The Homecoming 103.

A Flight East...

Mira Reinholt the mage steps over the hole in the decking, and takes the tiller again. He looks ahead, and watches as lord Farque gives the makeshift rigging a yank.
The once powerful mage slightly winces as he hopes the sail stays up. It does, much to the relief of the Vexilian mage in exile.
Considering the last time, it came down when they changed course earlier in the morning.
Now they're heading more northeast, than directly east. Not sailing all that quickly as there's very little wind this sunny spring day in eastern Druvic.
They might not be sailing all that quickly. The mage Reinholt is perfectly fine with that, because it surely beats walking.
The spellcaster who is also a highly skilled swordmaster, turns the tiller slightly to starboard as the undead warlord directs him.
Then the heavily armoured deathlord makes his way aft, and retakes the tiller from the once powerful mage, who takes a seat on the sail box.
"Think that frigate would of got there by now?" asks Mira Reinholt the mage as they fly eastwards in the ship's boat they took from some of the survivors of one of the two Druvician aircorp battlecruisers they destroyed.
"Probably" says lord Farque with a shrug of his broad, heavily armoured shoulders, then the undead warlord adds "Even with the lack of wind this morning, it's probably there, or at least in the vicinity. Considering it left the capital at least a half a day before us and those battlecruisers".
The spellcaster, who is a graduate of the most famous magical institution in all the Southlands, the mage college of Vexil. Nods his hooded head in agreement with the lord and ruler of the lands Farque, then quietly says "If what he knows is true, then castle Lé Dic is in trouble" Mira Reinholt continues with "No way will it withstand a sustained attack from even a small warship like a frigate" then he quietly adds "Better hope the royal thief is there to bring it down".
The heavily armoured deathlord nods his full helmed head in agreement, then says "Let's hope so". Then he, along with the exiled Vexilian mage look at their passenger. Who is tied up in the bottom of the boat, tied to the mast, looking dejected as he watches the two of them.
"Don't do that" sourly says lord Farque who has switched to the common language, as he and the swordmaster Reinholt were conversing in the elven language.
Draugadrottin as he's also known by, to the people of his lands, glances at the once powerful mage, who slaps the mind of the wizard they've taken captive.
The spellcaster in the aircorp of the kingdom of Druvic, thumps the back of his head against the mast he's tied to, and groans in pain. He drops the spell he was about to cast. And tears come to his eyes again, when the lord of the death realm tells him "If you try to cast again, the mage here will once again drain your power".
The wizard, who has only been in his position on the battlecruiser that lord Farque destroyed for just a few months. Gulps in fear, and silently cries as he sits there feeling totally dejected.
"Should of stayed in the regular fleet, instead of signing up to the lord high constable's private one" dryly says the lord and ruler of the lands Farque, the bound wizard slowly nods his head. And once again wonders why he's not dead. Since everybody else who was onboard the two battlecruisers that left Leeabra, bound for the fief of the Lé Dic family on the orders of the lord high constable, to assist the baron Harkonin in his war against the Lé Dic family. Or more precisely, assist the baron's advisor, the dark druid Palvarc. Are all dead, and only he's still alive from the two crews.
Switching back to the language of the elves, the deathlord of Farque says to the mage Reinholt "Wonder how much of all of this shit, the members of the royal family know?"
"Who knows?" says the once powerful mage in the same language, who nods at their captive passenger, and adds "He certainly doesn't".
The highly skilled swordmaster, continues on with "My guess the lord high constable is acting on his own" he briefly pauses, then adds "Well apart from those knights who want Percy dead for him stealing that shield of their's".
The spellcaster, who was once more powerful than any other mage of his generation, to be found anywhere in the Southlands, then says "The king's constable is definitely in with these druids in the east of the kingdom" he continues with "No way would the king, or anyone else in the royal family follow the old ways of worship. The churches and temples would be in an uproar if they were. And the palace won't want to upset them only a handful of years after the civil war came to an end".
The Vexilian mage in exile then says "Not to mention all the knightly orders who have their headquarters in Leeabra" Mira Reinholt then adds "They aren't too keen on the druidic way, especially the dark type".
Des'tier, as he's known in elven, nods his full helmed head, then says "The king's family might not be involved, but i bet somebody else at court is in cahoots with the lord high constable" then he dryly adds "As well as the knight general of Percy's order".
The once powerful mage rolls his eyes, then says in a dry tone "Only that idiot Percavelle could make an enemy out of his own order" the swordmaster Reinholt then continues with "I'm surprised they haven't tried to hunt him down sooner".
"Probably couldn't be bothered" says the lord and ruler of the lands Farque, who then dryly adds "I know i fucking wouldn't bother" the undead warlord follows that with "They're only doing so now because they know he's returned to Druvic" the heavily armoured deathlord continues with "If he wasn't here in the kingdom, they'd soon forget about him, and that precious fucking shield of their's he's stolen".
Then the lord of the death realm, rolls his eyes, and sourly says in common "Don't" and picks up a coil of rope and throws it at their passenger.
The bound wizard flinches when the rope hits him, and drops the spell he was starting to cast.
Lord Farque gestures at the Druvician spellcaster tied to the mast, and says to the once powerful mage "Go ahead".
Mira Reinholt gets up off the sail box, and makes his way forward to the mast, where the young wizard in the Druvician aircorp is tied up.
The Vexilian mage in exile puts a gloved hand on the other spellcaster, and drains him of some power.
As the wizard from the capital city of Leeabra sobs, the mage Reinholt stores the power he's just taken from the wizard, in one of the spell gems he's got in his possession.
