The Homecoming 158.

The Order's Grounds...

In one of the many buildings that's in the grounds of the order of the knights of Saint Mar-che.
Knight general Dalacell has just been in a meeting with some of the more senior members of the order. Paladins and knights of the first rank. Discussing which of the squires and knight's apprentices, who will come up in rank later on in the spring.
They've decided on a dozen youngsters who will rise in rank later this spring. A few more maybe added later on. But for know, a dozen squires and knight's apprentices will move up in the ranks of the order.
The knights general, along with his squire Markell, cross a courtyard to the main administrative building in the grounds of the knights of Saint Mar-che.
The senior most member of the order looks away to the left, through the trees on the otherside of the courtyard.
There beyond the trees, he can see one of the many practice yards and training fields that the order has in the park like grounds that are their headquarters.
And though the knights of the order of Saint Mar-che have many a chapterhouse throughout the Southlands.
It's here in the city of Leeabra, the capital of the kingdom of Druvic. That they have their base of operations and headquarters.
Unfortunately for the knights general, so do a number of other knightly orders. But Dalacell is firm in the belief that his order, has the most influence here in the kingdom that's their home base.
They also have the most amount of members of any of the knightly orders based here in Leeabra. And they have the largest grounds by far.
Taking up a large area just to the north of the center of the capital city of Druvic. In the third domain of the city.
And when the knights general enters the administrative building with his squire. Then goes through the office of his secretary, where his squire Markell waits.
And he enters his ground floor office, and looks out the glass windows, where across the park like surroundings of the order's grounds. Where he can see over to the basilica of Saint Mar-che on the western side of the grounds.
Dalacell the knight general of the order of Saint Mar-che knows that it's his order, and his order alone that has the most influence of all the knightly orders based in Leeabra.
Infact he knows that even the trio of magical guilds. And the various churches and temples don't have as much influence as his order.
Only the various trading associations, and the nobility of the kingdom. Have at least an equal footing, or in some cases, more influence than his order does at the court of the king of Druvic.
In particular with the lord high constable of the kingdom, constable Twimen. The senior most noble in the kingdom outside of the royal family.
Twimen, who just happens to be good friends with knight general Dalacell.
The senior most member in the order of Saint Mar-che after putting his full helm on a stand, takes a seat behind his desk, which gives him a view out the glass windows across the park like grounds, to the basilica in the distance, that's nearly fully restored after it was nearly completely destroyed in the incident that kicked off the civil war a decade ago.
The knight general sourly smiles at the memory of that. As he was part of the army at the time that had invaded the Sunreach Mountains, and was defeated.
Only to return to the kingdom of Druvic and the capital Leeabra, which was attacked by a group of elementals and others from the Sunreach Mountains.
Which led to the death of the then king of Druvic, king Newkym the second. And the civil war that followed. Which Newkym the second's nephew, the duke of Carville would win, and become king of Druvic.
The knight general then smiles as he sees how near complete the repair work of the basilica of Saint Mar-che is. He glances at the closed door to his secretary's office, and his about to call out to him.
When suddenly he slumps forward in his chair. His head hits his desk, and he's snoring, fast asleep.
"Hells, by the forest gods it took me long enough to find him" mutters Helbe the elven thief to Narladene the ground pixie, who nods her head in agreement with the blurred and shielded elven magic user.
"Go and tell Dalin I'm on my way" quietly says the young elven noble from the island principality of Laerel.
The ground pixie who is attached to him, nods her tiny head. Then jumps off the right shoulder of the elven master assassin. And dives down into the floor, and the ground beneath.
While prince Helbenthril Raendril increases his strength threefold by way of a spell, so he can pick up the heavily armoured knights general of the order of Saint Mar-che who he has just made invisible.
After putting the sleeping and invisible leader of the order of Saint Mar-che over his right shoulder.
The grandson of the ruling prince of Laerel who has spent much of the morning and early afternoon trying to locate knight general Dalacell across the massive park like grounds of the order of Saint Mar-che.
Looks out the glass windows of the office, and shifts away. Heading southwards where Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy is waiting for him.
In a large building, about three storeys up, Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy looks across the wide street below, over to the main gates on the south side of the grounds of the knights of the order of Saint Mar-che.
The gates in the wrought iron fence, that must go at least a mile, are open at the moment. Allowing people to enter and exit the grounds of the order of Saint Mar-che.
Apparently a lot of the park like grounds are open to the public, as the spy Tanith sees the knights on gate duty allowing people who don't have any business with the order, through the open gates across the street.
Dalinvardél Tanith or Dalin as he's more commonly called by the others in the group, faintly smiles as he looks across the street to the wide, basically avenue that goes from the gates, in a straight line to the nearest buildings about a hundred yards away in the grounds of the order of the knights of Saint Mar-che.
He's heard a number of times, from both Dorc da Orc and sir Percavelle Lé Dic, about the time they fought one another within the grounds across the street during the incident here in Leeabra that lead to the civil war in the kingdom.
The telling of that confrontation varies considerably, depending on who tells it.
Dalin has heard the truth only from Shur Kee the monk who was also there at the time.
As the only thing factual he can get from either Dorc da Orc and sir Percavelle Lé Dic. Is that the large ork at the end of the fight, ended up with a bear trap clamped onto his right leg. Much to the disgust of the ork warleader. And delight of the former earl of Lé Dic.
Who never mentioned in any of tellings to the spy Tanith. That he nearly died, and that he fled. As Shur Kee the monk came to the aid of the big, burly ork and nearly killed the former paladin.
"Crazy bastards" murmurs Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy, who then snorts, shakes his hooded head in disbelief, and follows that up with a murmured "And now the two of them travel together".
The spy from the elven principality of Alínlae looks quickly to his right, as he suddenly sees Narladene the ground pixie hovering close to him.
"He's found him?" quietly asks the spy Tanith "He has" answers Narladene the ground pixie, who like Dalin, is speaking elven.
"He's on his way" continues the naturally magical creature who is attached to prince Helbenthril Raendril.
The elf who once served in one of the more prominent noble houses in the principality of Alínlae, nods his hooded head and tells the ground pixie "They're waiting a couple of streets back".
"I know, I'll go and get them" says the tiny winged creature as she disappears, and takes off to get the rest of the group. While Dalinvardél Tanith waits for Helbe the elven thief to show up.
Knight general Dalacell groans as he wakes up, he finds he's lying on a wooden floor, so he sits up against the wall that's behind him.
The senior member of the order of the knights of Saint Mar-che as he tries to get his bearings. Finds that there's a number of people sitting on chairs, or standing, opposite him in the room he's in, wherever the room is.
