Soldier Of Gods 16.

Tuledare. 

Jovan Garney the cleric is one of the last ones to board. Which is kind of appropriate, considering he along with the cleric Kalmiss are in command. 

Though the young seventeen year old cleric is wise enough to know that it'll be Kalmiss who will be making all the important decisions. 

Further to that, the Farqian born spellcaster knows he has to rely on the more experienced guards like Oldham if he wants to survive what's to come up. 

The cleric Garney has extensively trained for war, probably more so than anyone else in the church. But he's yet to experience full on war unlike some of the others who are with him. 

The powerful young spellcaster originally from the Lands Farque puts up a hand and waves to the captain of the airship. 

The captain nods, and starts giving orders. The vessel, which the church of Kaēvin owns, is soon lifting off from the airdocks. On what's a cool, and partly cloudy autumn morning. 

Apart from the ship's crew, there's roughly sixty church members on board. While a further forty are on another airship that's just lifted off, carrying most of their supplies. 

The pair of church vessels, are two of a number of airships heading south to the border. Some of which left at dawn. And there's been a steady procession since. 

Standing at the starboard rail, Jovan Garney glances down at the city below. And he spots a group of dark clad mercenaries by the looks of it. 

The powerful cleric watches them for a few moments, before he heads forward. Not knowing that he was just looking at his sister Maiya Garney and her squad who have infiltrated the Tuledarian army. 

Stopping beside Oldham and Sammit, who always seem to be in one another's company. Jovan Garney the cleric says "Should be sometime later this afternoon I guess". 

In reply to the guardsman Sammit asking him how long it'll take to travel the eighty miles or so to the southern border of the city-state. 

The powerful young spellcaster who hails from the Lands Farque, who was the deciding vote in if the church will go to war for the ruling council of Tuledare in their fight against the city-state of Phamal. 

Nods and faintly similes when Oldham dryly says to the much younger guardsman Sammit "Don't be in such a rush to get there" followed by "This is usually the best time before any battle". 

The older more experienced guardsman hikes a thumb in the direction of the ground, then says "At least we're not marching there" followed by "That would suck". 

Standing on the slightly raised bow deck, Jovan Garney as Oldham continues to tell Sammit to relax since this is probably the easiest time they'll get before they actually enter battle. 

Looks around at the morning sky as they fly over the southern wall of the city of Tuledare, and sees that they and their sister ship, are two of half a dozen airships departing the capital at this time. 

While he spots a trio of airships about four to five miles further south. And the practitioner of magic sees a number of vessels even further to the south. Vessels that left the capital city earlier in the morning. 

"What was that?" asks Jovan Garney the cleric after realizing that either Oldham or Sammit just asked him something. 

"I was wondering if they'll be waiting for us father?" asks the younger of the two guardsmen. 

"They might be," says the powerful young spellcaster who continues with "Word is that they've brought some of their forces north through the disputed lands to the border". 

The cleric Garney nods, then says "I suspect that's why the order was given to send all these mercenaries south". As he gestures at the other airships that are flying with them and their sister ship. 

"And why we're going now too" adds the practitioner of magic who is probably the strongest spellcaster in the church of Kaēvin. 

Not just in the city-state of Tuledare, but most likely throughout the entire Southlands. Definitely in at least this region of the Southlands. 

The more experienced guardsman Oldham grunts in agreement with him, while Sammit nods as the three of them look around at the surrounding vessels heading south to the border region. 

The flight south is fairly smooth and uneventful, as the day is mostly clear, though partly cloudy. 

And after the midday meal, which is fairly decent considering they're on board an airship. Jovan Garney finds himself sitting on a bench in a midships, enjoying the warmth of the autumn sun that's beaming through a patch in the clouds in this part of the city-state. 

While the two guardsmen who tend to follow him everywhere, Oldham and Sammit. Are standing nearby at the starboard rail, watching the sister ship that's about eighty yards off to starboard. 

The powerful young spellcaster originally from the Lands Farque finds himself sitting on the bench with the priestess Saleane, who has just joined him. 

The cleric opens his eyes, and finds the priestess looking off into the distance. And though she's a few years older than him, Jovan suspects she hasn't experienced battle yet. 

