The Hill Country. Northern Vexil.
"Move it you stinking dogs" growls Kilmas the commander of the Geist Trading Company guard as another boom, followed shortly by an explosion can be heard somewhere away to the south.
It's dawned a freezing cold morning, and the column of the mercenary army gathered by the Geist cousins Gamil and Farsen, that is furthest east, is in full retreat, heading north.
As a little earlier they heard the unmistakable sounds of airship magetubes firing in the gloom just before dawn.
The column that's under the leadership of the mercenary captain Mackrin, and which includes the Geist cousins and their company guards.
Are hurrying north in the first light of the day, as they want to get themselves as far away as possible from what's obviously Vexilian warships.
"Tell them to keep off the roads if they come across them" says Farsen Geist who is the younger of the two cousins, who then adds "They'll be sitting ducks if they're spotted on the forest roads".
Next to him, his older cousin Gamil Geist nods in agreement, then says "Keep beneath the forest canopy, and on the game trails" he briefly pauses before continuing with "It'll probably be the only thing that'll keep us alive".
As they hear a barrage of magetubes firing away somewhere to the south and west of their position, here in the forested hill country of northern Vexil.
As the guard commander Kilmas relays that order to some of his offsides as they stand beneath a large tree as they watch the mercenaries of the column they're with, fleeing north in the direction of the border with the kingdom of Girdane.
The Geist cousins share a look, then the younger Farsen quietly says "That lot with Dillason you think?".
The larger, slightly overweight older cousin nods his head, then quietly says "Definitely the center column" followed by "From the last message we got, they were further south than us".
Gamil Geist continues on with "Marqand and his lot are further west, and way north of the rest of us" he then adds "They're nearer to the border already, they're probably there or across it already if they've heard and seen what's happening away to the south".
The younger, leaner, not to mention taller cousin Farsen grunts in agreement, then he's distracted as some of the mercenary company of captain Hafnah ride by on their cockatrice.
The naturally magical creatures have their blinders on, covering their eyes. But even with the leather flaps covering their eyes.
The large bird like creatures move quickly between the trees, by the commands of their riders. Using both their voices, and their knees and heels from their position in the saddle.
Gamil Geist rolls his eyes as he sees his cousin Farsen is distracted by the attractive female cockatrice rider, Danielle. The daughter of captain Hafnah go by.
Then after nudging his younger cousin Farsen to get his attention, Gamil Geist says to commander Kilmas "Where's that damn old wizard?" followed by "We pay the old drunk for god's sake" he then adds "You'd think he'd be useful at a time like this".
The Geist company guard commander sourly smiles showing what he thinks of the wizard in question.
Then one of his seconds speaks up, saying that the wizard went to check up on something a short time ago.
"Probably where all the grog is" mutters Farsen Geist who continues muttering with "And what wagon it's on".
Gamil Geist grunts in agreement, then as he's just about to tell those waiting with them to get moving again. They spot the old wizard hurrying between the trees towards them.
Breathing heavily when he gets to them, the wizard Hoptas, who though only in his fifties, which is old to the Geist cousins, says "Vexilian warships".
"We figured that out" sourly says Gamil Geist who continues in the same tone with "Tell us something we don't know wizard".
Hoptas the wizard, who is in fact not a drunk, but does enjoy a good wine and beer with every meal he has, says "They've got a ground force too" followed by "An army".
The Geist cousins, along with their guard commander Kilmas grimace when they hear that, as things weren't bad enough already.
The wizard in the dark blue robes, who all things considered is fairly powerful for a wizard, then says "I couldn't sense too far, as it might give our position away".
He briefly pauses before continuing with "And the fact I don't fancy confronting a bunch of mages anytime soon".
The cousins Gamil and Farsen along with commander Kilmas all wince at the mention of mages.
They're Vexilian, and they know that their nation's air corp, along with armies. Tend to have a number of mages with them, more than any other nation in the Southlands, or for that matter the entire world.
And Hoptas, along with the handful of other spellcasters they've hired for their army, are no match for a single mage in battle, let alone a number of them.
"From what I saw up the tree I was in" says the wizard in the blue robes, who continues with "Our center element, that lot with captain Dillason" he briefly pauses before continuing with "They're being wiped out as we speak" Hoptas then silently adds, that's if they're not wiped out already.
Gamil Geist sourly smiles at that, then looking at those who have stopped with him and his cousin, and their guard commander, says "All right you lot, get moving again".
The older of the two cousins who have gathered a mercenary army on the behest of their cousin Misa continues with "No stopping until we get to the border".
"Until we get over the border" adds the younger of the two cousins Farsen, who then mutters "Who knows if we'll even be safe over in Girdane".
Gamil who hears that mutter from his younger cousin, grunts in agreement with him. Then he waves at commander Kilmas to get the others moving again.