Dalacell the knights general blinks then says in surprise "Percavelle!" as he recognises one of the two heavily armoured figures standing opposite him.
"Well, the order has sunk to the lowest of depths if they've made you knights general, Dalacell" sourly says sir Percavelle Lé Dic who continues with "By Narille, even i would of made a better knights general".
That's saying a lot, considering the former paladin knows his limitations. As he knows he's a perfectly fine field commander if necessary. But no way is he capable of being the leader of his knightly order.
The politicking that one has to deal with being the knights general of the order of Saint Mar-che. Is just something sir Percavelle isn't up to dealing with.
And the fact his abrasive demeanour, overly loud personality. And just all round obnoxious way in which he conducts his life. Would be a hindrance if he ever was to become the knights general of the order of Saint Mar-che.
Sir Percavelle Lé Dic or Percy as he's more commonly referred to by the rest of the group. Is first and foremost, a fighter. Any kind of leader off the battlefield is a very distant second to that.
The senior most member of the order of the knights of Saint Mar-che sourly smiles in reaction to what the former earl of Lé Dic just said.
Then Dalacell frowns as he looks at one of those seated. A figure in a black hooded cloak.
The knights general looks closely, then quietly says "I know you" he briefly pauses then recognition comes to him, and he adds "Mage" followed by "Traitor!".
"Popular as ever i see" quietly says Helbe the elven thief to Mira Reinholt the mage who is sitting beside him. The elven princeling who is speaking in his second language, elven, continues with "You might want to do something about that one day".
The senior most member of the order of the knights of Saint Mar-che is sputtering in anger, and he finally gets out "You died" as he glares at the mage Reinholt "That dragon killed you".
"He didn't do a good job of it" dryly says Mira Reinholt the mage who fought in the same army with the then knight commander Dalacell, as well as sir Percavelle. When a faction within the kingdom of Druvic invaded the Sunreach Mountains.
The once powerful mage nods his hooded head to the side at the silent figure of lord Farque, and tells the knight general "He brought down Nol".
The spellcaster from the city-state of Vexil, who happens to also be a highly skilled swordmaster, continues with "He's the one they called the general up in the Sunreach Mountains, the one who defeated us".
Dalacell if he could back up any further, he would. Instead he sits up straighter against the wall behind him as he looks at the large heavily armoured figure, who towers over the tall figure of sir Percavelle standing beside him.
The knights general glances down, and grimaces as he sees that he has no weapons on his belt, not even a table knife. He sighs, then mutters "By Narille, what the hell is going on here?".
Dalacell who never thought he'd see the former earl of Lé Dic again. After all, he had asked the lord high constable of the kingdom to kill him, since word got to them, that the former paladin had returned to Druvic.
Definitely didn't think he'd see the mage named Mira again. For the simple reason he thought he was dead. Having been killed by the dragon Nol during the incident in Leeabra a decade ago, that kicked off the civil war.
And he definitely never thought he'd finally see the one they called the general up in the Sunreach Mountains. The one who lead the elementals, dwarves and others in that mountain range. Against a combined faction from the kingdom of Druvic, which is to the south of Sunreach Mountains. And the city-state of Eweteets, known as the city of a thousand churches. Which lies to the north of the Sunreach Mountains.
"What's going on here Dalacell old chap" says sir Percavelle Lé Dic who continues with "Is something you'd never imagined".
The former knight of the first rank, who was demoted to the third rank, because he stole the shield of Saint Mar-che. Which knight general Dalacell can see is across the back of the former paladin.
And because he went off on a holy quest that he devised and came up with. Without the knowledge, or authority from any of the other senior members of the order at the time.
Then tells the senior most member of his knightly order "Your chum Twimen the lord high constable isn't what he appears to be".
The knight general of the order of Saint Mar-che narrows his eyelids as he looks at the four opposite him. The two seated, both in hooded cloaks, one in white, who Dalacell thinks is an elf. And the mage in black.
And the two standing. Both in heavy plate armour. Sir Percavelle Lé Dic in his highly burnished, and gleaming steel plate. Who the knight general sees is still wearing a ridiculous looking white cape that's attached to the back of his shoulder plates.
And the other, the one known as the general amongst the enemy in the Sunreach Mountains a decade ago. Who is in dark blue and black plate armour. So form fitting, and tight without gaps, that Dalacell has never seen the like of it before.
The senior most member in the order of the knights of Saint Mar-che clears his throat as he tries to think of what he can do to get out of this awkward situation, then he says "Whatever do you mean?".
"Oh not that you sent some of the order with his ships in his personal fleet to help out the Harkonin rabble attack my home" says sir Percavelle Lé Dic, who can't help but gloat as he adds "Who by the way were defeated, not to mention the trio of airships Twimen sent were destroyed too".
The knights general winces as he hears that. He can tell the former paladin is telling the truth there. For the simple reason the large heavily armoured knight has that silly grin on his face, that he always has when he says something that he knows will annoy whoever it is he's talking to.
"Hells" mutters Dalacell "Indeed" says the nobleborn knight from the east of the kingdom of Druvic, who then continues with "This has to do with something else that Twimen is up to".
The former knight of the first class then glances at the large, heavily armoured figure standing next to him.
"Marg gakk kaughin cakl nag lalm" calls out lord Farque. A couple of moments later and the door to the room opens, and Dorc da Orc enters carrying the unconscious wizard over his right shoulder.
If Dalacell could sink into the wall behind him, he would. For he's seen the massive green figure that's just entered the room before.
Twice infact, once up in the Sunreach Mountains a decade ago. And again a couple of months later, here in the city of Leeabra during the incident that led to the civil war. Infact in the grounds of the order of Saint Mar-che. Which he doesn't know, is just across the street from the building that he's presently in.
Where it fought sir Percavelle Lé Dic in battle. After it had killed quite a few others in the order of the knights of Saint Mar-che.
Dalacell knows it's an ork. And like the others who he thought he'd never see. He definitely didn't expect it to be in the company of the former earl of Lé Dic.
With a grunt, Dorc da Orc drops the unconscious prisoner on the floor infront of sir Percavelle Lé Dic and lord Farque. And after the undead warlord nods his full helmed head back to the door. The large ork glares at the knights general, growls at him too. Then turns around and walks out of the room, closing the door behind him.
The lord and ruler of the lands Farque nods his head for the former paladin to continue.
Sir Percavelle or Percy as he's more commonly referred to by the rest of the group, says to the senior most member of his order "Dalacell do you know there's something about the lord high constable, your chum Twimen, that the king would definitely not approve of?".
The heavily armoured knight continues with "I'm pretty sure the king will be pretty livid with it once he finds out" and as the knights general of the order of Saint Mar-che frowns as he wonders what the blowhard Percavelle is going on about, the former earl of Lé Dic adds "And this fellow here" as he points at the unconscious wizard lying on the floor infront of him, before continuing with "Knows all about it, wot" . . . . . .

