The Thick Of It 29.

Winter.

Beldane the cleric pops his head around the corner of a burnt out building in the abandoned village, as a number of magetube shots pass overhead. On their way towards the nearby enemy.
Who this morning are engaged with the forces of the ruling council of city-state of Kuradum.
The fighting cleric who is certain he sensed some enemy spellcasters nearby.
Almost jumps in fright when a familiar voice quietly says "I've taken care of them".
The cleric who hails from the kingdom of Nastell sourly smiles as glances to his right and finds Helbe the elven thief standing next to him.
The powerful cleric who is a member of the church of Glaine, a god predominantly worshiped in the north of his homeland.
Is just about to say something to the elven magic user, when the young elven noble from the island principality of Laerel quietly says "They're coming through".
Beldane looks to where the elven masterthief nods, and the next moment he senses a pair of rifts forming.
One behind the nearby enemy lines, the other right amongst them.
The powerful spellcaster from the kingdom of Nastell is always amazed at how quickly the elven master assassin can sense things.
So he's not too surprised when the member of the royal family that rules the island principality of Laerel says "And the others as well".
As Beldane looks further away to the left, to where he suddenly senses four other rifts forming.
Soldiers in the loyalist army from the Kuradum City garrison, rush from the first two rifts to attack the enemy.
The fighting cleric in the half plate armour looks back behind him and Helbe the elven thief, and up into the air.
And as more magetube shots pass overhead, on their way to the rear of the enemy ranks.
The churchman from the kingdom of Nastell sees the trio of Farqian warships veering away to the south.
Most likely to confront enemy airships the powerful cleric can sense a few miles away, heading in this direction.
Beldane looks ahead again when Helbe the elven thief quietly says to him "Look, there's the others coming through".
The young elven noble who is the grandson of the ruling prince of Laerel, then adds "Keep the far right side of the enemy line back".
The elven master archer then adds "I'll take the center" before he disappears from beside the fighting cleric.
The practitioner of magic from the kingdom of Nastell steps away from the burnt out building, taking his mace from it's belt loop.
Beldane the cleric who has spotted lord Farque and the others have come out of one of the nearby rifts.
Hefts his mace upwards above his head, and the powerful magical weapon, which often has a mind of it's own, responds to his command.
From the clear morning sky, on what's a cold winter's day here along the main battlelines in the war between the forces of the loyalist army, against the rebel army.
A shaft of white light, almost as wide as a house, shoots down towards the far right end of the enemy battlelines.
Where it hits, and where a large, but totally silent explosion occurs. Sending enemy soldiers, and bits of them. Along with their earthworks, and snow covered ground, flying in all directions.
Others along the enemy line turn to watch it, as seeing a silent explosion. Is a little more eerie, not to mention disconcerting. Than a normal explosion, no matter how big, such as some of the explosions from magetube shots, which are far larger.
Though with the cleric's spell from the magical mace. It isn't just one explosion.
It's one silent explosion after another, after another, after another and so on.
As Beldane with the mace he holds aloft in his gauntleted hand. Moves in slowly to one side above his head.
And the continuous shaft of bright white light shooting down from the clear morning sky.
Moves along the enemy battleline, creating one silent explosion after another.
Sending dirt, debris, snow and bodies flying in all directions, and in silence. Much to the horror of the enemy further back in the ranks.
Then the powerful cleric, who wields a powerful magic weapon. Moves the mace forward above his head.
And the shaft of white light that's nearly as wide as one of the houses in the abandoned village. Responds to the command of the member of the church of Glaine.
And it heads back from the front of the enemy battlelines, as it was getting close to where the loyalist army was engaged with the rebel enemy army.
Now silent explosion after silent explosion occurs back from the very front of the enemy battlelines.
As Beldane the cleric, who with his magical mace, has tapped into the power of his god Glaine.
Sends the shaft of white light, back through the enemy ranks. Decimating them along the very end of their right flank. Here along the battlelines in the east of the city-state of Kuradum.