They head off through the trees, making their way uphill on this freezing cold winter's morning, here in the hill country of northern Vexil, as they hurry north to the border with the kingdom of Girdane.
"Those Geist's aren't paying me a damn enough for this shit" says a mercenary captain in disgust, as he and some of his company go running by, beneath the tree that Helbe the elven thief is up.
The young elven noble looks down through the trees, and a bit away to the right, and he spots the Geist cousins Gamil and Farsen, along with most of their company guards, hurrying north as they and the column of the mercenary army they're with, flee northwards in the direction of the border with the kingdom of Girdane.
The blurred and shielded elven magic user, from his position near the top of the tall tree, then looks away to the southwest, when Narladene the ground pixie quietly says to him "Look, those ones are breaking off".
The naturally magical creature who is perched upon the right shoulder of the elven masterthief she's attached to, continues with "Hmmm wonder which way they'll come?".
The grandson of the ruling prince of Laerel nods his hooded head as they watch a pair of Vexilian warships, a couple of fast frigates, break off from the other six warships they're with, who have basically wiped out the middle column of the mercenary army that the Geist cousins have gathered.
"How far away are Tam and the others?" quietly asks Helbe the elven thief as Narladene can sense pretty much further than anyone, with the exception of Lord Farque.
"Just a couple miles from the border" is the reply of the tiny winged creature who is originally from the Sunreach Mountains.
"Actually less" adds the ground pixie, who follows on from that with "Even if those warships turn west, Tam and the others, and the column they're with will be well over the border in the kingdom of Girdane by the time they get there".
The elven master assassin who is a member of Lord Farque's personal council, and his envoy, nods his hooded head when he hears that.
Then the elven princeling murmurs "Hmmm wonder where those two fighting ships of theirs got to?".
Referring to the pair of converted warships that the Geist Trading Company have here in the north of the city-state of Vexil.
"If smart, they're as far away from here as possible" dryly says Narladene the ground pixie, who momentarily pauses as she senses over twenty miles in all directions, then adds "No were near here, that's for sure".
The naturally magical creature who is 'attached' to the elven princeling from Laerel, then nods away to the southwest at the small fleet of Vexilian air corp ships, then says "Or that lot has already destroyed them".
The elven master archer nods, then he glances down when he hears a wagon go by. Narladene does too.
Then they both wince when they see it's one of the wagons belonging to the mercenary captain Mackrin. And in the back of it are long wooden boxes, almost coffin like in their appearance.
"Hell" mutters prince Helbenthril Raendril of Laerel as he watches some of captain Mackrin's camp followers hurrying north in the wagon through the trees.
He and the ground pixie on his right shoulder share a look, then Narladene gives a shiver like shake as to what she thinks about is in the bed of the wagon.
The highly talented elven magic user is entirely in agreement with that gesture from the ground pixie who is 'attached' to him.
Then the two of them look away to the south again, or to be exact, the southwest, and after a moment, the young elven noble from the island principality of Laerel says "Looks like those lead ships are heading this way".
The naturally magical creature who hails from the Sunreach Mountains nods in agreement with him.
Then looking sideways at the elven masterthief, she asks him "You're not planning on getting involved are you?".
"Would I do that?" quietly asks Helbe the elven thief in an innocent tone of voice without looking at the ground pixie on his right shoulder.
"Yes" dryly says the tiny winged creature with a shake of her heard, who then snorts in derision when the blurred and shielded elven magic user quietly chuckles.
"You know, we're only supposed to watch and observe" says Narladene the ground pixie, who rolls her eyes when Prince Helbenthril Raendril quietly says "I know that".
Why do I get the feeling you won't just watch, the naturally magical creature thinks to herself, who just shakes her head when the elven master assassin tells her "Though lord Farque tells us all to protect ourselves at all times" followed by "And in protect, you know he means destroy any threat to us".
As the pair of Vexilian warships turn northeast and head in this direction, on what's dawned a clear and cold morning in the hill country of northern Vexil. Narladene dryly says "They're no threat to us".
"No, not at the moment" says Helbe the elven thief, who then gestures down at the fleeing mercenaries below, and adds "But say, if I just happen to be amongst this lot, and those Vexilian vessels fire upon them, what am I supposed to do?".
The tiny winged creature doesn't buy that argument at all. But she knows she can't do anything about it.
As she suspects, correctly as it turns out. The pair of Vexilian warships will eventually spot this column of fleeing mercenaries, and fire upon them.
And she knows with a certainty, that the elven princeling she's attached to, will be amongst the fleeing mercenaries.
No doubt, blurred and shielded. And totally safe. And more then likely, as in most definitely. The highly talented elven magic will retaliate as he comes under 'attack' . . . . . .
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