The Homecoming 157.

The Edge...

"What happened over there?" asks Tovis the war engineer, Shur Kee the monk looks to where the young engineer from the Harkonin fief points, and quietly says "Friend Mira blew that up a number of years ago".
Tamric Drubine and Lisell Maera look sharply at one another, then across the massive square to the remains of one of the palaces over at the edge of the second domain.
"Hell, that must of been a couple hundred yards long at least" says Tamric Drubine "Indeed it was" says the short, statured monk from the far eastern coast of the continent.
The physical adept who is an acolyte in the philosophical order of Bru Li looks at Tamric Drubine and Lisell Maera, and quietly tells them "Now you know why when they say friend Mira was powerful, he truly was that powerful".
Both the nobleborn teenager from the kingdom of Sarcrin and the attractive young woman from the city-state of Brattonbury nod their heads as they look across to the evidence of the mage Reinholt's former power.
Tamric Drubine or Tam as he's more commonly referred to by the rest of the group, glances away to the right and quietly says in elven "Do you remember that happening?" as he nods over to the edge of the second domain, and the remnants of a once mighty palace.
"I don't" says Darid Parsen who speaks the elven language a little haltingly at the moment, he briefly smiles and continues with "Because i wasn't here at the time" he pauses then adds "I first met the group after they had left here" he pauses once more before continuing with "Just as the civil war took hold throughout the kingdom".
The young soldier from the Lé Dic fief takes a deep breath, as that was a little difficult to say in the elven language. As he's still getting used to speaking not just the common language, but a number of other languages.
Something Darid couldn't do previously. But now he's really Darid aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman, he finds that he can now speak at least a handful of other languages.
"Wonder why they haven't rebuilt it" muses Tovis who is ever the engineer as they stand infront of a building at the northern end of the one of the massive squares in the city of Leeabra.
"Probably because it was built during the reign of the current king's grandfather, and his uncle who he took over from when the civil war finally ended" says Mira Reinholt the mage as he rejoins them after coming out of the large building they're standing infront of.
"Did you really blow that" says Tovis the war engineer who is interrupted by the once powerful mage who dryly says "Yes" followed by "Over a decade ago now".
The Vexilian mage in exile then looks across the massive square to the left, the eastern edge of it. Where he can see the humongous building, that's an arcade of shops and markets, where he lost his left arm from the elbow down, when he confronted the dragon Nol who was his friend until he turned on him and the kingdom of Druvic.
After the mage Reinholt was in the faction in the kingdom that took part in the invasion of the Sunreach Mountains to the north of the kingdom.
The dragon Nol who killed the once powerful mage from the city-state of Vexil.
"Memories Mira?" quietly asks Lisell Maera in the elven language as she notices the look upon the face of the spellcaster who is also a highly skilled swordmaster.
The Vexilian mage in exile sourly smiles then nods his hooded head towards what's basically the largest building in a city full of massive buildings, and he says in a slightly dry tone in the elven language "I died over in that building" followed by "A friend wasn't particularly pleased with something that i did, so he killed me".
Both Lisell Maera and Tamric Drubine look from the mage Reinholt to Darid Parsen, then back again. The highly skilled swordmaster grins then says "I wasn't that far gone" he continues with "Though, you know who, did bring me back" Mira Reinholt then adds "Thankfully to my own body" who holds up his left arm and says "Minus most of this arm".
Both Tam and Lis nod as they know the once powerful mage is missing his left arm below the elbow, and that he has an automaton arm designed by Dorc da Orc as a replacement.
It's one of the few things the large ork has actually done for the mage Reinholt in all the years that they've known one another.
They all turn as Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy, sir Percavelle Lé Dic, followed by Dorc da Orc and lord Farque make their way from the large building that the exiled Vexilian mage was just in.
"Hey killer, that's where me killed that fucken dragon buddy of yours that got you" says a grinning Dorc da Orc who waves towards the massive building, that's well over a mile and half in length, that's on the eastern side of the square they're at the northern edge of.
"You killed it?" says the spellcaster who was once the most powerful mage of his generation to be found anywhere in the Southlands, who looks over at lord Farque, then back at the ork warleader.
After clearing his throat, Dorkindle says "Well me helped fucken kill it" the big, burly ork from the southern polar region of the world continues with "Me rode that scaly fucken cunt when he flew through that building over there".
Still grinning, the ork weaponsmith with his knuckles, taps the black armoured chest plate he wears, and says "Got this sweet piece of fucken armour of that big dragony cunt".
"After the lord brought it down" says Mira Reinholt with a nod of his hooded head to the undead warlord who is quietly talking to the spy Tanith off to one side.
"And Helbe and Seph finished it off" adds lord Farque as he looks over at them, before returning to his quiet conversation with the elven spy from the principality of Alínlae.
"Me forgot all that shit" says the ork warleader in an offhanded manner "Conveniently" dryly says the Vexilian mage in exile, which causes the son of the former matriarch of the wolf tribe of orks to chuckle.
As Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy hurries away, heading north. Tamric Drubine looks at sir Percavelle Lé Dic, who seems to have calmed down a bit since the lord and ruler of the lands Farque announced that they were going to head north through the city, to the third domain, where the grounds of the order of the knights of Saint Mar-che are located.
As the lord of the death realm nods his hooded head for them to get going, and make their way in the direction that the spy Tanith took off in.
Tovis the war engineer who is walking with Tamric Drubine and Lisell Maera, says "They don't do things by half here in this part of the city" he continues with "Everything's massive, the buildings, squares and avenues, all of them are beyond belief".
"I know what you mean" says the attractive young woman from the west coast of the Southlands, who follows that with "Brattonbury is a far larger city, but even the largest buildings there are small in comparison to some of the monsters here".
Tamric Drubine nods his head in agreement with Lisell Maera, who is more often referred to as just Lis by the others in the group.
Then the son of a former knight of castle Drubine in northern Sarcrin asks "Where exactly are we going?".
"There, more or less" says Mira Reinholt the mage who walks beside sir Percavelle Lé Dic infront of the three youngest members of the group.
While lord Farque and Dorc da Orc, still carrying the unconscious wizard in the airscorp of Druvic over his right shoulder, lead the way infront of the once powerful mage and the former earl of Lé Dic
And Shur Kee the monk and Darid Parsen bring up the rear of the group, following behind the three youngsters.
"What's that over the trees that way?" asks the young engineer Tovis, pointing in the direction that the mage Reinholt just gestured to "Looks like they're rebuilding that dome on top of it" adds the former war engineer to baron Raevar Harkonin.
"That in all it's glorious splendour is a testament to the god Narille in the form of the basilica of Saint Mar-che" answers sir Percavelle Lé Dic who continues with "It's in the western quarters of my order's grounds".
"Damn" murmurs the young engineer from the Harkonin fief in the very east of the kingdom of Druvic, who then asks "Exactly how large is the grounds of your order sir Percavelle?".
"It's a bloody large park" dryly says Mira Reinholt who knows the city of Leeabra fairly well, since he used to live here about a decade ago.
The former paladin grins, then says "Indeed it is" then the grin slips off the face of the nobleborn knight, and he slams shut the visor of his faceplate when the highly skilled swordmaster walking beside him says "Not me, it was the lord, he found it annoying, not to mention the perfect target for a distraction with a magetube when we were in city at the time of the outbreak of the civil war".
In reply to Tovis asking "Did it get damaged in an earthquake or something?" followed by "Or did you blow that up as well mage?".
"A decade, and they're still fixing it" says Tam who continues with "Your order isn't exactly getting it back to it's previous splendour in quick fashion are they Percy?".
"They must be busy" says the former earl of Lé Dic with a nonchalant wave of a hand "Like interfering in the politics of the court, all to hunt you down and if not kick you out of the order, trying to kill you" quietly says the exiled Vexilian mage to the heavily armoured knight walking beside him.
The nobleman from the east of the kingdom of Druvic looks sharply at the once powerful mage, and though he doesn't say anything in response to what the swordmaster Reinholt just said.
He does slightly nod his full helmed head in agreement with the spellcaster, who is still the youngest ever member of the mage council of his homeland, the city-state of Vexil.
The mage Reinholt who was once a member of one of the three magical guilds here in the city of Leeabra.
Is glad that he's wearing the amulet that hides that he's a spellcaster. As he has sensed quite a lot of practitioners of magic as they've made their way through the city today.
The once powerful mage who is also a highly skilled swordmaster, says in elven to lord Farque walking infront of him and sir Percavelle Lé Dic "Are they there?".
"They're already in the grounds" is the reply of the undead warlord in the same language, the deathlord of Farque, who also goes by the name of Draugadrottin to the people of his lands, continues with "They should be able to extract him without anyone noticing".
The Vexilian mage in exile nods his black hooded head, then says "And i guess Dalin has gone ahead to wait for them?".
"He has" is the reply of the lord of the death realm, who to an older generation of elven kind, also know him by the name of Des'tier, which translates in the common language to, The Destroyer.
The undead being in the dark blue and black heavy plate armour, though really it might look like plate armour, it's something else entirely different, that's not of this world.
Glances back at the former earl of Lé Dic walking beside the mage Reinholt.
In elven, the lord of the death realm tells the spellcaster who is also a highly skilled swordmaster "You might want to disguise Percy" Draugadrottin continues with "The closer we get to his order's grounds, it's more likely we'll run across one of those bastards who'll recognise the idiot".
The mage in the black hooded cloak nods his head, and as they turn onto a street, the first one in a while that's relatively normal in size, then they turn into the first lane on the left.
Mira Reinholt by way of a spell, changes the appearance of the knight in the order of Saint Mar-che.
Tam and Lis following the heavily armoured knight and the once powerful mage aren't taken by surprise in the change of the former knight of the first class. After all they heard lord Farque say in elven to the exiled Vexilian mage what he wants done.
Not so Tovis the war engineer. Who is taken by surprise by the change in the appearance of the former paladin, that he almost trips over in disbelief.
And doesn't so, only because Tamric Drubine reaches out and grabs him as he trips forward.
"How?" says a stunned looking war engineer from the Harkonin fief as the group walk through the lane that is empty, apart from them.
"A spell from Mira" says the nobleborn teenager from the kingdom of Sarcrin to the young engineer.
Tovis nods as he looks at the short, fat man, in rather shabby looking clothing, who is walking beside the mage Reinholt, infront of him, Tam and Lis.
Dorc da Orc who still carries the unconscious wizard over one of his massive shoulders, glances back and chuckles as he sees what sir Percavelle Lé Dic looks like.
And though the former paladin's appearance has changed drastically, the ork warleader can still smell the distinctive smell of the heavily armoured knight.
"What are you laughing at you smelly" says Percy who cuts off in mid sentence as he sounds completely different to what he normally sounds like.
The former earl of Lé Dic, who still looks like he does, to himself but not the others, with the exception of lord Farque.
Looks sharply at the spellcaster from the city-state of Vexil who is walking beside him, and quickly asks him "What did you do mage?". The knight in the order of Saint Mar-che winces as he hears his voice. Which definitely doesn't sound like him. Infact he finds it grating and annoying.
"Just changed what you look and sound like" is reply of Mira Reinholt, who then adds "Don't want anyone who might recognise you taking notice".
The former paladin sourly smiles, then asks "What do i look like?".
"Like a short, fat, ugly looking fucker" chortles Dorc da Orc as he looks back at the nobleborn knight.
The former earl of Lé Dic sourly smiles once more, then he mutters in a tone to match his sour smile "How charming". As they continue northwards through the third domain, towards the grounds of the order of the knights of Saint Mar-che . . . . . .

