Soldier Of Gods 4.

Tuledare. 

After his morning ablutions, followed by another yawn. Jovan Garney dresses, finishing by putting on his chainmail shirt, followed by the cloak worn by the military arm of his church. 

Jovan who has the ceremonial guard duty this morning, puts his mace in his belt loop. The weapon, which is magical. Was a parting gift from his homeland when he left about a year and a half ago when he turned sixteen. 

He doesn't know who it actually came from. But the rumours he's heard about all of the clerics and magic using priests who leave the Lands Farque, is that the Lord Farque himself sends them a parting gift, usually a weapon that will help them out in the life they will have to endure outside of their homeland. A nation they can never return to. 

The cleric Garney, makes his way from his small room. And heads downstairs, to the refectory to get something to eat. 

After he does, he heads outside to the gates, crossing the courtyard in front of the small cathedral and connecting buildings that make up the church of Kaēvin here in the city of Tuledare. 

"The mornings are definitely getting cooler" Jovan Garney the cleric murmurs to himself as he makes his way to the gates on this cool, autumn morning here in the city of Tuledare. 

At the gatehouse where he takes over from the night guard. The teenage cleric originally from the Lands Farque. Is once again surprised, and frankly dumbfounded to find himself in the situation he's in. 

The cleric Garney who knew at the age of eight that he was going to leave his homeland, the age he discovered his magic. For the simple reason that clerics and magic using priests are forbidden in the Lands Farque. 

And those rare enough to be born there with that natural ability like Jovan. One of only three such individuals in the past decade across the entire nation. As over the centuries such bloodlines have basically been bred out of the populace of the Lands Farque. Only occasionally popping up out of the blue such as in Jovan's case. 

Who must of had an ancestor who was a cleric. As like all magic users, it's hereditary. And runs through families, going down through family lines usually going from generation to generation. 

The young cleric never thought he'd end up here in the central regions of the Southlands, and in particular in the city-state of Tuledare. 

One of the oldest nations in this part of the Southlands. That over the centuries has had it's fair share of turmoil. And right now, in the present, it's such a time. As the city-state is at war with the city-state of Phamal, which lies a little over a hundred miles south of the city-state of Tuledare. 

Jovan who arrived in the city a little less than a month ago, just a couple of weeks before war was declared upon Phamal by the ruling council of Tuledare. 

Finds himself living and working at the cathedral of Kaēvin here in the city of Tuledare itself. Not that he had anywhere else to go as he doesn't have much in the way of funds. 

He was immediately taken in by the church leaders. For the simple reason the church of Kaēvin isn't exactly a large church here in Tuledare. Or for that matter across the entire Southlands. And if truth be told across the entire world of Volunell. 

For though Kaēvin is one of the one hundred and twelve gods of Volunell. It's not one of the popular human worshipped gods. 

As Kaēvin is the human god of scribes and wordsmiths. Not exactly popular when many of the human population of the world are illiterate. 

And though Kaēvin isn't worshipped by many, nor the church in his name that large. Infact it's one of the smallest churches found anywhere. 

There is one quirk of the god Kaēvin. He just happens to be one of the handful of human wargods of the world of Volunell. 

Where even the layman in the church are trained for war. But more importantly, the clerics in the church, not that there's many. Are extremely powerful, in both fighting ability and in magic. 

Young Jovan is no exception to this. Infact at the age of seventeen and a half. He's probably more skilled at combat than the trio of clerics already serving here in the small cathedral in the city of Tuledare. Thanks to his upbringing and training in his homeland of the Lands Farque. 

But more than that, he's definitely more powerful when it comes to magic, than the other three Kaēvin clerics here in the city. 

Also, surprisingly due to his upbringing and training in the nation of his birth. Where he was taught by all different types of spellcasters with the exception of clerics. 

He's had sorcerers, wizards, warlocks, witches and even on occasion non human spellcasters, like Krean navigators, and elven magic users train him from the age of eight to sixteen. And on a few rare occasions even a few mages, who are the rarest and most powerful of human spellcasters, who have taught him. 

As he was growing up, Jovan who like all youngsters in the Lands Farque wanted to serve in the military of his homeland. 

Knew that would be impossible once he figured out what type of spellcaster he was. Wondered why he was taught by so many different practitioners of magic. 