"There!" shouts out lord Farque, who continues with "To the right flank!".
As he notices the devastating spell that Beldane the cleric has done, has come to an end.
After it's wiped out a fair few of the enemy. Well over a hundred of them, closer to a couple hundred soldiers in the army of the so called duke of Kuradum, councilman Hirrye.
Hearing the lord and ruler of the lands Farque calling out to the right. Commander Tracklen of the loyalist army yells "To the right!".
He steps aside of a sword swung at him, and before he can retaliate. His adjunctant, Morris runs the enemy soldier through.
"Attack them on the right!" adds the senior most officer in the army loyal to the ruling council of the city-state.
Officers and sergeant at arms nearby under his commander. Yell out the same thing.
And soldiers from the Kuradum City garrison, veer away to the right. And hit the enemy in that position.
Where they've been decimated by what Beldane the cleric did to them a few moments ago.
"You two stay close" orders lord Farque to Dorc da Orc and sir Percavelle Lé Dic.
Both of whom are likely to tear off on their own. And attack the enemy wherever they want.
Though both are just as likely to stay put. As they can both be pretty lazy. And often prefer those they intend to kill, to come to them.
The undead warlord, with the large ork, and the large, heavily armoured knight at his side.
Follow after most of the others in the group, as they and the forces of the ruling council of the city-state of Kuradum.
Engage the forces of the rebel army. At the southern end of the battlelines, here in this part of the east of Kuradum.
On what's a cold, but clear winter's morning in this area of the city-state.
Zam the ex mercenary, jumps down into a crater, formed by an explosion from a magetube shot.
He follows Tovis the war engineer, and Lisell Maera the scout into the crater.
And a number of soldiers in the loyalist army of his homeland, Kuradum.
As the scout Maera kneels up, so that she can shoot her crossbow over the lip of the crater at the enemy.
Tovis the war engineer takes a quick assessment of the situation near them, then says to some of the Kuradian loyalists "You five with us".
The young engineer from the kingdom of Druvic who is a captain in the armies of Farque, adds "The rest of you go around that way, and attack that lot falling back".
Zam glances back in the direction of the abandoned village, the direction they've come from.
And he spots lord Farque, along with Dorc da Orc and sir Percavelle Lé Dic. Approach the crater that they're in.
The trio, who the ex mercenary is pretty sure, are probably the three largest individuals in this morning's battle.
Hop down into the large crater and head this way. As the Kuradian loyalist soldier's Tovis ordered away to the right, to harass the retreating enemy.
Get up and out of the crater, and run away to the right, going after the enemy who are falling back.
The large, heavily armoured deathlord, the ork warleader, and the nobleborn knight.
Come to a stop just behind where Zam, Tovis, and Lisell are just down from the lip of the large crater.
The undead warlord takes a quick look around to assess things. Then he slightly nods his full helmed head as he sees what Tovis has just done.
"We gonna fuck up them cunts?" asks Dorc da Orc nodding at those of the enemy who are falling back.
"We aren't" is the reply of the deathlord of Farque, who then adds "But they are".
Referring to the loyalist soldiers who are in pursuit of the nearby enemy who are falling back.
"Why the fuck are we even here then?" loudly mutters the big, burly ork from the southern polar region of the world.
"We're here to keep a fucking eye on them ya cunt" says the undead being who also has the name of Draugadrottin that the people of his lands know him by.
The lord and ruler of the lands Farque who has just gestured at the nearby loyalist soldiers, and the five who are still here in the large crater.
Then tells the ork weaponsmith "And they're here for their benefit". Switching to the ork language, lord Farque adds "So that they get a fucking victory, to build up how fucking good they can fucking be".
The son of the former matriarch of the wolf tribe of orks grunts in understanding.
While sir Percavelle Lé Dic who has opened his mouth, and is just about to say something.
Falls silent when the lord of the death realm glances at him, and tells him "Shut up Percy".
As the nobleborn knight from the kingdom of Druvic stands there scowling, lord Farque says "In the next crater over to our left" then adds "Well, apart from Helbe and Beldane".
