To War 105.

Summer. Calinar. Melaurn.

It's after midday now, on what's a sunny summer day here in the capital city Calinar.
It's cooler here on the coast compared to further inland, thanks to the breeze coming in off the ocean.
Standing on a dock down in the port, Mira Reinholt the mage enjoys the breeze coming off the water.
As he watches a ship being loaded with goods. A vessel bound for the southern coastal city of Ramgee.
Not knowing that Ramgee and the province it's in, Selvah Na. Is at war with the crown and king.
Knowing that the ship he's watching will be commandeered in a couple of days by those in control of Ramgee.
The once powerful mage then turns to head to where Beldane the cleric and general Sumic are waiting in a nearby tavern.
The spellcaster from the city-state of Vexil, who is in exile from his homeland.
Finds his fellow practitioner of magic, Helbe the elven thief standing behind him on the dock.
"Kill her?" asks Mira Reinholt the mage in the elven language, showing no sign of the surprise he felt at finding the elven magic user standing there behind him.
"No" replies Helbe the elven thief in the same language, who slightly smiles as he knows he surprised the mage Reinholt.
"She's not in" continues the young elven noble from the island principality of Laerel.
His homeland he can see today from here in the port city of Calinar, on the coast of Melaurn.
As the island nation ruled by his family, lies across the Kuyriers Straits from the coast of the Southlands.
The Vexilian mage in exile who can't see the island principality today, as it's far too far away for his natural eyesight to see it. Asks the elven master assassin "Where is she?".
"Down the coast, rallying support for the war against lord Gormica" is the reply from the grandson of the ruling prince of Laerel.
"Seems she does it every week" says the elven masterthief who follows that with "Getting out there amongst the crown's allies, getting them to send more men, and supplies down south to the war".
The highly talented elven magic user briefly pauses, before he adds "She is definitely the driving force behind the war".
Mira Reinholt nods his hooded head, then the spellcaster who was once the most powerful mage of his generation to be found anywhere in the Southlands, asks "The king?".
"He wants the war done" says the elven master archer, who like the exiled Vexilian mage, is a member of the personal council to lord Farque.
"He just doesn't know how to end it" adds the grandson of Prince Raendril of Laerel.
The young elven noble who is from across the Kuyriers Straits is silent for a bit.
And the spellcaster from the city-state of Vexil who is also a highly skilled swordmaster, raises a questioning eyebrow as he looks at his fellow councilor.
"What is it?" asks Mira Reinholt as he looks at the figure in the white hooded cloak.
"Just thinking about something" quietly says the elven princeling, who after a slight pause, adds "Well the general was definitely right about one thing".
"What was that?" asks the highly skilled swordmaster originally from the city-state of Vexil.
"The queen absolutely hates the old one" is the reply of prince Helbenthril Raendril, who follows that with "She definitely wants the dowager queen out of the picture".
The elven masterthief who is the envoy for the armies of Farque, when they have to deal with whoever it is that's hired them, adds "So do others at court".
The elven master assassin continues with "Though none are willing to do it themselves".
"We'll just have to do it for them" says the once powerful mage.
"Whenever she returns to the city" says the highly talented elven magic user.
"Whenever she returns to the city" repeats the human spellcaster, with a nod of his hooded head.
Then the swordmaster Reinholt points and adds "Beldane and the general are that way?".
"Dalin?" asks the elven masterthief who is a member of the royal family that rules the island principality of Laerel.
"He's checking on our spies in the city" is the reply of the Vexilian mage in exile.
Then the two spellcasters who are members of the personal council to the lord and ruler of the lands Farque.
Head off, making their way to the nearby tavern where Beldane the cleric, and the prisoner, general Sumic are waiting.
Sitting at one of the tables infront of the tavern they're waiting at. General Sumic sourly smiles as another man walks by, eyeing him up as he does so.
Next to the general in the Kings Own, Beldane the cleric covers the spreading smile that's on his face, with a gloved hand.
The powerful cleric who hails from the kingdom of Nastell, clears his throat as the prisoner looks his way.
"Not to worry" quietly says Beldane the cleric as general Sumic scowls at him.
"I'm here to protect your virtue" adds the fighting cleric who is a member of the church of Glaine.
A god predominantly worshiped in the north of his homeland, the kingdom of Nastell.
The prisoner, who is magically disguised as an attractive young woman. And not the fighting man in his late thirties that he really is.
Sourly smiles at hearing that from the powerful spellcaster who is one of his captors.
As another man walks by, this one much older, who leers at general Sumic, causing him to mutter "The next bastard who eyes me up, I'm going to punch in the nuts".
Beldane the cleric quietly says "Hopefully you won't have to be in that disguise for too much longer".
The common born general in the Kings Own grunts in reply to that. As he too hopes he's not under this illusion spell for too much longer.
Then Sumic, who knows the port here in Calinar well. As he used to sneak off to here when he was a child growing up in the Palace of the King.
Looks down the quiet street they're on, to the nearest pier, and slightly frowns as he spots someone he recognises.
Seeing the look on the face of the young woman sitting next to him, the fighting cleric in the church of Glaine quietly asks in elven "What is it?".
"Down at that pier, heading this way" says general Sumic in common, who is more comfortable speaking that language, even though he can understand elven.
"There's a couple of men, one quite tall and lean" continues the senior officer in the Kings Own, who is friends with king Harmard the Third, as they grew up together.