When clerics like himself, and other spellcasting priests. Who occasionally pop up amongst the populace, are made to leave the Lands Farque once they turn sixteen. 

It wasn't until later when he neared the age of sixteen. That Jovan realized why he was trained in magic so thoroughly by so many different types of practitioners of magic. 

It was because his homeland wanted him, and others in his situation. To be best prepared for what they may encounter once they've left the nation of their birth. 

And though he's a cleric, who are banned from the Lands Farque. He's still a Farqian, and has all that's entitled to him in being so, with the exception of never being able to return to his homeland. 

The young cleric is just thinking about this, as he's want to do early in the morning, when two of the church guards make their way across the courtyard to the gates of the church grounds. 

"Morning cleric Garney" says one of the guards, while the other yawns as they take up position at the gates. 

"Morning Sammit" is the reply of Jovan Garney who has learnt the names of all the guards, priests, priestesses, clerics and laymen and women here at the cathedral of Kaēvin. 

Not that there's all that many names to learn, as the amount of people living and working on the church grounds isn't that much. Especially compared to some of the other churches and temples that are nearby in this part of the city. 

The young guard Sammit who is just a little bit older than the powerful spellcaster originally from the Lands Farque. 

Then asks the cleric "Think they'll come around today?" followed by "Word on the streets is that they've asked most of the other churches nearby". 

As the cleric Garney thinks about it, the other guard. Oldham, who is probably twice the age of the two younger men, says "I doubt it". 

The older church guard continues with "We tend to be forgotten here in our little corner of the city" followed by "Even though we're better fighters and battle clerics than just about any other church". 

The young cleric nods in agreement with that. In the near eighteen months since he's left the Lands Farque and traveled north. 

Jovan has seen a number of different church guards and clerics, in the various towns and cities he's stopped at. 

And from what he can tell, those in the church of Kaēvin are definitely more well trained, if not more battle hardened than those of other churches and temples. 

The cleric Garney who also has the benefit of being trained in combat since he was a small child. From the age of four years old, since he began classes at the village learning center close to his family's farm. 

Didn't actually find a church of Kaēvin until he got to the freelands just to the south of the city-state of Phamal. 

There the priest in the small church suggested he go to the city of Phamal where there's a chapterhouse of the church. 

He did, and was only briefly there. As one of the two clerics posted there, thought it best Jovan traveled to the city of Tuledare, where the cathedral of Kaēvin is located. 

The cathedral being the center of worship for their church in the entire central region of the Southlands. 

That cleric thought it best the young cleric come here to Tuledare for the simple reason of how powerful Jovan is in magic. Now he's here on gate duty on what's a cool autumn morning here in the city of Tuledare. 

"Many of other churches and temples join the war effort?" asks the cleric Garney who truth be told hadn't been paying all that much attention to the conflict between the city-states of Tuledare and Phamal, and the recent war that's broken out between the two nations. As he's been busy settling into his life here at the cathedral of Kaēvin. 

"Some have" replies the guard Sammit who starts naming off some of the churches and temples that have joined the ruling council's war against the city-state of Phamal. 

"Of course the church of Galavin joined up" sourly says Oldham when he interrupts Sammit as he names one of the churches who are going to war alongside the ruling council's armies. 

"There's not a war that lot's not involved in" adds the older of the two guards. Who like many in the church of Kaēvin isn't all that impressed with the church of Galavin. One of the more widely worshipped human gods. A church that is well known for it's military arm. 

Sammit the younger of the two church guards on gate duty this morning nods his head in agreement then says "Though a fair few of the churches and temples have joined in the war effort, more haven't". 

The young church guard follows that with "It's the various orders of knights who have joined" he continues with "A lot of the knightly orders based here in the city have joined up". 

The cleric Garney nods at that, while the guard Oldham grunts and says "That was a given" followed by "The orders are always spoiling for a war" he then adds "A lot of them don't care who with, just as long as there's a war they can get involved in". 

"This is true" quietly says the powerful young cleric after the guard Oldham says "The orders are forever after new land and revenue, they're worse than some of the churches and temples hereabouts". 

The three of them fall silent as a figure makes their way along the quiet street, and as that person heads towards the open gates of the grounds that the cathedral of Kaēvin is upon. 

The foreign born cleric says "Good morning Humbert". "Good morning young cleric, and guards" replies one of the local scriveners, who is one of the handful of people who regularly comes into the cathedral, to briefly pray before heading off to his place of work nearby. 

