How to Kill a Mage?

"simple, we kill the Air Master." Al offered with a cocky smile, the young officer still had the gold wings on his shoulders unblemished by how new they were.

"And how exactly do you plan to do that? 'Commander'" out of all the officers in the tent it was the one woman who spoke, unlike the others she didn't wear the blue military uniforms but rather a billowing multilayered red cloak that seems to be affected by a non existing wind. The Dragoness.

"Easley, I'll send you to do it." He flashed a smile at her and it seems she found that funny enough because she let out a short lived laughter.

"Myself and the Air Master are of equal prowess, we've had dozens of fights, non ever managed to fell the other. If you throw me at him again the result will be the same, a tie."

"Ah, but you do have an edge over him right?" She rased an eyebrow at that.

"Every Mage has an edge, a secret or spell they keep for dire times. I will not burn away mine for a meager chance to kill my once schoolmate for your meaningless war." A murmur rose from the officers around the tent at that, the military did not like when you called their wars meaningless but non of them would act against the country's Mage.

"Tsk, not what I ment." Al laid back in his chair. "You have an army backing you, that's your edge."

"The Air Master has an army as well, and unlike me he is the one commanding it, utilizing his soldiers to best suit his ability, his magic." She shook her head.

"The Sinclade army has switched to Guerrilla tactics to halt our advance north, their main force is at Stonehelm, a day march away. But I don't need to advance, I don't need to take Stonehelm, we will attack with a large enough force aimed directly at the Air Master himself, when he starts transmuting the air into poison, magic is a tool, it does not know friend from foe the as an arrow does not, even if his forces will be able to arrive in time they would not be able to help." Once again he smirked at her "and then you will dive in and deliver the killing blow."

"He will kill your men in droves." There was not a hint of the laughter from earlier in her eyes.

"He will not, because you will kill him in time. And then non of them will die in a slow and costly advance north, non will die at the siege of Stonehelm, non will die assaulting the High Towers. We will simply have our Dragoness fly over all of those and take Frosthaven itself, in a day the war will come to an end."

For a moment they were both silent, locking eyes with each other, only the low murmer of the other officers filled the tent.

"Acceptable." She finally said.

"All right then, let's go kill a Mage."