The Homecoming 156.

The Capital...

It's mid morning, two days later when they arrive in the capital Leeabra.
Well at a town, three miles to the east of the capital city of the kingdom of Druvic.
It was thought best not to fly a stolen flying boat, which belongs to the kingdom's aircorp, into the city's airdocks.
And though they saw a number of airships as they flew in from the east of the kingdom. Nearly all of them were trader's vessels and privateers.
The only Druvician aircorp airship they saw, was flying far to the north of the ship's boat they've used to fly to the capital Leeabra, from castle Lé Dic in the east of the kingdom.
After setting down to the east of the city of Leeabra, they walk the three miles into the largest city in the kingdom of Druvic.
Joining others, on foot, horseback, and in wagons and carts. Heading to the capital city of the kingdom.
While lord Farque, along with Dorc da Orc, who has the unconscious prisoner over his right shoulder, lead the way.
Tamric Drubine finds himself walking beside Tovis the war engineer, who is wide eyed as they approach the city of Leeabra.
Behind them walks Shur Kee the monk alongside Darid Parsen. While at the rear of the group is Lisell Maera and Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy.
Meanwhile infront of the nobleborn teenager and the young engineer from the Harkonin fief. Walks Mira Reinholt the mage, and a seething sir Percavelle Lé Dic.
The former paladin has been in a sour, and quite frankly angry mood. Ever since lord Farque told him not long after they left his family's castle two mornings ago.
That members of his knightly order, the order of Saint Mar-che. Want him kicked out of the order.
Infact a knight of fairly high rank was traveling with the warships in the personal fleet of the lord high constable of Druvic, that were on their way to castle Lé Dic to help the Harkonin army. Until the lord and ruler of the lands Farque, along with the Vexilian mage in exile, Mira Reinholt. Brought down those two destroyers in the lord high constable's fleet.
The former earl of Lé Dic has been muttering to himself on and off since they caught sight of the capital before dawn.
The heavily armoured knight is continuing to mutter to himself, as they walk along one of the roads that leads to the east side of the capital city.
Tamric Drubine or Tam as the rest of the group more commonly refer to him by, glances at the war engineer Tovis who has just murmured "Hell".
"What is it?" quietly asks Tamric Drubine as he walks beside the young engineer who until last week, was the war engineer to baron Raevar Harkonin.
"Up there" says Tovis the war engineer, the young nobleborn teen who hails from the kingdom of Sarcrin looks up into the fairly clear sky to the north where Tovis nods.
There he sees a pair of wyverns, mostly likely messengers for the kingdom's army. Flying towards the capital.
"First time seeing wyverns?" asks the former heir of castle Drubine in northern Sarcrin, the young engineer from the east of Druvic, nods his head yes.
Tam faintly smiles, then quietly says to the war engineer "Wait until you see a dragon".
Tovis looks sideways at the nobleborn teenager, with a look upon his face that can only be called incredulous.
Tamric Drubine looks at those in the group infront of them, and the rest of the group following them. Then he quietly tells Tovis in a slightly dry tone  "Trust me, with this group, you'll see a dragon one day".
The war engineer who once served in the Harkonin army, lifts his eyebrows to that.
Then he and Tam look at sir Percavelle Lé Dic infront of them, who looks back, and says in his overly loud voice "You two are going on about wyverns and dragons and the like" the heavily armoured knight then continues with "And here i am, walking towards the viper's pit to confront my brother knights who have betrayed me".
People walking by on the otherside of the road, heading away from Leeabra, look towards the boisterous knight.
At the front of the group, lord Farque without looking back says "Percy".
The former earl of Lé Dic, who looks forward, says in a rather disgruntled tone "What?".
"Shut up" says the undead warlord. The knight in the order of Saint Mar-che, who is walking with the visor of his full helm open, sourly smiles, though he does fall silent.
While beside him, the mage Reinholt slightly smiles. And out infront, next to the lord and ruler of the lands Farque, Dorc da Orc chuckles at the reprimand to the nobleborn knight from the heavily armoured deathlord.
Tamric Drubine and Tovis the war engineer are silent for a little bit. And though the young engineer from the fief to the east of sir Percavelle's family's fief. Looks back to the rear of the group to where Lisell Maera is walking with the spy Tanith.
The war engineer doesn't look back all that often at the young woman he's more than a little smitten with.
At the back of the group that's nearing the city of Leeabra, Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy, who has just spotted Tovis looking back in this direction, quietly says in elven "What are you going to do about that?".
"About what?" asks Lisell Maera in the same language. "That" says the elven spy from the principality of Alínlae who nods his hooded head to where Tovis the war engineer is walking with Tamric Drubine, infront of Shur Kee and Darid Parsen.
The attractive young woman who hails from the city-state of Brattonbury wryly smiles and rolls her eyes, then she quietly says in a dry tone "Hell, does everyone know?". "Just about" says Dalinvardél Tanith or Dalin as he's more commonly called by the rest of the group, as the two of them quietly converse in the elven language.
The elf who once served in one of the more prominent noble houses in his homeland of Alínlae, then adds "Well maybe not Dorc and Percy" he continues with "Those two don't exactly take notice of what's going on amongst the group" Dalin briefly pauses before saying in a dry tone "Unless it involves themselves".
The elven spy from the principality of Alínlae, then nods at the soldier from the Lé Dic fief walking infront of them with Shur Kee the monk.
"Darid might not know too" quietly says Dalinvardél Tanith, who then quietly tells Lis "Unless he's remembered".
The attractive young woman from the west coast of the Southlands slightly nods, then holds back a sigh she feels like letting out.
She doesn't particularly want to deal with the war engineer Tovis, and his growing infatuation with her.
But she knows she has to deal with it sooner rather than later. Nip it in the bud, so to speak.
After all it can only end badly for the young engineer, who is attracted to the young woman from the coastal city-state of Brattonbury.
"I deal with it once we've got matters in the city sorted out" quietly says Lis in elven to the spy Tanith.
The elf from the principality of Alínlae nods his hooded head, then quietly says to the attractive young woman "Let's hope for his sake, and yours, things in the city we've got to deal with, don't take too long".
Lisell Maera nods her head in agreement with that, as they get closer and closer to the city that's the capital of the kingdom of Druvic.
It's not too long before the group enters the city of Leeabra. The capital of the kingdom doesn't really have walls as such.
And the group, along with others who are on the road to the east of the city. Are soon into the capital of the kingdom. Making their way along the streets in the east of the capital. Going through the fifth domain of Leeabra.
The city of Leeabra is made up of domains. Five of them, that are like rings within an orb. The fifth domain, is the furthest one out, which completely circles the rest of the city.
While the first domain, which is called the king's domain, the only one to have a name. Is basically the center of the city, it's actually just off center really. Where the royal palaces are located.
The third domain, which encircles the first and second, is actually the largest of all five domains. And it's towards that domain the group sets off for, with lord Farque leading the way.
"Where we fucken going?" asks Dorc da Orc as he walks in the lead with lord Farque, the ork warleader who is speaking in his native language, continues with "We meeting that fucken tree humper Helbe?".
"Soon" says the lord and ruler of the lands Farque in the same language, as he and Dorkindle, well the large ork more than him, garner more than a few looks from others on the streets here in the east of the city.
The heavily armoured deathlord who can sense someone coming towards them, glances back at the others as they cross a city square.
The undead warlord who is also know as Draugadrottin to the people of his lands. Looks back at the disgruntled looking sir Percavelle Lé Dic.
The lord of the death realm knows that they'll have to deal with the nobleborn knight's situation with his order.
Infact it's probably best that they deal to that first. That's unless who it is that's coming towards them, has any other information to do with the other reason they've traveled to the city of Leeabra for.
"Come here" wryly says lord Farque who reaches out and grabs Dorc da Orc's left arm, and hauls him back next to him after the ork weaponsmith from the southern polar region of the world said in a tone of delight "Oooohhhh cakes" when he spotted a bakery on the corner of the square, and started going towards it.
"Some yummy fucken cakes there for Dorc" grumbles the big, burly ork as he looks at the bakery on the otherside of the square from where they leave it.
The warleader of the ork race lets out a rather dramatic sigh as they head down a lane. Then as he sniffs, the son of the former matriarch of the wolf tribe of orks, suddenly growls. And Draugadrottin has to grab him again, this time keeping a firm hold of him, as he was about to run down an alley to their right. Where at the far end, a pair of dwarves have just walked by.
"Fucken can't eat cakes, and fucken can't kill them midget cunts" mutters the large ork as the lord and ruler of the lands Farque keeps a firm grip upon his left arm, that from experience, Dorc da Orc knows he can't break no matter what he does.
Then after they cross a street, and go down another lane, the ork weaponsmith, who still to this day, is the still the largest member of his tribe, the wolf tribe.
Sourly smiles, and grunts as he smells who is coming towards them after coming up through the ground across the street from the lane they've just walked out of.
"Well?" asks lord Farque in the ground pixie language when Narladene the ground pixie comes to a hover beside his head.
The naturally magical creature, who is only visible to the undead warlord.
Explains to the lord of the death realm what she and Helbe the elven thief have been able to find out about certain things, concerning the reason they've all traveled here to the city of Leeabra, the capital of the kingdom of Druvic.
The heavily armoured deathlord who to an older generation of elves, is also know by the name of Des'tier. Listens in silence to the tiny winged creature as he and the rest of the group, continue on their way through the fifth domain, in the east of the city.
After the ground pixie has explained what she and the young elven noble from the island of Laerel have found out, the lord and ruler of the lands Farque quietly asks her in her native language "And Percy's order, what have you been able to find out there?".
The naturally magical creature who is attached to prince Helbenthril Raendril then tells the lord of the death realm what she and the elven masterthief have been able to find out about the knights of the order of Saint Mar-che, and how some of them want to get rid of sir Percavelle Lé Dic, who they see as embarrassment to their order.
Not to mention a thief and an oath breaker. As he stole the shield of Saint Mar-che. And he went off on an unsanctioned holy quest a number of years ago.
A quest to find the ork named Dorc da Orc and kill him. And though he found the ork a handful of years ago. He definitely hasn't been able to kill him.
Not from a lack of trying too. For even since he's joined the group, the former paladin has occasionally tried to kill the ork warleader without success. Much to the disgust of the knight in the order of Saint Mar-che.
Lord Farque slightly nods his full helmed head after Narladene has explained to him what she and Helbe the elven thief have discovered about sir Percavelle's knightly order, and how amongst them, there's some links to the king's court.
Which the king, and the royal family of course don't know about.
"We'll deal with the knight's first" quietly says Draugadrottin in the ground pixie language as he continues to keep a firm hold of the left arm of the big, burly, seven and half foot tall, seven hundred and fifty pound ork walking beside him.
"Should i go and tell Helbe?" asks Narladene the ground pixie as she flies alongside the heavily armoured deathlord whose lands are faraway to the south here in the Southlands.
Des'tier nods his full helmed head yes, and the naturally magical creature wings away after he quietly tells her "Tell him to meet us near the knight's grounds".
After the tiny winged creature disappears beneath the street just up ahead, Dorc da Orc who grunts after he smells Narladene has gone, quietly asks in his native language "What we gonna fucken do?".
After looking back at sir Percavelle Lé Dic in the group, the lord and ruler of the lands Farque tells the big, burly ork who he named warleader, quite a few years ago now "We're heading to the third domain, just north of the middle of the city".
With a frown upon his broad, green, brutish looking face, Dorkindle asks "What's fucken there?".
"The grounds of the order of the knights of Saint Mar-che" is the reply of the lord of the death realm as they continue walking through the city of Leeabra, the capital of the kingdom of Druvic . . . . . .

The Homecoming 155.

Leaving...