As the scrivener heads across the courtyard to the small cathedral, the trio at the gates resume their conversation. 

"Even if they do show up here" says the guard Sammit referring to representatives of the ruling council of Tuledare. 

"I doubt his holiness will join us up in the war effort" adds the younger of the two church guards, who continues with "Considering we have a chapterhouse down in Phamal". 

"That's not stopping the other churches and temples" says the guard Oldham who follows that with "Considering most if not all of them have corresponding churches and temples down there". 

The older of the two church guards then says "By Kaēvin himself, some of them even have their headquarters down in Phamal" followed by "And don't get me started on the Knightly orders, since they all have order houses and grounds in all the large cities of the Southlands". 

"Wonder if knights from the same orders will be fighting one another?" asks Jovan Garney who follows that with "Also clerics from the same churches who are in both city-states". 

"Maybe" says the guard Oldham, who continues with "I've seen it myself during the war we had with Vexil nearly a decade ago". 

The older of the two church guards pauses for a moment as he recalls that war, a war in which Tuledare lost, then he says "Though for the most part when members from the same church or Knightly order find themselves on opposing sides in a war, they tend to steer clear of each other". 

"Makes sense" says the guard Sammit, the cleric Garney nods in agreement with him. As he can't think of anything worse than facing someone from his own church in deadly combat. 

He pauses for a moment in his thoughts. And thinks of the only thing that could possibly worse than that. 

And that would be facing someone from his homeland, the Lands Farque who was on the opposite side of a battlefield. 

Jovan Garney hopes that never happens. And seems unlikely anytime soon. Especially during this war between the city-states of Tuledare and Phamal. 

As his church has yet to be asked to join the ruling council's war against Phamal, let alone his holiness the church elder agreeing to. 

Not only that, from what little the cleric Garney has actually heard of the war that started so recently. 

There's been no word of any of his Lord's armies being hired out to fight for one side or the other in the conflict between the two warring nations. 

Jovan Garney and everyone else for that matter in Tuledare and Phamal would know about it if an Army of Farque had entered the war. 

He also knows that if that had happened, the side that was against his Lord's army would stand no chance in a war. The young cleric knows that it would be certain defeat for whoever went up against one of the armies of Farque . . . . . .

Soldier Of Gods 3.

The Central Regions. 

The lead scout Maiya Garney grips onto the straps that are holding her in as the Krean scoutship Skidaémon accelerates through the sky rift that the ship's navigators have cast. 

In the seat next to her, built into the port hull, sergeant Blufont groans as the sleek, dark mastless airship hits more than two hundred and fifty knots. 

The lead scout hears others of her company groaning and gasping, while the crew down here are busy chatting with their wings flapping away as they hover in the air, not bothered at all with what's happening. 

Maiya Garney has her mouth firmly shut, and though she has gone through ship rifts a handful of times while onboard Krean vessels. 

She doesn't ever want to repeat of her first time doing so. When at sixteen during her final year of training. She and others in her training group traveled on a Krean warship that went through a sky rift. 

To this day Maiya never thought she could projectile vomit like that. Infact pretty much all of them in her training group did so. 

She and the others had no idea what was going to happen that day. She should of realized it was going to be something dramatic when the crew that was below deck, kept as far away from the human teenagers as possible. 

The below deck officer in charge, a navigator. A Krean spellcaster. Calls out in his language "We're through!". 

Maiya Garney sighs in relief while to her right, sergeant Blufont mutters "Thank fuck for that". The lead scout nods in agreement with him as they feel the Skidaémon slowing down to below thirty knots. 

"Your company is made of strong stuff scout Garney" says the chief bosun with a grin upon his dragon like facial features as he helps undo the strap netting that has held the lead scout in place. 

"Not a single one of you lot puked" adds the chief bosun who like all of his kind stands over six foot in height, with wings even longer. They're tucked in against his back at the moment, and he's standing on the decking as the Krean strikeship is flying level. 

"Though the captain did give you a fairly level flight through" continues the chief bosun, who then adds "Much to the disappointment of some of the crew". 

The chief bosun chuckles as lead scout Garney sourly smiles as she sees some of the Krean crew laughing as others hand over coins as more than a few of them placed bets to see how many, or if any of the company from the Scouts and Rangers division of the Fifth Army of Farque would throw up. 