"First time into battle" quietly asks the cleric Garney to the attractive looking priestess with the dark hair, that's severely cut at her chin level. 

After nodding, Saleane the priestess replies with "It is" followed by "Apart from scuffles in the city". 

The powerful young spellcaster from the Lands Farque nods, then says "I suspect your training will be better than pretty much anyone you come up against" he then adds "Wether they're regular soldiers in the Phamalian army, or if they hired mercenaries". 

"Let's hope so" murmurs the priestess in the church of Kaēvin, the god of scribes and wordsmiths. Who also happens to be one of the human wargods. 

"And you?" asks the priestess Saleane, the young cleric replies with "I've been in combat before" though he does add "But I've never been in a battle between two warring armies". 

The practitioner of magic pauses for a moment or two, then he says "I don't know to be excited at the prospect of it, to test the skills I've learnt". 

After another brief pause, the young cleric who at seventeen finds himself one of the leaders of his church, says "Or if I should be scared of what could happen". After another slight pause, the cleric Garney adds "A little of both I guess". 

The attractive priestess nods as she is in agreement with the powerful young spellcaster, as she feels exactly the same way. 

The two of them continue to chat into the afternoon, only finishing their conversation when the cleric Kalmiss calls his fellow cleric back to talk with him and the ship's captain. 

Where they discuss where they'll put down, as they've been given a couple of location they can head to. Unlike the nearby vessels carrying the various mercenary companies who left the capital city at the same time they did. 

Still later in the afternoon, and as the church vessel, a twin masted airship, that's both a transporter and a warship. 

Is flying over forest, basically in the border region, just a few miles to the north of the border itself. 

The cleric Garney who is in a midships again, is looking ahead where he sees the vessels that were further in front of them, are putting down, heading towards the ground. 

When he slightly frowns as he senses something odd, the powerful young cleric looks away to starboard as that's the direction he senses it from. 

Jovan Garney narrows his eyelids and concentrates as he looks in that direction, with the sky above them in this part of the city-state, way more cloudy than it is to the north. 

The practitioner of magic then senses it properly, and he sees it start to form. Jovan Garney blinks in surprise as he realizes what it is. And it's the last thing he expected to see. 

The young cleric in the church of Kaēvin instantly figures out that he's definitely the only one who knows what it is. 

But more importantly he also knows, that the airship he's onboard, and the surrounding vessels are doomed. 

"Abandon ship!" shouts Jovan Garney the cleric who is already casting a gateway here in a mid ship's. 

The powerful young spellcaster as he casts, now also knows that the Tuledarian army and their war effort against the city-state of Phamal is doomed too. 

As a sky rift forms away to starboard, and a Krean strikeship comes flying out of it at a terrifyingly fast speed, firing it's multitude of magetubes as it does so, destroying everything it targets . . . . . .

Soldier Of Gods 15.

Tuledare. 

They ride into the city well before dawn. It's still dark when the south gates are opened for them. And they head to the nearby army barracks in the southern quarter of the city. 

As they ride, Maiya Garney the lead scout glances back when she hears one of the squad slow their mount. 

Even though it's dark, and there isn't that much in the way illumination. She spots a tall hooded figure off to one side on the street they're on. 

The member of the squad who has stopped and dismounted, is the elven ranger Halindrelle. Who briefly speaks with the hooded figure. 

As the ranger from the forest city of Quinthain remounts, the hooded figure turns and walks into a nearby lane. 

While Halindrelle makes his way forward, to have a brief word with the lead scout who commands the small squad of Farqians who have infiltrated the Tuledarian army. 

Maiya Garney briefly nods after Halindrelle the elven ranger quietly tells her in his native language "The Traveler's Comfort after we deliver these messages". 

The elven ranger drops back into line, as the lead scout Garney continues to lead the way to the nearby army barracks, here in the southern part of the capital city of Tuledare. 

Even though it's before dawn, the army barracks is fairly busy. They gain admittance through the guarded gates by showing the missive they've been given. 

Once inside they see that this city barracks has a large number of hired mercenaries in it. As the army of Tuledare are using it as a staging area for them. 

