The City-State Of Vexil.
A bear woken up from it's mid winter slumber by all the commotion near it. Goes running by, growling sleepily as it heads through the trees after crossing the overgrown cart track.
Dalinvardèl Tanith the elven spy raises an arched eyebrow as he watches the bear that's lost weight during winter, head into the trees, and disappear from sight.
The elven spy who is a commander in the Scouts and Rangers division of the Armies of Farque shrugs his shoulders.
While nearby, Dorc da Orc looks up, and catches sight of the bear before it disappears from view, and he loudly mutters "Could'a been me fucken lunch".
The large ork grunts in disappointment, then he looks back down at the Vexillian soldier lying at his feet, who it turns out, unsurprisingly, is dead after the ork warleader headbutted him.
"Hmmm" murmurs the big burly ork from the southern polar region of the world, who then silently adds, me could have one of these cunts for lunch.
The ork warleader looks at the dead bodies lying close by, then he takes a quick look around at the rest of the members of the group.
The ork weaponsmith takes a sharp, wicked looking, slightly curved knife from his belt. Then after quickly looking around to make sure none of the others are watching him.
Dorc da Orc or Dorkindle which is his given name, bends down, and starts discreetly cutting into the dead body he's standing over. Hoping to get a bit of meat for his noon time meal.
"Any sign of Helbe?" quietly asks Tamric Drubine the field commander, next to the senior officer in the Armies of Farque. His lover, Saanea the witch shakes her head no.
And when the young field commander, who is of noble birth, and originally from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin looks at Beldane the cleric. The fighting cleric in the church of Glaine shakes his head no too.
Field commander Drubine looks over at Mira Reinholt the mage who tells him "No idea" dryly followed by "Not that any of us could sense him anyway".
"Where the hell is he?" murmurs Tamric Drubine or Tam as he's more commonly called by the others in the group, as he looks off back along the overgrown cart track which heads back west.
The elven masterthief in question, is at the moment floating above the treetops, about a mile and half further to the west and south of the rest of the group.
Helbe the elven thief who is blurred and shielded, looks at Narladene the ground pixie who points and says "He's up on that large hill there".
The naturally magical creature originally from the Sunreach Mountains, who has just landed upon the right shoulder of the elven magic user, adds "Think there's some fighting going on, down on the other side of that hill".
The young elven noble who hails from the island principality of Laerel nods his hooded head, then he winces as he remembers what Lord Farque has planned for those who are further to the east.
"They're in for a shit time over there" quietly says Helbe the elven thief, who after a slight pause adds "All of them".
The tiny winged creature standing upon his right shoulder, nods her head in agreement with him as they look away to the east and south.
Then the highly talented elven spellcaster as he floats there above the forest, looks down through the trees.
The grandson of the ruling prince of the island principality of Laerel who is also a member of Lord Farque's personal council, once again spots who he has been observing of late.
Down in the section of forest below him, are a number of figures, all moving east. Who are all in the army of the city-state of Vexil.
They're all soldiers in the Vexillian army, except for one of them. Who though he's in the army of the city-state, he's definitely not a soldier.
The figure leading, who is in a black hoodless cloak, holds up a hand for those with him to come to a stop.
As the blurred and shielded elven magic user watches those below him in the forest, Helbe the elven thief murmurs "You sneaky bastard".
Narladene the ground pixie who is also watching what's happening below them, after glancing sideways at the the elven princeling she's attached to.
Nods her head in agreement with the elven master assassin who is a member of the royal family that rules the principality of Laerel.
"Didn't think a mage would think to do that" quietly says the ground pixie who along with the highly talented elven magic user sensed what the individual they've been observing just did.
Helbe the elven thief nods his hooded head in agreement with the naturally magical creature who is attached to him, then he quietly says "They're not exactly known for being subtle".
Narladene grunts in agreement with that, then they watch as the mage starts walking again after he waves the soldiers with him forward.
They've been observing the powerful practitioner of magic in the Vexillian army since locating him. For the simple reason the mage is hunting another mage. And that other mage is Mira Reinholt.
Prince Helbenthril Raendril to give him his full name and title, starts floating forward again, so that he keeps pace with the mage and soldiers down below in the forest.
As he does, the elven master archer quietly says to the ground pixie on his right shoulder "If he creates one before I can intervene, can you stop it?" followed by "Or at least distract it?".
"Hardly" replies Narladene who then sourly mutters "Those damn things never listen to me" she then says "They've got a mind of their own, and they don't stop until they complete their goal, or if something destroys it".
"And destroying them is damn near impossible" quietly says the elven masterthief who is not just a member of Lord Farque's personal council, but is also the undead warlord's envoy.
As he floats forward above the treetops and hills, the young elven princeling from Laerel quietly says "If he does, you might have to go and warn Mira" followed by "He can destroy it with one of his own".
The elven practitioner of magic continues with "I don't even think Beldane with that wildly chaotic mace of his could destroy one".
The tiny winged creature who was living in the city of Leeabra, the capital of the kingdom of Druvic, when she first encountered Helbe the elven thief and others in the group, nods at that.
Then the naturally magical creature quietly says "He probably couldn't" followed by "But I'm sure the cleric and that annoying mace of his can protect him and the others from one" Narladene briefly pauses before continuing with "Whatever type this mage down here creates".
The young elven noble from the island principality of Laerel nods his hooded head in agreement with the ground pixie.
Then he let's out a sigh. For this would be a lot simpler, and he could take care of things. If it wasn't for the fact the mage he and Narladene are observing, didn't have extremely powerful wards around him. Not just around him, but above him, and underneath him as well.
Both protection and barrier spells far too powerful for the highly talented elven spellcaster to get through.
