Mercenary Tales 86.

Hill Country. Border Region. 

Mira Reinholt the mage doesn't complain all that often about losing the vast majority of his powers a number of years ago. 

But this morning as they head south to the border with his homeland, the city-state of Vexil. The once powerful mage can be heard every so often muttering to himself about his lack of power. 

"Fuck me" mutters Mira Reinholt the mage, who continues muttering with "By the shape of power". As he looks to the south from the hilltop Saanea the witch has teleported them too. 

"Your turn mage" says Zam the ex mercenary, which earns him a glare from the mage who is also a highly skilled swordmaster. 

The Vexillian mage in exile sighs after Saanea the witch says to him "Best you continue doing it from now on". 

The attractive spellcaster who hails from the Maldin Hills, gestures away to the south, up into the morning sky, as she adds "I can't hide while I'm casting" followed by "Holding my power within myself so I can't get detected is the best I can do". 

The mage Reinholt grunts at that, for his fellow practitioner of magic speaks the truth. As Mira has an amulet that hides his ability to cast from other spellcasters..

And with a Girdanian warship not that far away to the south of them, there's a good chance they'll detect Saanea if she was to keep on casting. 

"At least they won't have any mages onboard" mutters Mira Reinholt the mage, who then silently adds, I hope. 

The practitioner of magic who was once the most powerful mage of his generation to be found anywhere in The Southlands. 

Knows that the kingdom of Girdane tend not to have mages onboard their aircorp vessels. As other spellcasters are more trusted, to keep a cool head. Unlike mages who on average, are more hot tempered than other practitioners of magic. Who tend to blow things up first before thinking. 

Looking further south, in the distance across the border. The spellcaster who is also a highly skilled swordmaster. 

Knows that in all likelihood there's mages over there in northern Vexil. Either with their army, or onboard their aircorp vessels in the area. 

As he looks to the south to find a spot to take them too, the mage Reinholt takes hold of the gem in the inner pocket of his cloak, and drains the rest of the power from it. 

"Over there Mira" suggests Dalinvardèl Tanith the elven spy, which gets a nod from the Vexillian spellcaster in the black hooded cloak. 

Mira Reinholt sourly smiles as next to him, Malisse aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman quietly tells him in a dry tone of voice "A bit of cover from those up in that airship would be ideal". 

The practitioner of magic ignores his fellow member of Lord Farque's personal council, and instead says to everyone "Stand close". 

The group gather around the once powerful mage, standing as close as possible. Including sir Percavelle Lé Dic, who has been told a number of times already this morning. 

If he doesn't stand close to the two spellcasters taking turns to teleport all of them to the border, he'll be left behind. 

Which sounds pretty ideal to most of the others. As being in the presence of the noble born knight from the kingdom of Druvic can get more than a little tedious to say the least. 

The mage Reinholt who can still clearly remember the days when he was able to teleport a group this size, far in excess of a dozen miles. 

But those days are long gone. For now he teleports them just three quarters of a mile to a tree covered hilltop to the south. 

When they reappear, they quickly get beneath the cover of the tree branches, as the Girdanian warship isn't all that far away from them. 

"Hear that?" quietly asks Tovis the war engineer, next to him, Dalinvardèl Tanith the elven spy or Dar as he's more commonly called by the others in the group, says "Fighting". 

They look to where the spy Tanith has pointed further to the south, and a bit to the west, as he adds "They've run into the Vexillian army". 

The spy who is originally from the elven principality of Alinlae, continues with "Sounds like a pretty good battle going on there". 

Mira Reinholt nods his hooded head, as next to him his fellow council member Malisse, nods as well as she says "It was to be expected". 

The rotund woman, who is really a hordes outrider from the southern tundra by the name of Zubutai Timaginson, who just happens to find himself inhabiting the overweight woman. 

Is just about to say something else, when suddenly out of nowhere, a voice familiar to them all, says "Well would you look who it is". 

"Fuck" sourly mutters the mage Reinholt in fright, when suddenly he finds Helbe the elven thief standing next to him. 

The young elven noble from the island principality of Laerel grins at the reaction he gets from his sudden appearance. 

Then the elven magic user, who like Mira Reinholt and Malisse aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman, is a member of Lord Farque's personal council, says "Might as well walk for a little bit". 

The elven masterthief follows that with "There's s hill nearby that'll give you a good view of things" he continues with "It's close enough that a walk there won't do any harm". 

Mira Reinholt nods his hooded head, then he and the rest of the group, follow the elven master assassin. 

Who leads them to the border, which is marked by a narrow stream. And up the small hill that he described. 