The spellcaster who is also a highly skilled swordmaster, has already got the limit of power he can store within himself. And doesn't need anymore at the moment. So whenever he drains the wizard, who regains his power after time. He stores it in a spell gem. Which the mage Reinholt has a handful of, secreted about himself, hidden in his cloak pockets.
The once powerful mage makes his way back to the stern after telling the wizard "You keep trying to cast, and I'll keep draining your power".
It only takes the swordmaster Reinholt a few steps to head aft and sit down upon the sail box again, as the ship's boat is under twenty five feet in length.
After looking around for any wind, lord Farque drops the vessel down in altitude. And ignoring the quietly sobbing wizard, the mage Reinholt looks down overboard.
And waves to some children from a nearby village, who are out in a field, looking up at the small flying vessel, passing about five hundred feet overhead.
"Are we in the Lé Dic fief yet?" asks the mage who is in exile from his homeland, the city-state of Vexil as he looks over at the undead warlord at the tiller.
"I doubt it" answers the lord of the death realm as the two of them speak in elven, which their passenger is unable to comprehend.
"Guess we're going over the neighbouring fief to the west" adds the lord and ruler of the lands Farque "The Gallus fief" says the spellcaster who is also a highly skilled swordmaster, who then adds "If we drop down low enough, i could ask someone we see, where we're exactly are".
The undead warlord slightly nods his full helmed head, but doesn't say anything else on the matter.
The mage Reinholt, who notices the heavily armoured deathlord has fallen silent. A sure sign he doesn't want to talk to anyone.
Closes his eyes, and leans back against the gunnel behind him. The once powerful mage is soon dozing in the morning sunshine. Glad they're not walking to the Lé Dic fief.
Which they did the last time they came this way. Until they went through an activated druid's circle, which took them to the very west of the kingdom.
The exiled Vexilian mage wakes up when he feels his right shoulder being nudged. The swordmaster Reinholt opens his eyes as lord Farque tells him "Take the tiller" as he heads forward.
The lord of the death realm, gut punches the bound wizard, who was about to cast a spell.
And as the spellcaster serving in the aircorp of Druvic, groans in pain. The undead warlord raises the stay sail, as the wind has picked up a little bit.
"No" says the heavily armoured deathlord to their prisoner as if the man is a disobedient dog, as he passes the wizard, who has a got a look in his eye, showing that he wants to test his limitations. Or wants to get himself killed. For this is not what he signed up for, when he joined the aircorp of the kingdom of Druvic.
Handing the tiller back to Draugadrottin, Mira Reinholt mind slaps the prisoner again. Then makes his way forward once more, and drains some of the wizard's power.
"Keep doing what you're doing" says the once powerful mage to the bound spellcaster "And you'll have nothing left for the rest of the day" adds the spellcaster who is also a highly skilled swordmaster.
The Vexilian mage in exile heads aft, and stands next to the large figure in the dark blue and black suit of full heavy plate armour, who is dropping the ship's boat further down in the sky.
The mage Reinholt looks over the side, and sees that they're following a road, by the size of it, he figures it's the trade road that goes through the east of the kingdom of Druvic.
The swordmaster from the city-state of Vexil spots some horsemen down on the road, further to the east from where they are at the moment.
The spellcaster who was once more powerful than any other mage of his generation, to be found anywhere in the Southlands, looks over at the lord and ruler of the lands Farque.
Who tells him "Soldiers" the heavily armoured deathlord continues with "Belonging to earl Gallus most likely".
The mage Reinholt slightly nods his hooded head, and does so again, after the undead warlord says to him "Keep him fucking quiet" as he gestures at their prisoner, sitting there, tied to the mast in what's a fairly small ship's boat.
Since he's got plenty of power to spare, Mira Reinholt silences the wizard they're holding prisoner. The once powerful mage moves forward, and grabs the prisoner's legs, and pulls them out, and drags him out a bit more flat.
In the common language, the highly skilled swordmaster tells the prisoner "Keep still, if not it'll be the last thing you do". The wizard fearfully nods his head, as the small flying craft drops down towards the ground.
"When we get close enough, see what you can find out" says Des'tier in the elven language when the exiled Vexilian mage makes his way back aft.
The once powerful mage nods his hooded head in understanding as the level out to about eighty feet above the ground. Flying more or less over the trade road below.
With the breeze a bit stronger now, they make good time, and it's not too long before the swordmaster Reinholt can clearly see that it's a fairly decent sized squad of soldiers in the Gallus army, heading eastwards.
They've been spotted by the riders in the rear, as they get to within a few hundred feet of the mounted squad in service of earl Gallus.
Mira Reinholt reads a few of their minds, then slowly nods his head, then quietly says in elvish to the lord of the death realm "They're heading to border of the Lé Dic fief".
The exiled Vexilian mage continues with "Word has got to the earl that the Harkonin army has wiped out the Lé Dic army, and has crossed it's eastern border" he then adds "Seems the baron Harkonin is about to lay siege, or is laying siege to castle Lé Dic".
The highly skilled swordmaster waves in the direction of the thirty riders, and tells the lord and ruler of the lands Farque "They're going to see how things fare there".
Behind the faceplate of his full helm, the heavily armoured deathlord sourly smiles as he wonders if the others have been able to locate the war engineer they're been searching for.
And if so, they've been able to get away from castle Lé Dic. Which he and the mage Reinholt figured might of been in danger. But now they have confirmation that it actually is under attack.
"Well" says lord Farque, who as some of the soldiers down on the road call out to them, he tells the Vexilian swordmaster in exile "We'll most likely be late to whatever the fuck is going on there" the lord of the death realm then adds "Let's just hope the others are keeping out of harms way" . . . . . .