The Homecoming 10.

A Castle...

In the main work yard, Tovis watches the workers put the second wheel into place on the base of the newest trebuchet that he's designed. Once it's fitted, he and the foreman, Bassark step forward to inspect the work.
They take their time doing so, and though the foreman is more than twice the age of the young engineer, he defers to the baron's war engineer.
The two of them quietly talk about minor adjustments that need to be made, but overall they're happy with the job that's been done this morning by their work crew.
After the foreman sets the workers new tasks, he and the young engineer stand to one side and watch what's going on in the yard, on what's a cold, but clear winter's morning.
"Better than i expected" quietly says Bassark, a lean man, with a weathered face, and sparse hair upon his head "That new axle, and the fitting teeth you've designed has made all the difference" adds the foreman.
"Won't make much of a difference if we don't get it completed in time" says Tovis the engineer "There is that" dryly says the foreman of the work yard where the war machines, and other contraptions are made for baron Harkonin.
The young engineer smiles, then says to the foreman "Don't worry, I'm sure we'll complete it in time" he continues with "It's winter, and we're ahead of schedule more so than during the end of summer, and in the autumn".
Bassark nods his head in agreement, as he knows this is all down to the new designs of the young engineer standing next to him. Some people think it's to do with the rites done by the dark druid Palvarc. Bassark, who is a believer in the old ways, thinks that's absolute nonsense.
He's seen how gifted young Tovis is, not to mention how hard working the war engineer is. Who inspires those who work for him, to do their best, and work hard for him.
The foreman is just about to mention something about this, when the young engineer quietly says "What's this then?". Bassark looks to where Tovis has turned to, and along the road coming up to the castle, they see a few riders approaching quickly.
It's sir Dontas, and a couple of his men. The knight who is popular with the common folk, enters the work yard, slows down when Tovis calls out to him with "My lord what is it?".
"An airship young engineer" says sir Dontas, who is only a couple of years older than the war engineer. The nobleborn knight, gestures to the castle and says "Approaching from the west" and he continues with "We're going to see what's it all about".
As the knight and his men continue on their way, Tovis and Bassark share a look, then the young war engineer says "Come on, let's see what's going on" the foreman nods in agreement.
Airships come to castle Harkonin all the time, though very rarely during the winter. And this ship is obviously from the capital Leeabra, as all airships coming from the west to the Harkonin fief are from the capital.
As they're the only ones from that way to be uninterrupted by the forces in the neighbouring fief to the west which they have to fly over.
The war engineer and his foreman, leave the work yard that's just outside the east wall of the castle, and they enter the home of the Harkonin family through the open east gates.
They hurry to the nearest tower where they see others making their way along the top of the wall to. Tovis and Bassark quickly climb the inner stairwell of the tower, and near the top, they stop at an archers slit that faces westwards. In the distance they spot an airship in the morning sky to the west.
As it approaches castle Harkonin, Bassark says "Looks like it'll probably put down in the fields just outside of town" the foreman then adds "You see what pennant it flies?".
"I'm not sure" replies Tovis as he squints to see whose airship it is. The answer is soon apparent to them, when someone up on top of the tower shouts down "It's a royal vessel!".
The young engineer and the foreman share a look, then Bassark murmurs "Hell" the two of them stare at the airship in the distance for another moment, then they hurry back down the stairwell to the bottom of the tower.
They exit the tower, and quickly make their way through the castle. Though castle Harkonin is no where near as large as castle Lé Dic is apparently supposed to be. It's still large enough, if you're not familiar with it, it's easy to get lost within the walls of the ancestral home of the Harkonin family.
Thankfully both Tovis and Bassark grew up in the town of Maliss, within the shadows of the large castle. And they've been in and out of it for most of their lives.
And though Bassark as the foreman of the work yard isn't allowed to go everywhere in the castle. Tovis as the war engineer to the baron himself, can go where he pleases with the exception of the private quarters of the Harkonin family, the strong rooms where the treasury is kept, and the dungeons below the castle.
A privileged freedom for a commoner who isn't a soldier in the army of the baron.
They take the quickest possible route to the west side of the large castle, going through the marshalling yard behind, or more precisely, on the north side of the central keep.
It's not long before they're at the west wall of castle Harkonin, and through the open gates. They like others from within the castle quickly make their way through the town of Maliss, which is situated predominantly to the west and south of the castle that's the ancestral home of the nobleborn family that rules the fief that's named after them.
The two from the work yard join up with a handful of soldiers they know, who are also going to check on the airship, that they can see now, flies the royal pennant as it nears the west side of the town of Maliss.
And as they pass the carpenters that, whose apprentice is married to the younger sister of Tovis. They spot the twin masted airship dropping down towards a field just to the east of town.
The two from the work yard follow the soldiers out of town, and along with others head towards where a number of people have gathered as the airship settles down towards the ground.
Amongst that group, Tovis spots the baron himself, along with a few of his councillors. Though the dark druid Palvarc isn't with them. Also with them are senior members of the baron's army, including sir Dontas.
Tovis is technically a member of the senior leadership of the army. But he doesn't like to intrude, since he's the only commoner amongst them.
And when Bassark quietly mentions that he should join the other military leaders, and that he should bring him along, since as the foreman of the work yard, he's his second.