In the early morning sunshine just after dawn, Tamric Drubine yawns as he stands upon the south wall parapet of castle Lé Dic.
Below him, the moat is slowly being emptied. The gates on the river to the north of the castle have been closed.
And the water level in the moat around the massive castle is slowly dropping.
The moat has to be cleared of debris and the dead. If not, the spread of disease could be devastating for castle Lé Dic and the town of Massic.
The nobleborn teenager from the kingdom of Sarcrin looks further south. To the tourney field, where the Harkonin army had set up their camp.
There he can see castle servants, townsfolk and soldiers in the Lé Dic army going through the abandoned camp. Gathering everything that can be used.
A defeat in a battle or war in any kingdom, not just here in Druvic. Isn't just a defeat of lives. But of resources. As economically, the victors get the spoils.
And in this case, those of the Lé Dic fief, are taking everything of worth that the survivors of the Harkonin army left behind.
Tamric Drubine or Tam as he's more commonly referred to by the rest of the group,
who woke early, and had breakfast well before dawn. Turns and looks back down into the main south courtyard of the massive castle that's the ancestral home of the Lé Dic family.
The son of the former knight of castle Drubine in northern Sarcrin, looks at the ship's boat down in the courtyard.
There he sees Shur Kee the monk, followed by the Lé Dic soldier, Darid Parsen putting their packs into the flying boat that lord Farque and Mira Reinholt the mage used to get here to castle Lé Dic.
Tam who has already put his pack into the ship's boat, watches as the short, statured monk and the local soldier quietly chat about something as they stand next to the flying boat.
Then the nobleborn teenager who hails from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin spots the elven spy Dalinvardél Tanith coming from the main keep of the massive castle that's been the home of the Lé Dic family for centuries.
As the elf from the principality of Alínlae makes his way to the flying boat and joins Shur Kee and Darid Parsen after he puts his pack into the bottom of the ship's boat.
Lisell Maera makes her way from the central keep of castle Lé Dic. The attractive young woman from the city-state of Brattonbury who is carrying her pack.
Is closely followed by Tovis the war engineer. The young engineer from the Harkonin fief, is carrying a pack he has borrowed from the Lé Dic army.
Baron Raevar Harkonin's former war engineer hurries to keep up with Lisell Maera. Keeping on her heels as she makes her way to the ship's boat, where the others are waiting.
A little while later, after Tamric Drubine has wandered further along the top of the south wall of castle Lé Dic.
He spots Mira Reinholt the mage walking from the central keep of the massive castle that's been home to the Lé Dic family for generations.
The once powerful mage crosses the courtyard to the ship's boat, which he puts his pack into.
The spellcaster who is also a highly skilled swordmaster, turns and watches the front of the central keep of castle Lé Dic, as the others in the group standing next to the flying boat are doing.
It's some time before lord Farque and Dorc da Orc exit the central keep of the massive castle. With the undead warlord infront, while the large ork follows behind him.
Over the right shoulder of the ork warleader is the prisoner that the deathlord of Farque and the mage Reinholt brought with them early yesterday evening.
By the looks of it from where Tam is on the battlements on the south side of castle Lé Dic, it looks like the wizard in the Druvician aircorp, who is draped over the right shoulder of the big, burly ork seems to be unconscious. While over the left shoulder of the ork weaponsmith is a body wrapped in blankets
Dorkindle who is carrying a pair of ale barrels under each arm, shrugs the unconscious prisoner off his right shoulder when he gets to the ship's boat behind the heavily armoured deathlord.
Then as instructed by the lord of the death realm, he places the blanket wrapped body in the bottom of the boat.
The nobleborn teenager from the kingdom of Sarcrin makes his way down a set of steps to the courtyard. As he does, he sees sir Percavelle Lé Dic makes his way from the central keep in the company of his niece, the lady Linara Lé Dic, and others of her court.
When the son of the former knight of castle Drubine in northern Sarcrin finally gets to the ship's boat, the lady Linara Lé Dic is farewelling the group who have traveled to her family's fief, and who have helped defend her family's castle, and defeat their enemy, the Harkonins.
"And it was a pleasure meeting you m'lady" says Tamric Drubine in response to the lady Linara Lé Dic saying to him "It was a pleasure meeting you m'lord" as she farewells him last, with the exception of her uncle, the former earl of Lé Dic.
As everyone starts to climb aboard the ship's boat, which can easily hold fifteen people. So the group, which includes one large ork, who carries a lot in his sacks, not to mention two decent sized ale barrels. Can easily fit, and travel in the flying boat.
The young girl who rules the Lé Dic fief, looks around then asks "Where's his highness this morning?".
It's Tam who answers with "He left early m'lady" the nobleborn teenager continues with "To get a head start, and to get there before us".
Tamric Drubine glances at the undead warlord who is at the tiller, who nods for him to get aboard. The former heir to the knight of castle Drubine climbs over the starboard rail, and waits for sir Percavelle Lé Dic to farewell his niece and hop onboard.
"Why of course i will Linny" says sir Percavelle Lé Dic in reply to his niece saying "You will return won't you uncle?".
"And it won't be years between visits" says the heavily armoured knight, who said his private farewells to his niece a little earlier in their family's rooms within the central keep of the massive castle that's their ancestral home.
"And now you have those more able, and more willing to guide and advise you" says the knight in the order of Saint Mar-che with a look at his ex-wife the lady Marsaé Duc de Laér, and her sister, the governess of young Linara Lé Dic, the lady Hollis Duc de Laér.
And though his former wife wryly smiles, the lady Marsaé Duc de Laér does nod in agreement with what her former husband just said.
While the lady Hollis Duc de Laér, who genuinely smiles, quietly says "As we've always done".
The former earl of the fief nods, then he kneels down and hugs his niece, and whispers to her "Remember Linny, you're the lady of the fief, you're the one in charge". "I know uncle Percy" whispers back the nobleborn girl who rules the Lé Dic fief.
The heavily armoured knight whispers something else to his niece, which causes her to grin and giggle.
The former paladin stands up and winks to his niece, gives his ex-wife Marsaé a haughty look, that gets an eye roll from her. And he grins at the lady Hollis Lé Dic, who smiles in return.
Sir Percavelle Lé Dic then says to his niece "Fare thee well Linara" he continues with "I leave our family's fief and home in your safe hands" the former earl of Lé Dic then adds "And by Narille and Saint Mar-che i shall return one day".
The landed and ordered knight jumps onboard the ship's boat after he bows to his niece, which illicits a laugh from her.
And as the flying boat with lord Farque at the tiller lifts off from the cobblestones of the courtyard, sir Percavelle or Percy as he's more commonly referred to by the rest of the group. Waves to those who have come to see them off.
Cheers go up from many in the courtyard, and along the battlements of the massive castle as they watch the ship's boat with their former earl onboard, rising up into the air.
With the exception of the heavily armoured knight, who is calling out farewell and shouting his family's name to those cheering them as they lift up into the morning sky. The group onboard the ship's boat are silent.
Watching the massive castle below, that they with the exception of lord Farque and Mira Reinholt the mage, helped defend. And helped defeat the Harkonin army who assault it.
They maybe silent, but a few of them are waving to those down in the courtyard below.
Lisell Maera is smiling as she looks down and sees the lady Linara Lé Dic point up at her, and wave. The attractive young woman from the city-state of Brattonbury waves back to the nobleborn girl.
Shur Kee the monk, waves to many down in the castle, and those on the walls.
While Tamric Drubine waves at them too, especially to a few he spots, who were under his command along the west wall of castle Lé Dic during the battle yesterday.
Lord Farque breaks the silence amongst the rest of them, when he tells Tam and the mage Reinholt to raise the sails.
As they do, the undead warlord turns the flying boat to port, and they go out over the west wall of the massive castle that's the ancestral home of the Lé Dic family, then fly over the town of Massic.
Stepping over the unconscious wizard at the base of the mast, then over the blanket wrapped body next to him, Tamric Drubine makes his way aft after making sure Dorc da Orc stays seated in the bow of the ship's boat.
The nobleborn teenager from the kingdom of Sarcrin joins the heavily armoured deathlord in the stern.
Sir Percavelle Lé Dic is there too, the former paladin is looking back at his family's home as they fly over the town of Massic. Where the townsfolk have started to clean up the fire damaged town.
"You will return one day won't you Percy?" asks Tamric Drubine "Of course lad" replies the former earl of Lé Dic who in the years to come, will keep his promise to his niece Linara Lé Dic, and return to castle Lé Dic, not just once, but a number of times.
The heavily armoured knight who has his helm off, and is carrying it under his right arm, glances down at Massic, and says "The people will rebuild, and my home will be better than ever".
Tamric Drubine doesn't doubt that, the people of the Lé Dic fief here in the east of the kingdom of Druvic area an industrious bunch. They started cleaning up yesterday right after the survivors of the Harkonin army fled. There wasn't much in the way of a celebration for the victory against the enemy. As the clean up after the battle was more important.
Tam sits down upon the aft bench, and quietly says in elven to the lord and ruler of the lands Farque "Where are we going to bury him?" as he looks at the blanket wrapped body of Riley Hait the mercenary ranger.
"We'll find an open space somewhere amongst some trees" says lord Farque in the same language "He'd like that i suppose" adds the heavily armoured deathlord.
The nobleborn teenager nods as he looks at the blanket wrapped body of the ranger Hait lying near the base of the mast.
Then he grins as he looks forward to where Darid Parsen stands, quietly talking with Shur Kee the monk, and Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy.
The former heir of castle Drubine in northern Sarcrin then asks the undead warlord who is also known by the name of Draugadrottin to his people "How long will it take us to get to the capital?".
"At least two days" is the answer from the lord of the death realm, who then adds "Maybe three if the winds stay light".
Des'tier as he's known to an older generation of elven kind, then glances at sir Percavelle Lé Dic who is standing next to them, looking back at the massive castle that's been his family's home for centuries.
Switching to the common language, lord Farque quietly tells the former earl of Lé Dic "You know you married the wrong sister".
Tam winces, as does Lisell Maera who is standing nearby. Some of them have all thought that. They've even spoke about it. But never infront of the knight in the order of Saint Mar-che.
The former paladin goes completely still for a few moments, then he slightly grimaces. Sir Percavelle Lé Dic in a moment of clarity, when for once he isn't always thinking about himself, says "I know" after a brief pause he continues with "It wouldn't of been fair to the lady Hollis if she had of married someone like me".
Both Tam and Lis nod at that rear admission from the usually bombastic nobleborn knight.
"At least you know your failings Percy" quietly says the lord and ruler of the lands Farque, who then dryly adds in the elven language "Well, at least some of them".
The former earl of Lé Dic, sir Percavelle stands silently there in the stern, looking aft back at his family's home, castle Lé Dic. Well into the middle of the morning when the massive castle is finally out of sight as they fly west, heading to the capital of the kingdom of Druvic, the city of Leeabra . . . . . .

The Homecoming 154.

Breaking Free...

