The City-State Of Vexil.
"Around the back" says Zam the ex mercenary to the wagon driver who has just arrived before dawn.
The driver nods, and heads around to the back of the building. An empty building that the group appropriated yesterday.
Waiting around the back is Malisse aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman, and Beldane the cleric, who again is acting as Malisse's personal guard.
The driver from the Geist Trading Company tips his hat to Malisse, who is posing as a successful merchant here in the city of Vexil.
The driver and his assistant hop down off the wagon, and Malisse aka Zubutai Timaginson directs them to the boxes stacked up against the back of the building.
There's a dozen of them, two stacks of six. Almost coffin size. They are if you squint your eyes if you look at them.
Looking at them is something Beldane the cleric refuses to do. He totally ignores them, and instead looks up and down the lane that runs behind the building, and the buildings on either side of it.
The fighting cleric, along with the hordes outrider who inhabits the body of the rotund woman named Malisse, as well as the ex mercenary Zam.
Are just glad there's no noticable smell coming from the wooden boxes. That's due to a spell that's been placed on them by Helbe the elven thief.
Though Zam asks if the two employees from the Geist Trading Company need some help, from him and Beldane.
Which earns the ex mercenary a pointed look from the powerful cleric who hails from the kingdom of Nastell.
The driver and his assistant decline help, and soon have the dozen boxes on the bed of the wagon, and after the driver has Malisse sign a piece of parchment paper.
The driver, his assistant and the wagon are on the move, with the pair of horses hauling the wagon, heading off to the main airdocks of the city of Vexil, just as the sun rises in the east, on what's the first day of winter in the Southlands.
After looking up at a nearby rooftop, where of course she doesn't see anyone, though she knows someone is there.
Malisse aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman quietly says to Beldane the cleric and Zam the ex mercenary "Come on, let's go and join the others" followed by "Off to the docks".
The blurred and shielded Helbe the elven thief looks back and down, and sees that the trio of Malisse aka Zubutai the son of Timagin, Beldane the cleric and Zam the ex mercenary, are moving off.
Heading in the same direction as the loaded wagon that the young elven noble from the island principality of Laerel, has an eye on.
The elven masterthief walks across the rooftop he's on, and after glancing at Narladene the ground pixie who grips onto his right shoulder.
The blurred and shielded elven magic user shifts away, as he follows after the wagon from Geist Trading Company that's just picked up a dozen wooden boxes.
After coming on board of the airship, which is owned by his family's business, Mira Reinholt the mage after stowing his pack in one of the cabins.
Makes his way up onto the deck, where in the brightening gloom of dawn, he finds Lord Farque with Tamric Drubine the field commander, and Saanea the witch.
"Do we know which one it is?" quietly asks Mira Reinholt the mage as he looks around at the main airdocks of Vexil, on what's a cold start to winter.
"That one there" says Lord Farque who points to a circular dock, two over from the one the vessel they're on, is moored to.
"That twin masted brigantine on this side" adds the large, heavily armoured deathlord of Farque who continues in a dry tone with "Not the usual fucking transporter, as it's got magetubes fore and aft".
The once powerful mage who spots the airship in question, nods his hooded head, then slightly winces when the undead warlord adds "And they've got an escort ship" followed by "The one next to it, which can only be described as a fucking frigate".
The Vexilian mage in exile shakes his hooded head, then mutters "Hell" the mage Reinholt follows that with "They're not taking any chances are they?".
The lord and ruler of the Lands Farque who has the name of Draugodrottin, that his people also know him by, just grunts in response to that from the practitioner of magic, who is also a highly skilled swordmaster.
Then Saanea the witch, who has had her eyes closed, opens them and quietly says "They're loading the transporter at the moment".
The spellcaster who hails from the Maldin Hills, which are on the coast of the Southlands, then says "Some of it is legitimate cargo, goods as such" she continues with "But most of it is weapons and armour in those nondescript boxes they've been using".
The attractive practitioner of magic pauses for a few moments as she briefly closes her eyes again, then after opening them, she says "Our, er, um goods".
Both Mira Reinholt and Tamric Drubine lift an eyebrow at that, while behind the faceplate of his full helm, the undead warlord sourly smiles at that.
"Is on it's way" continues Saanea the witch, who follows on from that with "Nearing the airdocks" she then adds "On the main street from the east".
Lord Farque then says "The royal thief is following it" he continues on from that with "Beldane, Zam and Zubutai will be here shortly".
The mage Reinholt slightly shakes his hooded head, as the lord and ruler of the Lands Farque always refers to Zubutai as Zubutai, no matter what body the barbarian hordesman is in.
Which is ironic, considering it's the lord of the death realm who is the one who puts the hordes outrider in whatever particular body Zubutai Timaginson is occupying at any given time.
