Sunday 9 June 2024

Soldier Of Gods 27.


The City Of Tuledare. 

Standing in his large upstairs room in the Traveler's Comfort inn, Dalinvardèl Tanith the elven spy is looking out one of the open windows. 
The commander in the Armies of Farque, who is one of the traveling companions of Lord Farque, is looking away to the right, and up in the sky. 
He glances down at the small sand glass on the window sill, and sees that the top half is getting empty, with the last of the grains falling into the lower half. 
The spy Tanith who is originally from the elven principality of Alínlae, where he previously served in one of the more prominent noble houses of his homeland. Looks outside again, up at the clear blue sky on this cold autumn day here in the city of Tuledare. 
Then with a quick glance down at the sand glass, where he sees the final few grains drop down in the lower half. 
He quickly looks outside again, up to the point in the sky he's been watching for the last little while. As he does, he wonders how on time they'll be. He doesn't have to wonder for long. 
For at that exact same moment, in the patch of sky he's been watching, he sees a multitude of colours form. In a circular pattern, that swirls about for a moment, then settles down. 
As it does, the colours disappear. And an opaque opening forms in the early afternoon sky above the city of Tuledare. 
It's a sky rift, and out of it shoots a Krean strikeship. Flying at well over a hundred and fifty knots. 
The mastless vessel, which is tilting down at an angle, to starboard, is firing it's magetubes on that side. 
Dalinvardèl Tanith the elven spy or Dalin as he's more commonly called by those who know him well. 
Watches as the nearby barracks of the Tuledare army here in the south of the capital city comes under attack from the Krean strikeship. 
Barracks that will be obliterated in moments, as the attack upon the capital of the city-state of Tuledare gets underway. 
Across the city, in the eastern quarter of the capital. The lead scout Maiya Garney and sergeant Blufont share a look.
As they hear the echoing booms of magetubes firing, signifying the attack upon the city of Tuledare has commenced. 
"There" quietly says Maiya Garney the lead scout after she glances down at sergeant Blufont's sand glass, which the top half is now empty. 
The scout Garney who has pointed up to the sky away to their right, watches with the experienced sergeant as a sky rift forms in the early afternoon sky, on this cold autumn day in the city of Tuledare. 
After the magical gateway in the sky forms, a Krean scoutship shoots out of it. Flying at an incredible speed, well in excess of two hundred knots. 
The dark, mastless vessel slows down, basically coming to a stop by standing on it's bow in midair. As it does, it's magetubes on both sides open up. 
The sleek looking airship, targets both the nearby city guard watchtower, and the counting house that's down the street from it. 
As eight balls of pure magical energy ranging from eight feet across to twenty feet wide, slam into the guard watchtower. 
The loud echoing booms, of twelve more from the port side of the Krean scoutship which is only a few hundred feet above the city streets. 
Slams down into the counting house at the other end of the street. Obliterating it, just like the nearby watchtower. 
As clouds of debris and dust, flame and residual energy mushrooms up in the early afternoon sky here in the east of the city. 
Maiya Garney from her position upon the rooftop of one of the taller buildings here in this part of the city. 
Looks quickly away, to a bit further to the east here in this quarter of the capital of the city-state of Tuledare. 
She can make out the grounds of the church of KaÄ“vin, with it's cathedral front and center. And though it's not the biggest or busiest church or temple. 
Far from it, as it's a fairly quiet one here in the city of Tuledare. While most other places of worship are located in and around Temple Square, just to the north of the city center. 
But it's the most important one to the scout Garney. For the simple reason her younger brother Jovan is in there. 
Where she wants him to remain, away from the death and destruction that's now raining down upon specific targets here in the capital of the city-state of Tuledare. 
As the attack by the Fifth Army of Farque on behalf of the city-state of Phamal who have hired them in the war against the city-state of Tuledare, gets well and truly underway here in the city of Tuledare. 
Standing outside the cathedral here in the grounds of the church of KaÄ“vin, Jovan Garney the cleric watches as a Krean scoutship which isn't all that far away. 
Destroys the nearby watchtower of the city guard, and another building which the cleric Garney can't quite see. 
But he assumes it's the counting house on the far corner of the same street that the nearby watchtower of the city guard is on. 
The powerful young cleric winces, then nods in agreement as behind him here hears the guard Sammit loudly mutter "Hell". 
The spellcaster who hails from the Lands Farque, then glances at the priestess Saleane beside him, who says "There, another one". 
As the Krean scoutship moves away at speed, as clouds of debris and dust mushrooms up into the early afternoon sky here in the east of the capital city. 
The cleric Garney looks away to where the attractive looking priestess has pointed, and sees another Krean scoutship towards the city center, it's magetubes blazing away at targets down on the ground. 
Jovan Garney casts a quick farsight spell upon himself, and he looks across the city as best as he can. 
