Tuesday 4 June 2024

Soldier Of Gods 26.


The City Of Tuledare. 

They make their way through a park, with the priestess Saleane leading the way. Jovan Garney the cleric sees just a handful of people in the park through the trees. 
He suspects it would be busier in the warmer months of the year. And that the cold morning has put people off from coming here. 
Not to mention the war that's going on. As people aren't out and about as they would normally be from what the cleric Garney has seen. 
Saleane the priestess makes her way along a white peebled path. A couple of park custodians are about. Sweeping the fallen leaves off the various paths that go through the park. 
"They also help take care of the contemplation glade" quietly says Saleane the priestess after they go by one of the custodians. 
The attractive priestess gestures to a little used path, and makes her way along it, with the powerful young spellcaster following closely behind her. 
The cleric Garney sees they're heading towards a well kept hedge, which when they go through an opening in it, he realizes it's a screen for what's inside. 
Although inside looks similar to the rest of the park, with many different types of trees here and there. 
The young cleric in the church of Kaēvin immediately sees that there's all manner of statues dotted about inside the hedged off area of the park, in the middle of which is a low, ankle deep circular pool, which gives this place the name the contemplation glade. 
The Farqian born practitioner of magic doesn't have to get close to any of the statues to realize what they are. 
Even from a distance, he can tell that each and every one of them is a god of Volunell, or to be exact an image of the gods of the world. 
Jovan Garney faintly similes, and nods his head when Saleane the priestess points and says "There they are". 
The two of them walk between some trees, going by a few of the statues, to where a couple of people, a woman in her middle years, and a boy of about ten, are at one of the statues. 
"There, that's about all done" says Hildagar the mistress of the pantry at the cathedral of Kaēvin, followed by "Well done lad".
As they approach Hildagar and the page, they see the boy who has a bunch of rags, has a wide smile upon his face as he and Hildagar look with admiration at the statue they're standing in front of. 
"The custodians leave it to each church and temple to the upkeep of the statues of the gods here in the glade" Saleane the priestess quietly says to the cleric Garney as they approach their fellow church members, who stand in front of the statue of the god Kaēvin that they've just cleaned. 
"Look Gollip, it's the young father and priestess Saleane" says Hildagar when she notices the two of them approaching. 
"Thought we'd come and give the old thing a clean" explains the rotund woman who along with her sister Oldagin, rules the kitchens of the cathedral of Kaēvin with impunity. 
"Don't think anyone from the church has come to give him a clean since before summer" adds Hildagar. 
"Well done, he looks good" says Saleane the priestess, which is echoed by Jovan Garney the cleric who says "He does indeed" followed by "Well done Gollip". 
The page stands a little taller, and smiles with pride at that compliment from the young cleric. Who though hasn't been at the cathedral here in the city of Tuledare for long. 
He's already become a popular figure. For a number of reasons, chiefly of which, is because he's a ferocious fighter in the practice yard. And by all accounts, on the battlefield too, even though he's only seventeen years old. 
It's taken her a few moments to realize it, but Hildagar who now has a frown upon her face, says "What are you two doing here?" followed by "You left the city yesterday morning" she then adds "Aren't you supposed to be down on the border, in the war?". 
The cleric Garney and the priestess Saleane share a look, then the powerful spellcaster originally from the Lands Farque says "It's a long story". 
The fighting cleric in the half plate armour, who has been admiring the craftsmanship of the statue of their god Kaēvin, continues with "We'll explains things on the way back to the cathedral". 
Jovan and Saleane pick up a sack each off to one side, in which are the things that Hildagar purchased earlier at the morning market. 
The powerful young spellcaster then says "Best we get back to the cathedral as quickly as possible". 
"Is there something wrong father?" asks the mistress of the cathedral kitchens and pantry. 
"There's about to be" murmurs the cleric Garney in the hordes dialect of the southern tundra, a language he knows that no one else in his church speaks. 
As they leave the contemplation glade through the gap in the hedge, the young practitioner of magic quietly says in the common language "Things might not be safe around here soon". 
As they make their way through the park, Jovan Garney quietly says to Hildagar "You might of guessed, but we ran into trouble down south". 
"That's putting it lightly" dryly says the priestess Saleane as they walk along one of the paths here in the park. 
The fighting cleric faintly similes, then he tells the mistress of the pantry, and the young page. What befell them, and the others who went south yesterday, to the border region. 
They exit the park, and the powerful young spellcaster originally from the Lands Farque, continues to explain what happened to him and the others who went off to war yesterday. 
As he does he looks up into the clear autumn sky, and sees it's about midday now. The cleric in the half plate armour then lightly puts a hand on the end of his mace. 