And though Narladene could easily get through the mage's wards and attack him. The powerful Vexillian practitioner of magic would be able to get off a mageglobe, or a few. Before the ground pixie could kill him with her tiny little sword.
For though it's extremely sharp, and can take out an eye with ease. It would take a bit of effort, and time for Narladene to slice someone's throat open with her weapon.
"I'm guessing if he gets an inkling of where Mira is, he'll create one that will seek him out" quietly says the ground pixie who is originally from the Sunreach Mountains.
Helbe the elven thief thinks about it for a moment, for in the time he's known Mira Reinholt, the once powerful mage has created such mageglobes himself.
The highly talented elven magic user nods his hooded head, then he quietly says "Those tend to be slower, since they don't exactly know where their target is".
The naturally magical creature nods at that, then she quietly says "That's true" and after a brief pause she adds "Those ones tend to be damn powerful too".
The elven princeling from the island principality of Laerel grunts at that, then he sourly mutters "They're all pretty damn powerful to me".
The tiny winged creature standing upon the elven master assassin's right shoulder, nods her head in agreement with that.
As the two of them continue to watch the Vexillian soldiers and mage down in the forest below them. On this cold winters day here in the hill country of northern Vexil.
A short time later, and Narladene the ground pixie quietly says "They're on the move again". Helbe the elven thief slightly nods as he senses to the east.
And though he can't magical sense his fellow spellcasters Beldane the cleric and Saanea the witch, who are holding their power within themselves at the moment.
Nor can he sense Mira Reinholt the mage due to the amulet the Vexillian mage in exile wears, that hides him from other practitioners of magic.
The highly talented elven magic user does sense Beldane's magical mace, as well as The Sword of Knockdown, that either sir Percavelle Lé Dic or Dorc da Orc has in their possession.
As well as the shield of Saint Mar'che that the noble born knight from the kingdom of Druvic uses. He also senses the magical sword that Tamric Drubine the field commander uses.
The only reason the young elven noble from Laerel is able to sense them at any distance, is because he knows them, and the properties of the those magical weapons.
Normally spellcasters can't sense such things, even right in front of them. For the simple reason you have to actively sense for them individually. And not just sense for magic in general like pretty much all practitioners of magic tend to do.
Sensing that the group is on the move again, heading south, after encountering a group of Vexillian soldiers according to Narladene the ground pixie.
The elven master assassin is just about to tell the tiny winged creature something, when suddenly the mage and those soldiers in the army of the city-state of Vexil with him, come to a stop again.
"What's he doing?" murmurs prince Helbenthril Raendril, who then nods when Narladene quietly tells him "He's going to cast".
A moment later, and the elven magic user sensed this too, and before he can identify what spell the mage below them is going to cast. The naturally magical creature upon his right shoulder tells him what the spell the mage is about to cast.
"Hell" mutters the elven masterthief who is a member of Lord Farque's personal council, who briefly admires what the Vexillian mage they've been observing is about to do.
There's a distortion in the air that appears in front of the mage, and it expands and moves out from the powerful spellcaster, and heads eastwards, gathering speed as it does so.
"That won't locate a spellcaster" quietly says Narladene, Helbe the elven thief nods his hooded head in agreement with her, then he says "But it will locate people, no matter who they are".
"And he'll send a mageglobe after it, once it's located anyone" quietly says the ground pixie, who after wincing adds "Targeting a mage".
The young elven noble from the island principality of Laerel nods at that as the two of them watch, then sense where the spell, which is now invisible to the eye is going.
It's heading towards the group, who are a little over a half a mile away to the east and north, from the Vexillian mage and soldiers with him.
"It's going to hit them" quietly says Narladene, who after a moment of silence, adds "Right, about now".
"Shit" mutters the elven princeling, who continues with "Go warn Mira" after the naturally magical creature tells him "He's creating one".
The ground pixie takes off, as below them the mage in the hoodless black cloak is moving again, waving the soldiers with him forward, as a mageglobe forms in his other hand.
A mageglobe that leaps off his hand, and starts heading eastwards. Heading that way, not particularly fast from what the elven master assassin can see. Or at least, not as quick as some mageglobes he's seen in the past.
Then after Narladene disappears beneath the ground as she heads eastwards to where the rest of the group are.
The blurred and shielded elven magic user, shifts down to the ground. And though he probably can't directly attack the powerful mage. He definitely can distract him. So Helbe the elven shifts to behind the soldier closest to the Vexillian army mage and takes action.
Meanwhile, further east and to the south in the forested hills, Mira Reinholt the mage stops, then says "You feel that". As he's pretty certain something magical just made contact with him.
He looks back at Saanea the witch, who tells him "I felt it". Then the two of them look over at Beldane the cleric, who nods his head in agreement with them.
"Felt like a life spell of some kind" says the fighting cleric in the church of Glaine, who after a slight pause adds "I think?".
The mage Reinholt winces, then mutters "Hell" as he realizes what that means. Someone is trying to actively locate them, and in all probability, trying to locate him.
Most likely someone in the Vexillian army, no doubt a mage. After he killed one a little earlier on this cold winters morning, here in northern Vexil.
The spellcaster who was once the most powerful mage of his generation, not just here in his homeland of Vexil, but right across The Southlands.
Is just about to say something to the rest of the group as they continue southwards along the game trail they've been following.
When Narladene the ground pixie suddenly appears right in front of his face, causing him to flinch back in surprise.
Then the naturally magical creature quickly tells him something, that causes the mage Reinholt to scowl, then mutter "Oh really?" followed by "By the shape of fire, we'll fucking see about that" . . . . . .
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