here, use one of mine". And he takes something out from beneath his cloak.
The general in the army of the crown of Melaurn has never seen one before. But he knows what it is, as he's been told about them. And he's read about them in battle manuals from his time in officer's training.
"Hell" mutters general Sumic with a wince upon his face, followed by "You're using those things?".
"They're highly effective" says Dalinvardèl Tanith as he hands the mage canister over to Sethil the elven scout.
"Highly fucking dangerous too" mutters the elven ranger Falnic.
With that, general Sumic wholeheartedly agrees upon. As everything he knows about mage canister is that they're highly unpredictable, and very lethal for the main part.
Just like those who make them, mages. The most powerful of the human spellcasters.
"We'll stay back here" quietly says the elven spy who is a company commander in the scouts and rangers division of the armies of Farque.
He, along with the ranger Falnic, and the prisoner general Sumic remain at this end of the tunnel.
While Sethil jogs across the watery floor to the other end of the tunnel, where the doors to outside previously stood.
As the elven scout who is a spy gets near the end of the tunnel, he twists one end of the two foot long, metal cylindrical canister he's carrying.
He stops where the doors previously stood, and throws the mage canister up the steps to the courtyard infront of the armory.
Sethil has turned and is running back to the others as the mage canister lands up in the courtyard, amongst some of the king's own, who have to come to find out what's happening.
There's a large explosion that knocks Sethil down, sending dirt and debris flying down into the tunnel.
And sends Dalin, Falnic, and general Sumic stumbling, barely able to keep their footing as the ground beneath, and above them violently shakes.
"Move" orders the spy Tanith who grabs a hold of the enemy prisoner to keep him steady.
The ranger Falnic is already moving, and Dalinvardèl Tanith and general Sumic follow him into the dust and debris filled air.
The elven ranger finds his fellow spy on the floor, coughing up dust as the air is fill of it.
"Up you get youngster" says the rangers Falnic to the scout Sethil, who he hauls to his feet.
The scout, who is the middle in age of the trio of elven spies. Looks a little dazed as he and the others peer through the dust and dirt, trying to see what's happened.
"No use standing around here, might as well get moving" says Dalinvardèl Tanith, who while he's here in the city of Calinar. Is in charge of all the Farqian spies who are based here.
They move forward through the debris filled air, and though general Sumic can't really see what's happened.
The trio of elven spies with their naturally enhanced eyesight, can.
Outside, the top half of the steps has gone. As has about forty feet of the courtyard infront of the entrance to the dungeons beneath the palace grounds.
Instead there's a crater there, caused by the spell in the mage canister that Sethil the scout threw up here.
The three elves along with the enemy general scramble up the side of the crater and out.
Here up in the courtyard next to the armory, and the barracks. The debris in the air isn't so thick.
And even general Sumic can see the bodies scattered across the courtyard.
Soldiers in the crown's army, or the king's own as they're more commonly referred to as.
Most dead, though a number of them are wounded from the explosion that's ripped apart this courtyard.
The three elves turn as someone comes towards them through the dust and debris filled air.
It's sir Dalacain the underlord who says "What the hell happened?".
General Sumic blinks in surprise when he realises the nobleman just spoke in elven.
He does so again, when the elf named Dalin hands the missive to the underlord, and tells him in elvish "Get these into the hands of the king" followed by "And whatever you do, don't get caught by her supporters".
Sir Dalacain nods, and after stuffing the missives under his tunic, he turns and hurries away through the dissipating dust and debris.
General Sumic who is utterly shocked that sir Dalacain is a traitor. As he always thought of him as just a lackey to one of the city lords. Sir Macell, who is a notorious rabble rouser at court, who is a drunkard and womanizer.
The enemy general shakes his head, as he and the trio of elves turn and hurry the other way.
The general in the crown's army whose right arm is being held by the elf named Dalin is wondering how they're going to get out of the palace of the king of Melaurn.
As they hear, and see people running in the direction of the armory. Coming to see what's happened.
When suddenly Dalinvardèl Tanith the elven spy, Falnic the ranger, Sethil the scout, and general Sumic vanish into thin air . . . . . .