He nods to himself, as the magical weapon doesn't give him any warning of danger nearby at this time. 
Though he knows that could change pretty soon, as he suspects an attack upon the city of Tuledare is imminent from one of his Lord's armies on behalf of the city-state of Phamal. 
"Those two must be from his church as well" quietly says Maiya Garney the lead scout as she and sergeant Blufont peer around the corner of a building, and look down a street to their right. 
"They're probably heading back to it" quietly says sergeant Blufont, who nods in the distance then adds "That looks like the spire of a cathedral or church there". 
The lead scout nods when she spots it too, then she quietly says "Well we're heading in that direction anyway" followed by "Might as well continue following them". 
It was by pure chance that they found Maiya Garney's younger brother Jovan again. When they spotted him and the priestess with him, making their way through a nearby park. 
Now the infiltrators from the Fifth Army of Farque, follow the lead scout's younger brother and those with him, through the streets here in the east of the city of Tuledare. 
After looking up at the clear sky above the capital city, sergeant Blufont quietly says "Midday". Maiya Garney nods in agreement with him after she too looks up at the position of the sun in the sky, on this cold autumn day. 
The scout Garney watches as the company sergeant reaches into an inner pocket of his hooded cloak. 
From it he takes a sand glass, turns it upside down and puts it back into the inner pocket, and quietly says "A full turn" followed by "Won't be too long now". 
The lead scout nods in agreement as they head down a street her younger brother and those with him, have just gone down, and turned right at the end of it. 
As she and sergeant Blufont head in the same direction, Maiya Garney knows that the attack upon the city of Tuledare isn't all that far away. 
And as they get to the end of the street, and turn right, the scout Garney quietly says to the company sergeant "That building we were on earlier should give us a good view of things". 
Sergeant Blufont nods at that, for he knows that the things the lead scout is referring to. Isn't just the intended targets in this part of the city, from the Farqian aircorp. 
But also the nearby cathedral in the grounds of the church of Kaēvin. If indeed the spire in the distance is the cathedral in question. 
And as they turn into a lane, and spot Jovan Garney and those with him, exit the other end of it, and turn onto the street that heads directly to the nearby spire. They know that they're going in the direction. 
The cleric Garney briefly stops at the open front gates of the church grounds, and looks up and down the quiet street the headquarters of the church of Kaēvin is on. 
Then the powerful young cleric nods to the pair of guards on gate duty, and he follows the others through the open gates, and onto the grounds of their church. 
Following behind Hildagar, as the young page Gollip hurries across the courtyard and into the cathedral, Jovan Garney quietly says to Saleane the priestess walking beside him "I hope that's everyone back here". 
The priestess in the church of Kaēvin looks with concern at the practitioner of magic who hails from the Lands Farque, then quietly asks him "You think they'll attack soon?". 
"I do" is the quiet reply of the cleric Garney who takes a last look up into the midday sky, before they follow Hildagar into the cathedral, and head around to the kitchens. 
The powerful young cleric instinctively knows the attack upon the city will come from the air. After all this particular army of Farque that's involved in the war between the city-states of Phamal and Tuledare. Has Krean strikeships with it. No doubt a number of them, and probably Krean scoutships too. 
Jovan Garney knows that they can show up in an instant, and start firing at their targets without anyone realizing what's going on. 
The teenager who holds a position of importance in the church of Kaēvin, just hopes not too many innocents get caught up in the impending attack. 
And after he and Saleane the priestess hand off the sacks they're carrying for Hildagar to a couple of the kitchen hands. 
The cleric Garney makes his way to the open back door of the kitchen, followed by the attractive priestess who is just a few years older than himself. 
The powerful young cleric originally from the Lands Farque steps outside, and once again looks up into the clear sky on this cold autumn day. 
The priestess Saleane steps outside and stands beside him, then says "They're about to serve the midday meal" followed by "We should probably get something to eat". 
Jovan Garney who is looking at the sky above the city, with both his eyes and his magical senses, is silent for a few moments, before he nods "We probably should". 
Although he doesn't move for a little while as he continues to watch the skies above the city of Tuledare. 
And he only turns and goes back inside, once Saleane the priestess finally heads back inside after she stands beside him in silence as he watches the sky. 
Jovan Garney as he follows Saleane first through the kitchens, then into the dinning hall, where the midday meal is being served. 
Gives a silent prayer to his god Kaēvin that whatever happens when the attack upon the city finally happens. 
That he can protect those here in the church grounds, and anyone who seeks shelter in it, on this otherwise cold, unassuming autumn day here in the capital of the city-state of Tuledare . . . . . .





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