After a quick moment to orientate herself, the lead scout picks up her pack, and along with others in her company, heads up top. 

Once on deck, the company of Scouts and Rangers from the Fifth Army of Farque, congregate into their squads. On what is a cool, clear Autumn night, here above the central regions of The Southlands. 

"Ready?" quietly asks Maiya Garney to those who have gathered close. There's murmured replies from those who will be going with her. Including sergeant Blufont as well as the sorcerer Carnid. 

Krean air marines are also on deck, as well as a couple of the ship's navigators. 

One of whom makes his way over to the lead scout, and quietly says to her in his native language "Scout Garney your group will be first". 

The lead scout nods in understanding, then she looks at her squad, who she can barely see as there's just a couple of running lights that are lit on the aft wheelhouse of the Krean warship. 

Then turning to the navigator, she says to the spellcaster "Ready when you are". The Krean practitioner of magic nods, and the next moment as he looks overboard and down, Maiya Garney disappears. 

Looking around from the faint light of two of the three moons of Volunell in the night sky, lead scout Garney looks across the dirt packed road that's twenty yards in front of her. 

The lead scout who is under the branches of a tree, looks at the tower fort on the other side of the road. 

It's a Tuledarian fort, that's recently been built here in the disputed lands between the two warring city-states. One of a number of them that both Tuledare and Phamal have built in recent years. 

This one isn't all that far from the border of the city-state of Tuledare, and the road is one of the two main trading routes south, that eventually leads to Phamal. 

Next to the lead scout, sergeant Blufont nods when she points something out, and does so again when Maiya Garney points at the incomplete stone wall around the fort. 

A fort that consists of a tower and courtyard, with a barracks and stables, that has a small smithy off to one side. 

Glancing behind her, the lead scout quietly asks "Anyone?". "No one" is the reply of the sorcerer Carnid referring to any magic users in the fort. 

Maiya Garney nods then quietly tells him "Try not to destroy anything" followed by "Remember we want things to look as normal as possible once it's daylight". 

"Will do" is the quiet reply of the sorcerer who like the lead scout is speaking in the elven language, then scout Garney murmurs to herself "Right, let's do this". 

Then she quietly informs sergeant Blufont "Give the order" followed by "And I want this done as quickly and quietly as possible". The company sergeant nods then quietly gives the squad the order to move out. 

Later, and Maiya Garney is in the top room of the tower, and looking to the north through her eyepiece. She glances to the window that faces east, and sees that the night sky is getting lighter in that direction. It will soon be dawn, on what feels like it's going to be a cool autumn morning here in the central regions of The Southlands. 

The lead scout who was able to get a little bit of sleep, briefly looks over her shoulder, as sergeant Blufont enters the room. 

She goes back to looking through her eyepiece as the company sergeant steps over the small puddle of blood in front of the doorway, then makes his way over to the lead scout. 

"Anything?" quietly asks sergeant Blufont "Here" replies Maiya Garney who hands him the brass, cylindrical eyepiece. 

As the sergeant looks northward through the eyepiece, he says "Carnid has disposed of the last of the bodies". 

"Reynolds?" asks the lead scout referring to the only squad member who was wounded when they quickly took the fort in the middle of the night. 

"Carnid healed him" is the reply of the company sergeant, who after a brief pause adds "Hmmm I don't see anything". 

"Give it two turns" scout Garney tells the short, stocky sergeant who has got ten years on the lead scout. 

The company sergeant twists the brass outer sleeve of the eyepiece two notches to the right, then after looking through it for a moment, sergeant Blufont grunts as he spots movement on the road to the north. 

"Supplies by the looks of it" quietly says the sergeant who continues with "Yeah definitely supplies by the amount of troops with those wagons". 

"They must of traveled through the night" quietly says scout Garney who follows that with "Considering the last town is just across the boarder, and it's only eight miles from here". 

With a nod of his head, the company sergeant says "They'll probably stop here, and rest for part of the morning before continuing on to the south towards the war". 

Then taking the collapsible foot and a half long eyepiece away from his face, he looks at the lead scout and asks her "Your plans?". 

Sergeant Blufont who figures scout Garney will do one of two things, adds "Give them a welcoming party, or clear out and let them wonder what the fuck happened here?". 