As they walk, the Vexillian mage in exile asks his fellow practitioner of magic who is Lord Farque's envoy "How's things going?". 

The once powerful mage gestures away to the south and west where the sound of fighting can clearly be heard in the distance through the forest as he says this. 

The elven master assassin tells him, and the others who are listening to their conversation. That the Geist mercenary army are putting up a pretty good fight, all things considered. Since their numbers are already down from earlier in the week, when they first ran into the Vexillian army and aircorp. 

As they top the rise, which they see has been hit by a magetube shot, pretty recently by the looks of things. 

Mira Reinholt the mage frowns after Helbe the elven thief explains the situation here in the border region between the two neighbouring nations. 

Then the once powerful mage, who is also a highly skilled swordmaster asks the grandson of the ruling prince of Laerel "Why does he want them heading that way?". 

Referring to Lord Farque along with those who make up both sides of the conflict, here in the hill country that's the border region between the city-state of Vexil and the kingdom of Girdane. 

Helbe the elven thief or prince Helbenthril Raendril of Laerel to give him his full name and title rolls his eyes, before dryly saying "Where do I start?". 

The highly talented elven magic is silent for a few moments as he looks away to the south, then after slightly nodding his hooded head, the elven princeling quietly says "You know those old abandoned mines I found?". 

Both the Vexillian mage in exile and the rotund woman who is really a hordes outrider from the southern tundra, nod their heads in reply to that from the young elven noble from the island principality of Laerel. 

"What about them?" asks Malisse aka Zubutai Timaginson, who along with the mage Reinholt, have moved away from the others, and are standing with the elven princeling at the southern end of the hilltop. 

"He wants them well away from those" pointedly says the elven master archer, who looks first at the rotund woman, then the practitioner of magic, who is originally from here, in the city-state of Vexil. 

It's the once powerful mage who understands at first what the highly talented elven magic user is actually saying. 

The mage who is also a highly skilled swordmaster, wryly smiles, then dryly says "I see". 

It takes a couple of moments for the other member of Lord Farque's personal council to figure out what the elven masterthief is actually referring to. 

Then Malisse aka Zubutai the son of Timagin says "I thought that elven maiden Salinéll reopened them?". 

"She did" says Helbe the elven thief, who continues in a dry tone of voice with "She no longer has need of them". 

Both the once powerful mage and the larger woman, who is really a hordes outrider from the southern tundra, a member of the Pony Archers horde, look closely at the highly talented elven magic user. 

Who informs the two of them to what's happened to Salinéll the elven maiden, and those who were with her. 

"So much for her then" dryly says Mira Reinholt the mage after the elven princeling from Laerel informs them of what happened to Salinéll the elven magic user. 

The Vexillian spellcaster in exile, who was once the most powerful mage of his generation, not just here in his homeland of Vexil, but right across the Southlands, continues with "Now he wants those old gold mines for himself?". 

The young elven noble from the island principality of Laerel nods his hooded head in reply to that from his fellow practitioner of magic. 

Then the rotund woman, who in actuality is really Zubutai the barbarian hordesman, who just happens to inhabit the woman known as Malisse, says  "Speaking of" followed by "Where is he and the others?". 

Helbe the elven thief points then says "See that small rise further south?" followed by "That one there?". Both Mira and Malisse see the tree covered rise just a bit further south of where they are. 

"Tam, Beldane and Dorc are there" states the highly talented elven magic user, who after a brief pause, adds "As for Farque". 

The young elven noble who is part of the royal family that rules the principality of Laerel, looks up at the sky, and points to something in the distance, before adding "There he is" followed by "Heading back this way". 

Mira Reinholt the mage and Malisse aka Zubutai Timaginson after a few moments see what the elven masterthief has pointed out. And the two of them glance at one another. 

"Subtle" dryly says the rotund woman who is a member of Lord Farque's personal council. "Yeah no one is going to notice that" dryly adds the exiled Vexillian mage. 

Helbe the elven thief chuckles at that as they look at the wyvern in the morning sky away to the southeast, upon which is Lord Farque as it heads back this way. 

Then the highly talented elven magic user says "Mira, best if you get this lot down to that rise where Tam, Beldane and Dorc are" then he suddenly disappears as he shifts away. 

The mage Reinholt sourly smiles, then shares a look with his fellow council member Malisse aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman, who just shrugs her shoulders. 

The once powerful mage then calls over the rest of the group here on the hilltop, before he teleports them all away, on this cold winters morning. 

Here in the hill country that makes up the border region between the city-state of Vexil and the kingdom of Girdane . . . . . .