He spots a larger Krean strikeship away in the sky in the south of the city, and when he turns he sees one above the west of the capital of the city-state of Tuledare. 
The powerful young cleric in the half plate armour, can't see it because of the cathedral behind him. But he can definitely hear and sense another Krean attack ship above the northern quarter of the city. That one definitely feels like another Strikeship from what his magical senses can detect. 
The Farqian born practitioner of magic isn't at all surprised it's just five warships attacking the city of Tuledare. 
Three Krean strikeships and a pair of the smaller, and quicker, not to mention more manoeuvrable scoutships. 
That's all they need, as by the looks of things they've got specific targets they're going after. And they're not doing a full on bombardment of the city. 
Besides the defenders of the city, those that are left, and haven't gone off to war down south, along the border and further into the unruled lands. 
Have no chance against the dark, menacing looking mastless warships from the Krean Protectorate in the mountainous north of the Lands Farque. 
As proof in point, when a wyvern and it's flier from the army barracks towards the center of the city. Is in the air, and goes at speed at one of the smaller Krean scoutships. 
It ends up badly for that wyvern, and the soldier in the saddle. Who are blasted out of the air. When the scoutship, which is faster than a wyvern. Flies rings around it, before opening fire with a few magetubes on the starboard side as the mastless vessel is basically upside down, firing at an angle at the hapless wyvern. 
That same scoutship then fires down at targets upon the ground. And Jovan Garney nods his head, when behind him the experienced guardsman Oldham says "Looks like that one over there is shooting at the watch headquarters and the army barracks across the parade grounds from it". 
The powerful young spellcaster who was there in those very same headquarters after his attack upon the thieves and murderers in the market square in the center of the city. 
Hopes that the investigator Fosem, and the watch guardsmen who were with him that day. Aren't there this afternoon. As clouds of debris bloom into the air as magetube shot after magetube shot slams into city watch headquarters and the central army barracks near it. 
The cleric Garney slightly winces as he senses somewhere in the north of the city, an airship getting blasted apart by the Krean strikeship over that quarter of the city. 
He slightly nods as he realizes it was one of the few Tuledarian warships still in the city. Which took off from the main city airdocks and attempted a rather futile attack upon the Krean warship over that part of the capital city. 
"Holy father" says the guardsman Sammit, which causes Jovan Garney and the others who have come outside to watch what's happening, to turn around. 
The head of the church of KaÄ“vin has come outside too, and as he looks off in the distance as the Krean scoutship that was closest, heads further east across the city. 
No doubt heading towards the guard watchtower near the east gates of the capital city of Tuledare. 
He says to those gathered on the front steps of the cathedral "We must go out and offer assistance to those wounded and injured" followed by "And give comfort to those who will be grieving". 
Knowing that he might be overstepping the ultimate authority in the church, Jovan Garney the cleric says "I would advise caution your holiness". 
The powerful young spellcaster, who is just one of the two remaining clerics in the church of KaÄ“vin here in the city of Tuledare, continues with "And not go out until they've gone". 
The Farqian born practitioner of magic, who figures the Krean warships won't be too long in their mission to destroy specific targets throughout the city, then says to the head of his church "Yuma and myself can't protect ourselves, let alone anyone else, as well as members of the public against such firepower". 
The teenage cleric who knows he couldn't even withstand an attack from the most inexperienced navigator onboard one of the Krean warships, let alone the more accomplished spellcasters serving on the strikeships and scoutships attacking the city of Tuledare. 
Then tells the head priest of the church of KaÄ“vin "When they're gone, it'll be safer for us to render aid to those who need in". 
His holiness thinks about it for a moment, then he nods his head, and says "It will be as you say young Jovan". 
The powerful young cleric then looks out across the city, and wonders how much longer the Krean warships will be in the skies above the city of Tuledare. 
The cleric Garney doesn't have to wait long, because he first senses various rifts in the sky above the capital city forming. 
And soon the Krean warships that had suddenly appeared, they just as quickly disappear after attacking the city of Tuledare. 
And those at the grounds of the church of KaÄ“vin, serving in the church. Watch as sky rifts form in the early afternoon sunshine on this cold autumn day, and one by one, the Krean vessels disappear. As their brief, but violent attack upon the capital city of Tuledare comes to a sudden stop. 
As the dying echoes of the last magetube shots fired from the now departed Krean warships can be heard across the city, Jovan Garney the cleric quietly says "Well, we better go out and see what assistance we can give to those who need it" . . . . . . 






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