Tovis at first declines, until the soldiers they're with, urge him to go ahead, and find out what's going on. And to come back and tell them once he does.
So reluctantly the young engineer moves forward, followed closely by Bassark who is eager to see why the royal airship from the capital has shown up, when in winter they hardly get any airships visiting the Harkonin fief.
After leaving the crowd that's gathering on the edge of the field, Tovis along with Bassark make their way forward. A few of baron Harkonin's personal guards glance their way, but no one stops them as they join the back of the group that's near the middle of the field where the airship has put down.
The baron and a few others move forward as a number of people disembark, after a while sir Dontas goes forward and joins them.
As they do, one of the noblemen who has remained behind with the rest of the group, quietly says "Hmmm i think i know that palace official" he nods to an individual in a dark blue, robe like cloak that's come off the twin masted vessel that's being tied down, and adds "Think he works in his majesty's mews"
The pair from the work yard glance at one another, and wonder why one of the king's creature keepers has come out to the eastern most fief in the kingdom.
Those in the group to one side remain silent as the lord of the fief and those with him, chat with those from the capital. They occasionally hear a chuckle or laugh from those close to the airship. But they don't exactly hear what's being said.
Tovis looks around, and at the edge of the field, amongst the crowd he spots a few goblins from in town, and a pair of dwarves. He figures they're all listening to the conversation of those near the ship, even though they're further away.
The young war engineer along with Bassark, and the rest in the group, watch as the A frame hoist, is swung around onboard, so that it's arm must be over one of the cargo holds that has been opened.
Tovis who has seen a shipboard crane and lift a number of times before. Would like to get a closer look at the one on the royal vessel infront of him. It looks like a superior design in comparison to the one's he has seen previously.
As he's watching, sir Dontas walks back to the waiting group, the local nobleman, who is also an ordered knight, belonging to the order of Althilgah. Is grinning as he makes his way back to the group.
"What is it Dontas?" asks the lord of the long reaches, a stretch of land in the east of the fief, right on the border of the kingdom.
"You're not going to believe this" says sir Dontas who takes the reins of his horse from one of his men, holding on tightly to the reins, and after telling the others with mounts to do the same, the ordered knight adds "Someone at court has decided to give the baron a gift".
"What's that?" murmurs Bassark the foreman to Tovis as they see something that's on a sling, is being lifted out of the forward cargo hold of the airship that's part of the royal fleet.
It's the nobleman, Sarvaine the lord of the long reaches, who immediately recognises what it is. "Fuck me, that's a cockatrice!" exclaims lord Sarvaine who covers his eyes and looks down at the ground.
Tovis grimaces, and though he's heard about them, he's never seen a cockatrice, he knows what they're capable of, or he thinks he does.
As the young engineer looks down at the ground and covers his eyes, and beside him, Bassark does the same thing.
The knight sir Dontas chuckles, then says "It's fine, you don't have to cover your eyes" the knight in the order of Althilgah continues with "They've got their blinders on".
"They?" asks the lord of the long reaches "There's more than one onboard" replies the nobleborn knight.
Someone loudly mutters "Bloody hell" and Tovis, along with Bassark, can't help but agree with him.
The young war engineer, looks up and watches as the cockatrice, which resembles a long, legged chicken in his opinion. Though it's over eight foot tall, and has an elongated neck.
He sees the leather flaps over it's head, covering it's eyes as it's completely docile in the sling that swings it out, and over the starboard rail of the twin masted airship.
Someone in the group voices what Tovis is thinking, and says "Do they really turn you to stone if you make eye contact with them?".
"No, that's a basilisk" says sir Dontas, who continues with "A cockatrice has the power of paralysis" the ordered knight adds "They'll freeze you to the spot, so that you'll become a stationary target" he says "If that happens you better hope someone comes along and slaps you silly or pours a bucket of ice water over you to shock you out of the paralysis. If not, you're dead for sure, for those claws can go through plate, and turn lesser armour to shreds".
"Damn" murmurs Bassark next to Tovis as they watch the cockatrice being lowered to the ground. Tovis can only nod in agreement as they watch the naturally magical creature touch the ground, and one of it's keepers who has traveled with it, walk over and check on it.
"Practiced against them during my trails" explains sir Dontas, the trials as in his knightly trials, which he took when he was an apprentice knight in the order of Althilgah.
"How do you defeat one in battle?" asks Tovis, who is slightly surprised that he spoke up, so are others, as they glance at him, before they look to sir Dontas for an answer.
"Hit them before they've got their blinders off, they're pretty docile with them on as you can see" says the nobleborn knight, who continues with "If not, get extremely lucky and hope your archers and crossbowmen hit it with a lot of arrows and bolts" he then adds "And even then you'll have to do something fairly stupid to kill it, like charge it on horseback, hitting it with a lance, all the while not actually looking at it".
Sir Dontas looks over at young Tovis, and says "Or you could stand a few hundred yards off, and hit it with something from one of your war machines young engineer, personally that's what i would do".
Tovis the war engineer to baron Harkonin nods in agreement as they watch the second cockatrice being offloaded from the airship, while the first one starts wandering around behind it's keeper who now has it on a lead . . . . . .