"How's he fitting in?" asks lord Farque later in the night as he and Helbe the elven thief make their way through the central keep of castle Lé Dic.
"Pretty good so far" is the reply of Helbe the elven thief as they make their way along a dimly lit hallway, heading towards the northern side of the central keep.
"He's pretty smart for someone who's relatively young" adds the elven magic user, who continues with "He designed those destroyed siege towers of the Harkonin's as well as their larger trebuchets and catapults".
The undead warlord nods his full helmed head when he hears that, then he quietly says "He'll definitely fit in then".
The young elven noble walking beside him, nods his hooded head in agreement with the heavily armoured deathlord.
Then the elven princeling from the island of Laerel who like the lord and ruler of the lands Farque, is speaking in the royal elven language, says "Though there might be one little problem with him".
"Oh?" says the lord of the death realm, who also goes by the name of Draugadrottin to the people of his lands "He's totally enamoured with Lis" says the elven masterthief, who then adds "Infact he's fallen for her, and he's only known her a handful of days".
"That's not going to go well for him" murmurs the undead warlord, the elven master assassin nods in agreement as well. As they both no the reason why Lisell Maera will not contemplate a relationship with Tovis the war engineer, or anyone for the matter. Not for a long time at least.
The young elven noble who is the grandson of the ruling prince of Laerel opens a door, and the two of them step outside into the dark courtyard on the north side of the central keep of the massive castle that's the ancestral home of the Lé Dic family.
After prince Helbenthril Raendril closes the door behind them, and lord Farque looks around in the darkness as he senses, the undead being who is also known by the name of Des'tier to an older generation of elven kind, says "On the roof?".
"It is" replies the highly talented elven magic user who is part of the royal household of the principality of Laerel.
The heavily armoured deathlord turns around, then leaps the forty five feet to the roof of the central keep of castle Lé Dic.
Helbe the elven thief shifts up to the roof, and appears next to the lord and ruler of the lands Farque.
The two of them start walking towards the center of the roof. As they do, Narladene the ground pixie appears and lands upon the right shoulder of the young elven noble she's attached to.
There's a solemn look on the tiny face of the naturally magical creature who is originally from the Sunreach Mountains.
The lord of the death realm and the elven master archer stop basically in the middle of the roof of the central keep.
The deathlord of Farque gestures to one side, and asks "Did you kill him?".
"Narladene did" says Helbenthril Raendril who speaks in the normal elven language so that the ground pixie can understand them.
Draugadrottin slightly nods his full helmed head, then switching to elven too, he tells the princeling from the island of Laerel "Get rid of it".
The elven magic user nods his hooded head, then with a spell he burns away the body of the dark druid Palvarc.
There's a brief red flash in the night where the dark druid lies dead, and his body burns away in a matter of moments.
After the young elven noble blows away the ashes of the dead spellcaster with a slight breeze spell that he casts.
Helbe the elven thief asks the undead warlord "Is it one?". "Yeah" is the answer from Des'tier, which causes both the elven princeling and the tiny winged creature attached to him, to wince.
Then Narladene the ground pixie who has been silent until now, quietly asks the lord and ruler of the lands Farque "Is there anything you can do for it?".
"I can release it" is the reply of the lord of the death realm, who then adds "Which might not exactly be that much of a relief for it" lord Farque pauses for a moment, then says "Feels like it's wings have been crippled or ripped off. It might be better to kill it and put it out of it's misery".
Narladene grimaces when she hears that, while the grandson of Prince Raendril of Laerel winces again.
Then the ground pixie standing on the right shoulder of the elven master assassin she's attached to, quietly says "Well it can still live in the ground" she continues with "We can move about down there without the use of our wings".
The deathlord of Farque glances at Helbe the elven thief, who just lifts an arched eyebrow. The undead warlord then shrugs his broad, heavily armoured shoulders. Then he reaches down and picks up the magical staff that's lying on the roof right infront of them. Draugadrottin then snaps the staff in two.
"Well it's no longer magical" dryly says the elven magic user who can no longer sense the magic of the staff.
Lord Farque biffs the bottom half of the staff away, then looking at the top half he still holds, the undead being puts his right gauntleted hand upon the gnarled looking top of the broken staff.
The heavily armoured deathlord then slightly closes his right hand, gently squeezing the gnarled looking top of what was a magical staff that belonged to baron Raevar Harkonin's advisor, the dark druid Palvarc. There's the sound of a slight crack from within the top of the staff.
Des'tier drops the half of the staff he's holding, turns his enclosed fist over. And opens up his gauntleted hand. In the palm of the lord of the death realm's right hand, sits a wingless ground pixie amongst bits and slivers of wood.
There's a startled look upon the face of the ground pixie sitting upon the gauntleted palm of the deathlord of Farque. As he realises that he's finally free after long centuries trapped in a magical staff.
"Well?" says lord Farque in the ground pixie language to the tiny winged creature he's holding in the palm of his right gauntleted hand.
Blinking as he can't believe he's finally free, the ground pixie says "Thanks". Then he realises that the person holding him, who also spoke to him in his native language, is human.
He looks to the left, and sees an elf in a white hooded cloak standing nearby, who he has sensed recently whilst still trapped in the staff that's been his prison for a number of centuries.
He then spots a ground pixie standing upon the right shoulder of the elven spellcaster, peering down at him.
The ground pixie then looks back up at the large heavily armoured figure who freed him, and now holds him.
Then he grimaces, as he recalls that he has no wings. Something he's often forgot during the pain of his imprisonment.
Guessing what the wingless ground pixie is thinking, the undead warlord says in it's native language "It could be worse, you could be dead". "There is that" says the naturally magical creature who a number of centuries ago was captured by an undead being under the control of a necromancer, and shoved into the staff as it was magical. That was after they tore his wings off.
With a nod of his full helmed head in the direction of Narladene upon the right shoulder of Helbe the elven thief. Lord Farque says to the ground pixie he's just freed "According to one of your own here, you can still live and move beneath the ground without any troubles".
The wingless ground pixie thinks about that for a moment, then says "I guess i can".
The heavily armoured deathlord nods his full helmed head, then he turns around. Helbe the elven thief turns too. And they make their way back to the northern edge of the roof of the central keep.
The lord and ruler of the lands Farque steps off the roof and drops to the ground. While the elven magic user floats to the ground, dropping down a bit more leisurely speed than the lord of the death realm.
In the dark courtyard behind the central keep of the massive castle that's been the home of the Lé Dic family for multiple generations.
Draugadrottin crouches down, and says to the wingless ground pixie in the palm of his right gauntleted hand "Who caught you?".
"A dark cleric" is the reply of the ground pixie, who continues with "Well, one of the undead he was controlling".
"Well" says the heavily armoured deathlord as he sets the wingless ground pixie onto the cobblestones of the courtyard "It's one of the undead who has freed you".
The naturally magical creature who has the pleasure of feeling his natural element for the first time in centuries as he stands upon the ground.
Figured as much, as he knew probably only one of the undead, or a dragon could free him.
And the fact the heavily armoured human, who he senses is not a spellcaster. Stepped off the roof of a forty five foot tall building, and landed with ease, barely bending his knees as he hit the ground feet first, proves it.
"Seems appropriate" says the wingless ground pixie, who after saying "Thank you again" and glancing over at the other ground pixie, who he guesses is attached to the elf, whose shoulder she's standing on.
Sinks into the ground, slowly as he drops through the cobblestones and the ground beneath it, savouring the sensation of passing through ground again, something he hasn't felt in a long time, something he felt he'd never be able to experience again.
Once the wingless ground pixie sinks into the cobblestones of the courtyard, and disappears as he drops further down into the ground.
Lord Farque gestures to the nearby door that he and the elven masterthief came out of a little while ago.
The two of them turn towards it, and as they walk to the door that's in the back, or northern side of the central keep of castle Lé Dic.
Des'tier says in the royal elven language "Think you might have to tamper with Tovis anymore?" as he resumes their conversation from before they went up onto the roof, to free the ground pixie that was held within a magical staff.
"I shouldn't have to" replies Helbe the elven thief in the same language, the young elven noble from the island of Laerel, continues with "That's unless you want me to interfere with the way in which he feels for Lis".
"Might be better on all of us if you did" quietly says the lord and ruler of the lands Farque as the elven magic user opens the door, and the two of them step inside the central keep of the massive castle that's the ancestral home of the Lé Dic family.
"Then again he needs to learn about something like that" says Draugadrottin as the elven master assassin closes the doorway behind them with a thought, and they start making their way down the dimly lit hallway.
The lord of the death realm, who freed the trapped ground pixie at the behest of prince Helbenthril Raendril and Narladene the ground pixie, continues with "Then there's Lis, she needs to learn about herself too".
Des'tier then tells the highly talented elven magic user "Leave him alone, he can develop and gain experienced without any help from you".
Helbe the elven thief nods his hooded head that he won't cast any compulsion spells upon Tovis the war engineer, and that they'll leave him to become a member of the group without anymore magical interference.
"Now about those fucking dark druids, and their influence throughout the kingdom" says lord Farque who has changed the subject again, the undead warlord then adds "And at the king's court too, with the lord high constable" . . . . . .

The Homecoming 153.

Arrival...