"What about him?" asks the spellcaster from the kingdom of Nastell, who is a member of the group who travels with lord Farque.
"That's sir Jurshwin, a functionary at court, loyal to the dowager queen" quietly says the prisoner, who isn't treated like a prisoner.
"One of those who threw me in the palace dungeons" adds the senior most commoner in the army of the king of Melaurn, more commonly called the Kings Own.
Beldane slightly nods as he carefully watches the two walking from the nearby pier, heading up this street that's on a slight rise above the port.
"What he's doing out of the palace i have no idea" quietly says general Sumic who continues with "He's a lackey at court, who I've never known to do much outside of the palace, here in the city proper" he briefly pauses before adding "Hell, I've never known him to leave the palace and the neighbourhood around it".
"Drink your drink and act casual" quietly says the powerful spellcaster, as he watches the two walking up the street this way.
They'll pass right by the tavern Beldane and Sumic are sitting infront of.
And the fighting cleric in the church of Glaine makes sure there's no practitioner of magic close by.
The nearest one he can sense is Mira Reinholt the mage, who is down at the docks, heading this way too.
Then the Nastellian spellcaster reads the mind of the tall, lean court functionary that general Sumic has identified as sir Jurshwin.
Beldane blinks in surprise after reading the mind of the nobleborn court functionary. Who along with the other man with him, is so wrapped up in their conversation.
They don't even take notice of the attractive young woman sitting beside the fighting cleric when they walk by the tavern, and continue up the street and over the rise.
"Hell" mutters Beldane the cleric with a slight wince upon his face.
"What is it?" asks general Sumic after he looks away from sir Jurshwin and the other man.
"Trouble" says the powerful cleric, who looks back down the street, and spots Mira Reinholt the mage and Helbe the elven thief who have come into view, and are heading up this way.
The member of the church of Glaine waves to them, beckoning them to hurry up.
The two spellcasters, who are members of the personal council to lord Farque share a look when they spot Beldane signaling them to hurry up.
The mage and the elven magic user pick up the pace, as they head up the street to the tavern, where the fighting cleric and the enemy general are waiting.
"We've got a problem" quietly says Beldane the cleric when the two council members get to the tavern.
As Mira Reinholt the mage says "What is it?".
Helbe the elven thief who has already read the mind of the Nastellian spellcaster, says "Shit".
The elven magic user then adds "I'll follow them" he continues with "I'll meet you back at the safehouse".
The young elven noble from the island principality of Laerel then hurries around into the lane next to the tavern and disappears.
Looking at Beldane the cleric, Mira Reinholt asks "What's happened?".
"Trouble" replies the fighting cleric who stands up, as does general Sumic.
"They know the general here got help escaping from the palace dungeons" says the member of the church of Glaine in the elven language.
"They've been scouring the city ever since then for whoever did it" adds the powerful spellcaster who hails from the kingdom of Nastell.
They set off, and Beldane the cleric says "They might of found out it was our spies who did it" followed by "And they've located a couple of the safehouses in the city".
"The one we're using near the palace?" asks Mira Reinholt the mage as they head up the rise and over it.
The fighting cleric in the halfplate armour shakes his head no, then says "Not that one".
The member of the church of Glaine follows that with "Though they have found the one in the very north of the city".
"With the tunnel?" quietly asks general Sumic in common, as he recalls using that tunnel to get out of the city.
A tunnel that leads north, to the border of the lands Farque, which is less than a few miles from the northern outskirts of the city of Calinar.
It's close enough, that the three of them can easily see away to the north, the lands Farque from the rise they've just topped.
"The very one" says Beldane the cleric who continues speaking in the elven language.
"That's not good" murmurs the once powerful mage, who briefly pauses then adds "Dalin's checking on the others in the city isn't he?".
"He is" says the fighting cleric from the kingdom of Nastell.
The Vexilian mage in exile slightly winces, then the spellcaster who is also a highly skilled swordmaster asks "They're not planning on doing anything right now are they?".
The powerful practitioner of magic who is a member of the church of Glaine, slightly shrugs, then says "I guess that's what his highness is finding out right now".
The mage Reinholt grunts, as he and Beldane the cleric and the prisoner, general Sumic.
Continue on their way, away from the port of Calinar, heading towards the Palace of the King.
Near which, is the safehouse that they're using at the moment.
As he walks along a rooftop, Helbe the elven thief looks down at the court functionary, sir Jurshwin.
The blurred and shielded elven magic user reads the local nobleman's mind, and the mind of the man walking with him as they head to the palace.
The young elven noble from the island principality of Laerel learns of sir Jurshwin's co-conspirators.
And what they plan to do, with the information they've recently learnt.
The sooner we kill the dowager queen, the better, Helbe the elven thief thinks to himself who then shifts to the roof of the next building along as he keeps pace with the two men he's following.
The elven master assassin then quietly says "Find Dalin" followed by "Tell him some of the safehouses are compromised".
On the right shoulder of the elven masterthief, Narladene the ground pixie nods her head as the grandson of the ruling prince of Laerel tells her "And some of our spies are going to be attacked at any time now".
"Will do" says Narladene the ground pixie, who takes off, just before the highly talented elven magic user shifts to the roof of another building.
As he follows the court functionary sir Jurshwin and the other man to the Palace of the King.
On this sunny, summer day here on the coast, in the city of Calinar, the capital of the kingdom of Melaurn . . . . . .