human
Lazar:  Suddenly, Lazar’s voice came echoing down the hall. “Your Highness! Where are you?”
gpt
Oscar:  “What is it? What’s wrong?” Oscar asked.
human
Lazar:  Lazar heard him and rushed into the room. He looked appropriately gobsmacked when he caught sight of Tinasha.
gpt
Oscar:  Oscar didn’t turn to look at his old friend, as he was entirely preoccupied with the witch. Instead, the prince merely asked again, “What’s wrong?”
human
Lazar:  “Ah yes. Well, the prince from Tayiri won’t be able to attend, it seems. There was an attack on a town close to the border with Cuscull about a week ago. In his place, he’s sent his royal younger sister.”
gpt
Oscar:  “Cuscull?”
human
Lazar:  “Attack…?”
gpt
Oscar:  Oscar and Tinasha’s faces hardened at Lazar’s words. With a grave tone, the man continued his explanation. “Without warning, Cuscull mages burned a village to the ground. By the time help had arrived, no survivors could be found.”
human
Oscar:  “No survivors… They killed everyone?” Oscar inquired. Not in the past one hundred years had there been something so vile. Mass killings of innocent citizens had been commonplace during the Dark Age, but it was the Age of Witches now. Most thought such a tragedy impossible unless one of the witches was involved. Bile rose in Oscar’s throat. “I have no idea what Cuscull is thinking. I’ve also got to wonder if Tayiri plans to publicize the attack and ask other countries for assistance.”
gpt
Tinasha:  “They might. If Tayiri could handle this on its own, a nation of mages who oppose Tayiri’s state religion would never have declared independence in the first place. I’m sure those in charge want to do something about Cuscull, whether that means incurring debts to other nations or not,” Tinasha replied.
human
Oscar:  “True. Fighting mages when your nation shuns the practice of magic sounds difficult,” Oscar observed. Mages have great power in war but are actually quite difficult to utilize efficiently. The stronger the spell, the more likely it is to affect soldiers on the mage’s side, too, and the longer the incantation as well. It was hard to control large-scale magic at all, and few mages mastered the delicate practice. What’s more, the farther away a spell was loosed, the more time an enemy mage had to counter it. Mages needed to be able to get fairly close to their opponents if they wanted to have any hope of outsmarting them by being the first to cast a spell. As a result, spell casters were placed in the rear guard behind soldiers and typically lobbed small- to midrange magic attacks. Opposing magic users would attempt to guard while hurling back spells of their own. Such a task was exceedingly difficult and was the exact reason so many mages devoted themselves entirely to defense and support magic. Tayiri was an exception, as they had no mages and therefore no way of defending themselves against a volley of spells. One had to wonder what Cuscull’s aim was in all this.