And a busy one at that, as mercenary companies are already moving out. Some mounted, but the majority of them are on foot, as they march off to the various city airdocks. 

As they're being shipped off to the south, predominantly the border region, where the enemy, the Phamalian forces have suddenly started showing up. 

The lead scout Garney has the rest of the squad wait outside the main building of the barracks. As she and sergeant Blufont head inside. 

With the missive they've been given, they gain easy entry. And the two of them soon find themselves outside a busy office. With other messengers from within the city, and outside of it too, from elsewhere in the city-state. 

Getting the attention of the harried looking subaltern behind the front desk, lead scout Maiya Garney says "Captain Morsea with messages from commander Fessa on the border". 

That gets the subaltern's attention, and he gets up saying "Come with me". The lead scout in the second division of the Fifth Army of Farque, along with her sergeant, follow the subaltern to one of the other occupied desks in the large office. 

"Commander, these mercenaries have messages from the border" says the Tuledarian subaltern to the officer behind the desk, who holds out a hand for the messages. 

Maiya Garney hands over the leather pouch with the messages, and says "From commander Fessa" in reply to the senior officer asking her "From who?". 

The commander grunts, then takes out the written messages, most of which are authentic. With the lead scout, to be exact, the youngest member of her squad, Samiss. Who has a knack for forgery and counterfeit. Having added a couple more messages, orders to be exact. 

The commander turns his desk lamp up, before reading the messages, and nods his head when he reads one piece of parchment, followed by another. 

Looking at the two supposed mercenaries, the Tuledarian commander asks them "You lot see any of the destruction along the border?" followed by "Some of the villages and towns down in the region you came from?". 

"We did sir" replies lead scout Garney, who goes by the name of Morsea, a captain of a small mercenary company that's been hired by the Tuledarian army. 

The Farqian infiltrator then names a couple of villages, both of which her and her squad, attacked the local garrisons there, without the villagers knowing. 

"The soldiers there were attacked, we came across them while on patrol" says Maiya Garney who continues with "Well, I should say we across their bodies". 

The commander grunts, then says to the subaltern "Just like the other reports we've been getting from along the southern border" followed by "Those bastards are definitely planning a major offensive along the border". 

He pauses for a few moments and stares off across the office, before he says "Good thing we're sending this lot off today". Referring to all the mercenary companies here in the barracks. 

The commander then looks at the last parchment in the pouch, after reading it he nods, then says to the Farqian infiltrator posing as a mercenary captain in the Tuledarian army "You have your orders, see to them". 

"Yes sir" replies the lead scout Garney, who repeats that after the Tuledarian senior officer tells her "You and your company can get something to eat from the kitchens before you head off". 

After getting a missive from the subaltern, allowing them to get something to eat from the kitchens. The two Farqian infiltrators make their way outside to where the rest of the squad are waiting. 

"Free food, might as well take advantage of it" says Maiya Garney, next to her sergeant Blufont sourly smiles before saying "But it's army food, their army" followed by "It's probably crap like the stuff they fed us on the border". 

"I suspect it's better here in the city" says the lead scout Garney, who grins when the experienced sergeant mutters "I doubt it". 

It turns out the lead scout was right, the food in the kitchen barracks here, is infinitely better than what they got down on the southern border from the Tuledarian army. 

And after they've eaten, they make their way from the large barracks here in the south of the city, just as the first glimpse of dawn can be seen in the east. 

They head along the same main street they rode on whilst entering the city, and with the elven ranger Halindrelle leading the way, they turn into a lane. 

With dawn on the eastern horizon, the lead scout Maiya Garney sees it's the same lane she saw the tall, hooded figure who spoke to Halindrelle, went down. 

The elf who originally comes from the forest city of Quinthain, stops out in front of an inn, it's the Traveler's Comfort. 

Then the elven ranger in the Armies of Farque leads the way around the back to the stables located there. 

And under the watchful eye of the stableboy who has just woken up, the squad in the second division of the Fifth Army of Farque, who have infiltrated the Tuledarian army, and the city of Tuledare itself, stable their mounts. 

And in pairs, as well as one by one. The squad members in the Armies of Farque who are posing as a mercenary company. 