"Fuck it" growls Dorc da Orc as he pushes off from the south wall of castle Lé Dic, sending the raft he's on, spinning away across the moat.
The large ork who has been left out on the south moat of castle Lé Dic sourly smiles as he looks back through the fading light of dusk, and sees that drawbridge on this side of the massive castle has gone out across the moat once more.
The ork warleader, if he's able to get there, will be able to climb up onto the drawbridge, and finally enter the castle that's the ancestral home of the Lé Dic family.
The problem he has is getting there, since he doesn't have a paddle or a long pole to propell the raft he's on there.
And putting his hands in the water to paddle there is just not an option.
The ork weaponsmith scowls as he looks around, then he grunts an "Oh" as he spots another raft, well part of one, floating nearby. On it is a paddle he can use.
The big, burly ork just hopes that the raft he's on will drift towards it, so he can grab it.
"Come on ya stupid cunt" mutters Dorkindle as he wills the raft he's on to drift sideways to the broken raft that has a paddle lying on it.
The large ork who hails from the southern polar region of the world starts grinning as he starts heading in the right direction.
And as he nears the damaged raft, he suddenly looks away into the sky to the south as he catches wind of something.
The warleader of the ork race sits there on his raft, looking through the fading light of dusk of what's been a fine, early spring day here in the east of the kingdom of Druvic.
Dorc da Orc's attention is taken by the small airship, a ship's boat really, that he sees heading towards castle Lé Dic.
So much so, that he floats right by the damaged raft that has a paddle he can use on it.
The son of the former matriarch of the wolf tribe of orks finally realises that he's missed the opportunity to grab the paddle he can use.
He loudly growls "Cunt" before sighing in resignation, as he figures he might be stuck on the moat on this side of the massive castle for quite some time.
"Hell, that's one big fucking castle" says Mira Reinholt the mage onboard the ship's boat that's approaching castle Lé Dic from the south.
Even in the fading light of dusk, with his human eyesight, the once powerful mage can see how massive the castle that's the home of the Lé Dic family is.
At the tiller of the flying boat, lord Farque nods his full helmed head in agreement. While at the base of the mast, the bound prisoner, mutters something under his breath that the mage Reinholt doesn't catch.
"You know if you keep moaning and bitching like that, we can always kill you" the Vexilian mage in exile tells the wizard in the Druvician aircorp they've taken prisoner.
The spellcaster who is part of the personal fleet of the lord high constable of Druvic, shuts up and goes back to seething in silence as he sits bound, at the base of the mast.
Mira Reinholt who is standing forward at the starboard rail, glances back and tells the undead warlord in the elven language "Looks like the town next to the castle is pretty badly damaged".
"I know" says lord Farque in the same language, who after a slight pause, adds in a dry tone "Remember I've seen what's here already".
The spellcaster from the city-state of Vexil who is also a highly skilled swordmaster, slightly winces as he realises that the undead warlord would of seen castle Lé Dic when he went into the afterlife this afternoon, to the death realm. To retrieve Zubutai Timaginson, and return the barbarian hordesman to someone else who died in battle here at the massive castle that's been home to the Lé Dic family for centuries.
Someone by the name of Darid Parsen, a soldier in the Lé Dic army.
As the light continues to fade, and dusk becomes twilight, the mage Reinholt has to cast a spell to see more clearly, as only one moon is in the early evening sky, and that's low in the sky to the east at the moment.
And as the heavily armoured deathlord brings the ship's boat down in altitude as they get closer to castle Lé Dic. The swordmaster Reinholt catches sight of something in the moat along the south side of the massive castle.
"Ah" says the mage who is in exile from his homeland, the city-state of Vexil, who then adds "Looks like Dorc is floating around on the moat down there".
The spellcaster who was once more powerful than any other mage of his generation, to be found anywhere in the Southlands, can't help but grin at the predicament of the ork warleader. Who is stuck on a raft, floating aimlessly on the moat along the south wall of castle Lé Dic.
Lord Farque steps to the side, and looks ahead, and slightly smiles behind the faceplate of his full helm as he spots the big, burly ork on a raft, on the moat that runs along the south side of the massive castle that's the ancestral home of the Lé Dic family.
They see the large ork, who has been sitting in the middle of the raft he's on, stand up, and wave at them up in the ship's boat that's approaching castle Lé Dic from the south through the early evening sky.
"What's he yelling?" asks Mira Reinholt with a glance back at the lord and ruler of the lands Farque "Get me the fuck off this fucking cunt raft" replies Draugadrottin as he's also known by, to the people of his lands "Or words to that effect" dryly adds the undead warlord.
"Should i?" asks the spellcaster who is also a highly skilled swordmaster, who after a momentary pause, continues with "Or i could just dump him into the water" the mage Reinholt then adds "After all, that is kind of taking him off that raft".
The lord of the death realm is silent, as if he's contemplating the exiled Vexilian mage's idea. It's exactly what he's doing.
But the deathlord of Farque eventually says "Bring him up to us" Des'tier as he known by to an older generation of elven kind who might know who he is, then adds "Though you don't have to be in a hurry to do so".
The once powerful mage from the city-state of Vexil grins as he watches Dorc da Orc down in the moat on the south side of castle Lé Dic, as the ship's boat gets closer and closer to the massive castle.
And as they fly over the moat at the height of about eighty feet, the large ork is basically jumping up and down, waving his arms, yelling out at them.
There's more than a few swear words involved as the ork warleader frantically calls out to them as he thinks they're going to fly right over him.
Which is infact what they do, and as the big, burly ork starts calling them all sorts of names. Most of which contain the words "Fuck" and "Cunts".
The ship's boat that's from a Druvician aircorp frigate passes over the south wall battlements of the massive castle that's been the home to the Lé Dic family for generations.
As it does, Dorc da Orc who is the middle of calling out to the undead warlord and the once powerful mage "You fucken cuntheads come back!".
He disappears from the raft he's been stuck on since just before the battle turned against the Harkonin army this afternoon.
The ork warleader grunts as he suddenly finds himself standing in a midships of the flying boat.
"Hey cunt" says Dorkindle to the mage Reinholt who has just teleported him onboard.
"And hello to you too Dorc" says Mira Reinholt to the big, burly ork who he hasn't seen in a number of weeks.
The ork weaponsmith looks aft and says "Hey" he briefly pauses as he remembers not to call the heavily armoured figure at the tiller a cunt, and instead says "Farque".
The lord of the death realm nods his full helmed head in reply to the large ork.
"Who this cunt?" asks the warleader of the ork race as he looks down at the bound prisoner, sitting at the base of the mast "He smell fucken magicky" adds the son of the former matriarch of the wolf tribe of orks.
"Your next meal if he doesn't keep behaving himself" says lord Farque in the common language for the benefit of the wizard who is in the Druvician aircorp, specifically the personal fleet of the lord high constable of the kingdom.
Dorc da Orc chuckles, and starts to drool as he looks down at the spellcaster who has been taken captive by the undead warlord and the Vexilian mage in exile.
Then as Draugadrottin has Mira Reinholt drop the sails, and he brings the ship's boat down into the main courtyard here on the south side of castle Lé Dic.
The spellcaster who is also a highly skilled swordmaster, who has spotted something, asks the large ork "Who's that?".
The big, burly ork from the bottom of the world grunts as he looks to where the once powerful mage is pointing.
"That baron Harky-cunt" says Dorkindle, who shakes his head then adds "Me miss all the good shit" followed by "Me fucken heard it, but me was stuck on that nasty water and didn't sees it".
On one of the towers of the central keep, looking down upon the main south courtyard of castle Lé Dic.
Is baron Raevar Harkonin hanging from a length of rope around his neck, tied to a buttress further above him about three quarters of the way up the tower.
The nobleman, who until just before dusk, was the baron of the fief across the border to the east. Hangs there dead, for all to see who are passing through the large courtyard that the ship's boat is dropping down into.
Even in the early evening, with lamps and torches lit here and there around the courtyard, the dead baron's body can clearly be seen.
The undead warlord brings the flying boat down onto the ground with the slightest of bumps, as they've gathered a crowd of onlookers.
"Bring him" orders Draugadrottin in the ork language, gesturing at the bound wizard sitting at the base of the mast.
And as the big, burly ork from the southern polar region of the world goes to grab the officer in the kingdom's aircorp, who screams in fright as the ork weaponsmith reaches down for him.
The lord and ruler of the lands Farque says in the elven language "Knock the fucker out".
Mira Reinholt casts a sleep spell upon the wizard who serves in the personal fleet of the lord high constable of the kingdom of Druvic.
The wizard falls asleep in the middle of his scream, and Dorc da Orc grunts as he picks him up, and slings him over his right shoulder.
The warleader of the ork race follows the heavily armoured deathlord, and the once powerful mage over the starboard rail.
And the three of them make their way to the main doors of the central keep where a number of people are waiting for them.
The gathered crowd in the courtyard parts for them as they make their way to the large doors, where they see sir Percavelle Lé Dic quietly saying something to his niece.
"M'lord" says lady Linara Lé Dic to the large figure in the full suit of dark blue and black heavy plate armour who stops before her and her uncle, the former earl of Lé Dic.
"M'lady" answers lord Farque, who then after glancing at the knight in the order of Saint Mar-che, says to the uncle and niece "There are some things we need to discuss in private".
The young girl who rules the Lé Dic fief leads them into central keep of her family's home.
As they enter the keep, and go through an antechamber, and enter the main hall, and make their way to a side door.
Mira Reinholt the mage, who walks beside Dorc da Orc as they follow lord Farque, sir Percavelle Lé Dic and lady Linara Lé Dic.
Looks around trying to spot the rest of the group. He soon sees them all, when they go down a hallway off the main hall, and enter another hall, that's a private chamber for the Lé Dic family.
And as the others call out to the mage Reinholt when they spot him. The ork weaponsmith next to him, nudges him with an elbow, which almost knocks the highly skilled swordmaster over "Who the fuck is that cunt next to that little monkey Shur Kee?" asks Dorkindle, who after a brief pause as he sniffs, adds in a mutter "Smell like fucken Zubu".
So that's him then, Mira Reinholt thinks to himself as he spots the soldier in the Lé Dic army by the name of Darid Parsen standing at a side table, next to Shur Kee the monk.
The exiled Vexilian mage slightly smiles as some of the others rush over to greet him. He sees behind Tamric Drubine and Lisell Maera is a young man, who from the description that Narladene the ground pixie gave him, must be the young war engineer Tovis.
As he greets some of the others, the mage Reinholt nods for Dorc da Orc to follow after lord Farque.
The large ork with the sleeping wizard over his right shoulder, heads after the heavily armoured deathlord, who is sitting down at one end of the long table in the middle of the chamber. Sitting down with the lady Linara Lé Dic, sir Percavelle Lé Dic,
Along with Helbe the elven thief, as well as the ladies Marsaé and Hollis Duc de Laér who are already seated there.
The warleader of the ork race who doesn't even spare a glance for Darid Parsen, who slowly follows after Shur Kee the monk who is greeting Mira Reinholt.
Comes to a stops next to the chair the lord and ruler of the lands Farque has sat down on.
"What you want done with this cunt?" asks Dorkindle with a nod of his head at the sleeping wizard he has over his right shoulder. The son of the former matriarch of the wolf tribe of orks grunts as he sees the slight hand signal the undead warlord gives him.
The big, burly ork sighs as he has to stand there and be silent as the lord of the death realm talks to the lady Linara Lé Dic, and her uncle, sir Percavelle Lé Dic about matters that go way over Dorc's head, matters that frankly he couldn't care less about.
Gesturing at the sleeping wizard that Dorc da Orc has over his right shoulder, lord Farque quietly says to those gathered at this end of the long table in the private chamber of the Lé Dic family "He's part of a problem, that you have not just here in the east" Draugadrottin then adds "But a growing problem for the entire kingdom" . . . . . .

The Homecoming 152.

The Castle...