The four of them continue to observe the airship they'll be following later this morning, well two airships if you count the escort for the brigantine.
"Think that frigate will be a problem?" quietly asks Tamric Drubine the field commander, which is exactly what Mira Reinholt was thinking.
The lord and ruler of the Lands Farque who has the elven name of Des'tier, which translates to The Destroyer.
Shakes his full helmed head no, then he quietly says "It shouldn't be" he continues with "Just as long as we keep our distance, and keep out of sight".
The large heavily armoured deathlord pauses for a moment or two, then he quietly adds "Dalin is back".
The other three look behind them, and up onto the top of the circular dock, walks Dalinvardèl Tanith the elven spy who has hurried up the steps.
Once onboard, the elf who is originally from the principality of Alínlae, makes his way forward, to where the four of them are on the small bow deck.
Speaking in his native language, Dalinvardèl Tanith the elven spy says "They're not only transporting weapons and armour, and other goods".
The elf who is a commander in the Scouts and Rangers division of the Armies of Farque, who has just been over to the dock, where the airship they're keeping an eye on is located.
Continues with "There's a mercenary group going with them" followed by "Just over twenty of them, they're waiting down on the ground".
The four others look down to where Dalinvardèl Tanith or Dalin as he's more commonly called by the others in the group, has pointed.
And they spot the mercenary group in question, who are doing their best to keep out of the way of the dock workers, on what's a busy morning, for the first day of winter.
Lord Farque looks at Saanea the witch, and he asks the practitioner of magic from the Maldin Hills "Those other goods they're loading up".
The undead being pauses for a moment, before continuing with "They wouldn't be supplies would they?" after briefly pausing again, he adds "Say for a military force?".
The attractive looking spellcaster is silent for a moment or two, before she answers the deathlord of Farque with "They are".
Draugodrottin grunts, while Mira Reinholt the mage mutters "By the shape of fire" while Tamric Drubine slightly winces, and Dalinvardèl Tanith sourly smiles.
"Now what are they up to?" quietly says the young field commander Tamric Drubine, it's the lord of the death realm who replies with "It's obvious what they're up to".
The lord and ruler of the Lands Farque follows that with "The question should be, what are they intending to do with the army they're amassing".
As the others all think on that, Helbe the elven thief appears next to those who have gathered on the small bow deck, of the packet ship that's part of the Reinholt Trading Company's fleet.
"They're loading our er surprise onboard right now" says Helbe the elven thief, who follows that with "All in the forward cargo hold".
Des'tier nods his full helmed head, then after glancing back, and seeing who is making their way around the top of the circular airdock, towards the single masted airship.
The undead warlord says to the mage Reinholt "When Beldane, Zam and Zubutai get onboard, have the captain give the order to cast off".
The large, heavily armoured deathlord continues with "I want a bit of distance between us and them" as he gestures towards the pair of airships they're observing on one of the nearby airdocks.
Of the pair, one is previously a fighting ship that's been converted to a transporter, while the other one is a straight up warship.
Once the powerful cleric in the church of Glaine, the rotund woman who is really a hordes outrider from the southern tundra, and the ex mercenary who hails from the City Of Ruins.
Come aboard, the once powerful mage has a quiet word with the captain of the small airship that's part of the Reinholt Trading Company's air fleet.
The packet ship, so called because it's primary task is to transport packets of documents at speed, right across the central region of The Southlands.
Is soon in the air, and flying over the city of Vexil, heading north, though more to the northeast as it circles in that direction.
In the cold early morning sunshine of what's the first day of winter, Dorc da Orc makes his way up on deck.
He's soon followed by his bitter rival sir Percavelle Le Dic, who in turn is followed by Shur Kee the monk and Lisell Maera the scout.
Both of whom are keeping an eye on the large ork from the southern polar region of the world, and the noble born knight who hails from the kingdom of Druvic.
"The escort ship is off" says Helbe the elven thief, who along with Lord Farque, Mira Reinholt the mage and Malisse aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman.
Are at the aft rail, a further bit behind the captain of the packet ship, and the helmsman at the wheel.
The four of them are looking back at the main airdocks of the city of Vexil, which is located in the north of the massive city.
The Reinholt Trading Company's packet ship, which is just gone over the northern wall of the city, is heading as much to the east as it is to the north.
But the warship that's part of the Geist Trading Company is heading directly north, so now is the twin masted brigantine which has just risen up from the airdock which it was moored to.
"And there goes the transporter" adds Mira Reinholt who like his fellow spellcaster, is speaking in the elven language.
The four of them, the lord and ruler of the Lands Farque, and three members of his personal council, continue to watch the pair of airships owned by the Geist Trading Company that are heading north.
Until Draugodrottin finally says in elvish "Now we wait as we follow them" he continues on with "And see what they intend to do with this army of mercenaries they're gathering" . . . . . .