Enter the inn, and make their way upstairs, following behind Halindrelle who once again leads the way. 

Maiya Garney sees the elven ranger enter a room, and she follows him, with sergeant Blufont right behind her. 

"Commander" quietly says the lead scout to the tall cloaked figure in the room with the elven ranger. 

Sergeant Blufont repeats what the lead scout Garney just said. So does the rest of the squad, when each of them enters the room. 

With Reynolds and young Samiss at the window, looking in both directions down the main street in this part of the city. 

One looking towards the south gates of the city of Tuledare, and the other looking at the army barracks the squad just visited. 

The lead scout Maiya Garney, sergeant Blufont, the sorcerer Carnid and the elven ranger Halindrelle, gather around Dalinvardèl Tanith the elven spy, who sits upon his bed in the room. 

With the lead scout and the sergeant sitting on two of the chairs, while the sorcerer and the elven ranger remain standing. 

After the lead scout Garney quickly informs the elven spy who is a commander in the Armies of Farque, what they've been up to lately, since crossing the border into the city-state of Tuledare, and infiltrating the Tuledarian army. 

Maiya Garney who is speaking in elven, asks the elf who is a member of the group that travels with Lord Farque "What's been happening here in the city sir?". 

The spy, who is originally from the elven principality of Alínlae, quietly and quickly tells them what's been going on here in the city of Tuledare. 

"They still don't know that we've entered the war on behalf of the Phamalians" says Dalinvardèl Tanith the elven spy referring to the Fifth Army of Farque. 

"All they know is that the Phamalians are making a major push on their southern border" adds the elven spy who previously served in one of the more prominent noble houses in his homeland of Alínlae. 

After a brief pause, the commander in the Armies of Farque says "Which is what we want them to know". 

Maiya Garney and the three members of her squad with her, nod in understanding. As they know much of the plans of field commander Tamric Drubine, but they don't know all of them. 

"Scout Garney you and your squad won't begin your tasks here in the capital until they've shipped most of their army off" says Dalinvardèl Tanith who is known by the name of Dalin by those who know him well. 

The spy Tanith who is technically in the same division in the Armies of Farque as the infiltrator squad, continues with "Mercenaries for the most part, and others they've hired recently" followed by "Mainly from the nearby barracks here in the south of the city". 

The commander in the Scouts and Rangers division of the Armies of Farque continues with "Assassination of their leaders is no longer in play". 

The lead scout lifts an eyebrow in surprise at that, and the elven spy originally from the principality of Alínlae informs them that he and Helbe the elven thief has ruled that out because the members of the ruling council of Tuledare aren't actually here in the capital. Infact they're not in the city-state at all. 

And those representatives they've left behind to run the day to day things in the city, are probably more valuable alive, once the Phamalians are victorious in the war. 

"You'll have your other assignments to keep you occupied" says Dalinvardèl Tanith who follows on from that with "And if anything pops up, or if any targets of opportunity arises, I or one of my informants will get in contact with you". 

The elven spy then takes out a map of the city of Tuledare from a hidden pocket in his cloak, and shows the lead scout, and the three with her a number of things he thinks are important and that they should know. 

The four of them hardly say a word as the commander in the Armies of Farque explains a number of things to them. 

In particular which trade routes are still operating out of the city. Majority of which is by air, conducted mainly by foreign trading companies. 

As the city-state has coerced the vast majority of local trading companies to work for them. Predominantly shipping, by both land and air, supplies and troops to the battle lines. 

Once the elven spy has explained things, Maiya Garney is just about to ask him something, when from the windows, Reynolds quietly says "They're moving out". 

The four of them, and the commander, along with the rest of the small infiltration squad. Make their way over to the windows in the upper storey room of the spy Tanith. 

They stand at the room's windows and look outside, and up. And in the early morning light of a new day, they see airships from elsewhere in the city pass overhead, flying south to the war. 

No one says anything for a few moments, then Dalinvardèl Tanith the elven spy quietly says "Off to their deaths". 

Maiya Garney the lead scout doesn't say anything to that, but she is agreement with the elf who is a commander in the Armies of Farque . . . . . .