Tamric Drubine makes his way across one of the courtyards on the western side of castle Lé Dic, heading for the central keep of the massive castle as the late afternoon sun of the clear spring day, continues to shine down upon this part of the kingdom of Druvic.
The nobleborn teenager from the kingdom of Sarcrin, who has sent most of those he was in command of along the west side of the massive castle, to help with the clean up now that the battle has ended, and the remaining enemy have fled.
Has a fair idea the reason why the battle turned so quickly is that baron Harkonin's advisor, the dark druid Palvarc was killed on the roof of the central keep, when confronted by Helbe the elven thief.
After that, the elven princeling from the island of Laerel was free to do what he wanted. Casting multiple spells upon the enemy which quickly led to their defeat.
The son of the former knight of castle Drubine in northern Sarcrin passes through an open gate, and goes through a walled garden to get to the central keep of the massive castle that's been the home of the Lé Dic family for centuries.
Tamric Drubine or Tam as he's more commonly referred to by the rest of the group. Enters the central keep of castle Lé Dic, and after making his way along a long hallway, he enters the main chamber of the central keep.
And though there's a number of people in here, including sir Percavelle Lé Dic's ex wife, the lady Marsaé Duc de Laér. The nobleborn teenager doesn't spot who he's looking for, until he catches sight of Lisell Maera in an open doorway across the chamber.
Tam crosses the main chamber, which is essentially a throne room, come dining hall here in the central keep of the massive castle.
"Well?" quietly asks Tamric Drubine in the elven language when he gets to the attractive young woman from the city-state of Brattonbury. "This way" says Lisell Maera in the same language.
Who after a last look into the main chamber, where a number of people are at the tables eating an early dinner, before they go back out and help with the clean up along the battlements, as well as outside of the castle.
Turns and leads the nobleborn teenager down the hallway behind her.
"Busy over on your side of the castle?" quietly asks Tam "Not really" says the attractive young woman who hails from the city-state of Brattonbury, which is on the west coast of the Southlands.
"A small number of them topped the north wall, we were able to repel them pretty easily" says Lisell Maera who is more commonly called Lis by the others in the group.
"What about your side?" asks the attractive young woman who is the daughter of a street prostitute for a mother, and a father who was a sailor, a man she never met.
"Nothing much over there too" says the son of the former knight of castle Drubine "Well apart from them burning down half of Massic" dryly adds that nobleborn teen as Lis leads them to one of the doors on the right.
The attractive young woman from the west coast of the Southlands nods to that, then she knocks on the door.
A moment later, and the door opens to reveal one of the private dinning rooms here in the central keep of massive castle that's the ancestral home of the Lé Dic family.
Tam looks around inside to see who's here, then after slightly frowning the nobleborn teenager asks Lis "Where's Dorc?".
"Outside" is the reply of Lisell Maera who grins then adds "He's still on the south side moat" she continues with "Helbe thought it would be best if he stayed out there whilst the dead are cleared away".
Tamric Drubine chuckles then says "He won't be liking that" as he, like everyone else in the group knows. The large ork absolutely despises water.
The young noble from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin looks at the others in the private dining room, well it's a small hall really, that's used by the Lé Dic family on occasion.
And as he looks by sir Percavelle Lé Dic, who in a loud voice is explaining to his niece, the lady Linara Lé Dic, and to her governess, the lady Hollis Duc de Laér. What he got up to during the battle. Much to the delight of his young niece.
Tam quietly says to Lis "Where's Riley?".
The attractive young woman from the west coast of the Southlands grimaces, then quietly says "He's dead".
The nobleborn teenager stares at Lisell Maera for a few moments, then in a tone of shock, and disbelief, he mutters "Fucking hell".
Tamric Drubine shakes his head, then sighs for he had known Riley Hait the mercenary ranger longer than anyone else in the group, as he was hired by his father, a former knight of castle Drubine, just before the winter that Mira Reinholt the mage, Dorc da Orc and the now dead sorceress Kail Ariss turned up at his family's castle in northern Sarcrin.
And even though he now knows the truth about the ranger Hait, and previously before him, the sorceress Ariss, as well as others he never met.
He's still going to miss the mercenary ranger who he has known since he was seven years old.
Tam stands there in shock and disbelief for a few moments, then nods his head when Lis quietly tells him "It's not as though he was the real Riley you met all those years ago".
"That's true i guess" quietly says the nobleborn teenager from the kingdom of Sarcrin.
Then Tamric Drubine spots Shur Kee the monk sitting at a side table in the shadows as there's no lamps or candles near that table.
The short, statured monk looks like he's talking to someone else who is at the table with him.
"Who's that with Shur Kee?" quietly asks the son of the former knight of castle Drubine.
Lisell Maera frowns as she looks to the side table where the acolyte in the order of Bru Li is sitting with someone.
"I don't know" quietly says the attractive young woman from the largest city-state on the coast of the Southlands, the city-state of Brattonbury.
"He wasn't here when Helbe told me to go and wait for you" adds the Lis.
After a moment, the two of them quickly look at one another in surprise, then they hurry over to the side table where the physical adept sits with someone else.
He looks up, and sees the two young people hurry over to the table in the shadows he's sitting at. After hurrying over, they stop next to the table, where they look at him first, then at the monk, in the odd, conical shaped hat he's sitting with.
Shur Kee the monk clears his throat, then he quietly says to Tamric Drubine and Lisell Maera "This is friend Darid" he briefly pauses then adds "Darid Parsen".
The acolyte in the philosophical order of Bru Li looks at the young soldier in the Lé Dic army, and says to him "Darid this is" Shur Kee then falls silent to see if Darid will say something.
A name comes to his mind as he looks at the young man, a teenager really, who is looking at him, he says that name.
"Tam" says Darid Parsen, who then looks at the attractive young woman standing next to the teenager named Tam, and another name comes to him.
"And Lis" adds the soldier who was born and raised in the town of Massic which is right beside the massive castle that's the ancestral home of the Lé Dic family.
Tamric Drubine and Lisell Maera share a look, then the two of them look at Shur Kee the monk, then Tam asks the physical adept "Is it?".
"Yes it is him" says the short, statured monk, who grins then adds "Friend Zubutai".
Darid aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman, whose memories aren't yet complete, either his own or that of Darid Parsen, slightly grins then says to Tam and Lis "Yeah it's me".
As Tamric Drubine and Lisell Maera get reacquainted with Zubutai Timaginson, and newly acquainted with Darid Parsen, a squad leader in the Lé Dic army, who died earlier this afternoon during the battle for castle Lé Dic.
In a stable on the western side of the massive castle, Helbe the elven thief who is blurred and shielded, has just brought down baron Raevar Harkonin from the hayloft.
"Come on you" quietly says Helbe the elven thief who having stripped the baron of his armour, so that he's only in his under clothes and a tunic. Slings the unconscious baron over his right shoulder as he blurs him,
The young elven noble steps out of the stables, and looks over to the central keep of castle Lé Dic. The elven magic user then shifts himself and baron Harkonin over to the central keep, and without anyone knowing, he makes his way inside with the head of the Harkonin family,
Taking him into the heart of the abode of his enemy, the Lé Dic family.
In the large chamber in the central keep of the massive castle, the blurred and shielded elven spellcaster looks around and with a slight compulsion spell has the lady Marsaé Duc de Laér leave, and make her way to the smaller, private dinning hall that the rest of the group minus Dorc da Orc are in.
The elven master assassin with the unconscious baron Harkonin slung over his right shoulder, follows after the former wife of sir Percavelle Lé Dic.
The grandson of the ruling prince of Laerel follows the noblewoman down the hallway, then into one of the rooms on the right.
And as the lady Marsaé Duc de Laér sits next to her sister, the lady Hollis, and pointedly ignores her former husband, who has fallen silent at the appearance of his ex wife.
The young elven noble from the island principality of Laerel drops his blur spell, then drops the unconscious baron on the floor next to the chair that the lady Linara Lé Dic is sitting in.
"A gift m'lady" says Helbe the elven thief to the lady of the fief, who like the others at the main table in the room, is slightly startled at the sudden appearance of the elven magic user, who has just dumped the baron Harkonin on the floor.
After a moment, the lady Linara Lé Dic says "Thank you your highness". The elven princeling nods his hooded head, then with a thought he wakes up the unconscious nobleman from the fief across the border to the east.
As baron Raevar Harkonin wakes up, the elven masterthief says to the young girl who rules the Lé Dic fief "Whatever you decide to do, I'd advise you do it quick, and out in one of the courtyards so that your people know what's happening".
The lady Linara Lé Dic looks at her governess, the lady Hollis Duc de Laér, who nods, and when she looks at the lady Marsaé Duc de Laér, she nods too.
The young girl then looks at her uncle the famous knight "His highness doth speak the truth Linny" says sir Percavelle Lé Dic, who continues with "The people have to see the reason why they fought this battle for our home".
Then the three older nobles get up out of the chairs, and stand behind the chair the lady Linara Lé Dic is sitting in, as a groggy sounding baron Harkonin groans as he wakes up.
Prince Helbenthril Raendril with a boot nudges the waking nobleman from the fief across the border to the east, whose army has been defeated today.
Baron Raevar Harkonin blinks as he sits up, and with a look of disbelief on his face as he looks around, he gasps then says "What?".
After glancing back at her governess the lady Hollis Duc de Laér, and her uncle sir Percavelle. The lady Linara Lé Dic says to nobleborn prisoner sitting on the floor infront of her chair, wearing nothing but his small clothes and a tunic "Baron Raevar Harkonin".
She briefly pauses as she notices the others in the room, her uncle's mercenary friends, as well as the squad leader Darid Parsen have all stood to watch what's going on.
"For the attack upon my army, and invasion of my family's fief, and the attack upon our home here" adds the young girl who rules the Lé Dic fief, who then continues on with "You are to be publicly executed by way of hanging".
The stunned looking baron Harkonin, with his mouth agape, shakes his head in disbelief, and after a few moments of silence, he says "You can't do this, my army will".
"I can do this" says Linara Lé Dic as she interrupts the nobleman from the fief across the border to the east "And your army has been defeated, and those that survived have fled" adds the nobleborn girl who rules the Lé Dic fief.
The baron looks around at those watching him, still not believing the situation that he's in. Then as he's about to say something, the lady Linara Lé Dic looks back, and says "Uncle, shall we proceed?".
"Of course" says sir Percavelle Lé Dic who steps forward, and along with Helbe the elven thief, they grab the baron Harkonin and haul him to his feet.
"Let us be off then" says the lady Linara Lé Dic, who along with the others in the room, follow after the heavily armoured knight and the elven princeling, who march baron Raevar Harkonin out into the hallway, on their way outside to the main south courtyard of castle Lé Dic, where the head of the Harkonin family will be executed . . . . . .