"We'll take them out" is the reply of Maiya Garney whose orders are to destroy and take out as much of the enemy without them knowing it. Along with that, she and her squad is to head north into the city-state of Tuledare itself. 

"The more we can do without them knowing our lord has decided to join the Phamalians the better" says the lead scout who continues with "The longer they're unaware of our involvement, the better". 

The company sergeant nods in agreement, then asks his immediate commander "Thoughts of how we're going to cross the border once we've delt with this lot?" followed by "Are we going to sneak across, or?". 

"We're going to or" says scout Garney with a slight grin upon her race. She and the company sergeant have discussed a number of ways of how they're going to enter Tuledare. And the lead scout has decided on the most obvious one. After all, why not hide in plain sight. 

"They're hiring mercenary companies for their war" says Maiya Garney who continues with "So that's what we'll be" followed by "A mercenary company joining their war effort". 

She pauses for a moment as sergeant Blufont hands her back the brass, cylindrical eyepiece then the lead scout with a nod of her head to the north as they look out of the window, says "First thing first, we'll deal with this lot heading this way". 

A little while later and as dawn breaks to the east, scout Garney is amongst the trees across the road from the tower fort that she and her squad took during the night. 

The lead scout who has her bow strung, and has a hand on her quiver as she watches the road to the north, and those approaching from that direction on this cool, autumn morning in the central regions of The Southlands. 

Knows that up and down the two main trading routes between the city-states of Tuledare and Phamal. In the disputed lands the nations are fighting over. 

Squads from the second division, the Scouts and Rangers division of the Fifth Army of Farque. During the night have attacked the various forts and towers that Tuledare have built over recent years. 

The company scout who has just fourteen in her own squad, that includes her. Has one of the smaller, if not the smallest Farqian squads that were deployed during the night from Krean scoutships. 

For the simple reason she has with her one of the spellcasters in the division. The sorcerer Carnid might not be the most powerful practitioner of magic in the Fifth Army of Farque. That honour belongs to a mage serving with the heavy foot infantry. 

But even so, the lead scout wouldn't trade Carnid for anyone more powerful. For the simple reason the young sorcerer. Who happens to be younger than Maiya herself. 

Happens to be one of the more talented spellcasters to be found in all of the armies of The Lands Farque. 

The lead scout looks over to where she can just make out the practitioner of magic who is behind the trunk of one of the nearby trees. 

Carnid who is from the south of the Lands Farque just like the scout Garney is from. Doesn't wear robes as sorcerers tend to do. Instead he's in light leather armour. Black like pretty much all of the armour the rest of the squad wears. He also wears a black hooded cloak like the rest of the scouts and rangers. 

All of whom are human with the exception of Halindrelle, an elven ranger who originally hails from the elven forest city of Quinthain. Which lies to the east of the Lands Farque. 

The lead scout hears a bird call, the signal from the ranger Halindrelle. Maiya Garney looks over to the tree closest to the one she's behind. Where sergeant Blufont looks back at her and nods. 

Then they, and the others of the squad on this side of the road. Whilst the rest are across the road in the fort they took over during the night. 

Wait for the supply wagons from the city-state of Tuledare to come into view along the road. They don't have to wait long as a couple of riders head along the road. Followed fairly quickly by the first of five wagons. 

The lead scout Garney sourly smiles as the Tuledarians have failed to send out riders further in front of the wagons. 

And though that is good for what she and sergeant Blufont have planned. She can't help but disapprove at the lack of caution, and frankly sheer arrogance from the soldiers from Tuledare guarding the supply wagons. 

The company scout quickly looks in the direction of where the sorcerer Carnid is behind a tree. And when she sees the spellcaster moving his hands. 

Maiya Garney quickly takes an arrow from her quiver and puts it to her bow. She draws it back when the fifth and final wagon comes into view. 

Then as the last wagon in line suddenly erupts in an explosion spraying liquid fire amongst the enemy closest to it. 

The lead scout let's the arrow from her bow fly. The shaft slams into the throat of one of the two lead riders. 

While the other rider out in front, is knocked out of the saddle by a bolt shot from the heavy crossbow that sergeant Blufont uses. 

Maiya Garney already has another arrow to her bow, which she draws as she spots another target as she and her squad attack the enemy supply wagons and the Tuledarians soldiers protecting it. On this cool autumn morning here in the disputed lands between the city-states of Tuledare and Phamal in the central regions of The Southlands . . . . . .