In response to Tovis the war engineer asking him "Where's the others?".
As he looks around, trying to locate the rest of the group. On this cold, but clear winter's morning, here along the battlelines in the east of the city-state of Kuradum.
As the undead being known as Des'tier in the elven language. Which translates to, The Destroyer.
Quickly tells them, along with the five loyalist soldiers in the crater with them, what they are to do next.
Forty yards away to the left, Dalinvardèl Tanith the elven spy pops his head up out of the crater and has another quick look around.
Then he ducks back down and tells Tamric Drubine the field commander what's happening.
"That's good they're falling back along that flank" quietly says Tamric Drubine the field commander after hearing what the spy Tanith has seen.
Then the young noble from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin looks at Mira Reinholt the mage and Jarjin Littlefoot the hobbit.
The once powerful mage is just standing there, waiting for the young field commander to give orders.
While the halfling, who like the mage Reinholt. Is a member of the personal council to lord Farque. Is busy digging a stone out of one of his boots.
There's about thirty loyalist soldiers in the crater with them, and field commander Drubine asks "Anyone see commander Tracklen?".
"Somewhere near the center of our lines is where i saw him last sir" replies one of the soldiers from the Kuradum City garrison.
"Oh well" murmurs Tamric Drubine, or Tam as he's more commonly called by the others in the group.
Then the senior officer in the armies of Farque says to the loyalist soldiers "You lot, head to the right and help the others pushing back the enemy that way".
No questions are asked, and the soldiers loyal to the ruling council of the city-state of Kuradum.
Scramble out of the crater to carry out that order from the senior officer from the Farqian mercenary army.
As they do, Shur Kee the monk, says "Ah friend Mira, away to our left". The short, statured monk continues with "I do believe they are heading this way".
The spellcaster from the city-state of Vexil, who also happens to be a highly skilled swordmaster. Looks to their left, to the north.
As does Saanea the witch, as the lip of the crater isn't particularly high in that direction.
"By the shape of fire" mutters Mira Reinholt the mage, who notices Shur Kee has got into a fighting stance.
The councilor Reinholt, who doesn't particularly want to be around the acolyte in the order of Bru Li when he unleashes his unique power.
Quickly creates a mageglobe and flings it away before either Shur Kee or for that matter, Saanea the witch can do anything.
"Better duck down i guess" says Mira Reinholt the mage to the others in the crater with him.
Taking heed of the mage Reinholt's warning, who they know tends to overdo things a bit.
They all drop to the ground at the bottom of the crater. With most of them covering their heads, especially their ears.
Jarjin Littlefoot the hobbit, who is lying next to the Vexilian mage in exile.
Turns his head, and looks at his fellow member of lord Farque's personal council. And he finds the once powerful mage grinning from ear to ear.
"Oh hell" mutters Jarjin Littlefoot the hobbit, who then grimaces as the sound of an explosion from nearby can be heard.
The halfling, who is a former air sailor in the fleet of the Sultanate of Dreese. A nation that lies on the far east coast of the continent.
Grunts as the blast from the explosion doesn't feel particularly violent. And it's no where near as bad as he thought it would be.
Then it suddenly gets hot. And Jarjin along with most of the others look up.
And they see a sheet of fire go across the top of the crater, just a dozen or so feet above them. As quickly as it appeared, it disappears.
"Bet they got burnt to a crisp" says Mira Reinholt the mage.
"You don't say" sourly says Jarjin Littlefoot the hobbit, as he and the rest of the group get back up.
Tamric Drubine the field commander looks the way the approaching enemy were coming from.
And he doesn't see a single one of them now just to the north of the crater they're in.
"I guess we go that way then" says field commander Drubine.
"Sounds good to me" says the mage Reinholt.
In the other crater nearby, lord Farque has the same idea. And orders those with him, to follow the others in the next crater along.
As the battle, here at the southern end of the frontlines in the east of the city-state of Kuradum. On this cold, clear winter's morning, continues . . . . . .