The Homecoming 89.

In The Air...

As they board the single masted passenger vessel, the captain of the airship says to them "You're early, the other passengers haven't arrived yet".
"Fuck them" says lord Farque as he interrupts the captain, the undead warlord continues with "We're going now".
"Er?" says the master of the vessel, who blinks in surprise as the heavily armoured deathlord holds out a bar of platinum towards him.
As Mira Reinholt the mage looks over his shoulder towards the docks that the Druvician aircorp uses, the captain of the passenger ship barely hesitates as he takes the bar of precious metal from the lord and ruler of the lands Farque.
"Yes" says the captain, who then adds "Ah, m'lord?". The undead warlord who is also known as Draugadrottin to the people of his lands, nods his full helmed head, then says "Get underway" the lord of the death realm continues with "Put on as much sail as you can, don't reef them until you're clear of the city" he then adds "Head east on the starboard quarter".
The ship's captain blinks as he realises the knight, or avenger, or nobleman, or whoever he is. Knows a hell of a lot about sailing the skies.
The captain nods his head, then says "Yes m'lord" he then hurries away, and starts yelling out orders.
As the crew of the passenger airship quickly undertake their captain's orders. Mira Reinholt the mage says in elvish to the deathlord of Farque "The second one is just departing".
Lord Farque turns and sees the second of the warships bound for the east of the kingdom, over in the aircorp's docks, just now moving away from the dock it's moored to.
The first one is already passing over the edge of the main airdocks of Leeabra, and about to head out over the city.
"They must of scrounged together some crew" says the heavily armoured deathlord in the same language, he then tells the once powerful mage "Just as long as we keep them in sight, we should be fine".
The exiled Vexilian mage nods his hooded head in agreement, then he quietly says in elven "Just a pity we're way behind that one that left this morning".
"It can't be helped" says Des'tier as he's known by to an older generation of elven kind, the undead being who rules the largest nation in the Southlands, which also happens to be one of the least populated, then adds "The others will just have to deal with it when it turns up there".
"You think they'll actually help the Harkonin army?" asks the mage Reinholt as he nods towards the departing warships "Do you?" replies lord Farque, the spellcaster who is also a highly skilled swordmaster, nods his hooded head, then quietly says "More than likely".
The small single masted passenger ship is soon underway, and the deathlord of Farque heads aft, and makes his way onto the raised deck in the stern, where the wheel is.
After the ship's captain tells him that the first officer will show them to their cabins. The undead warlord says to the captain "Might as well keep close to them" as he gestures towards the two aircorp vessels flying the royal colours.
"They seem to be going the same way as we are" adds Draugadrottin, the ship's captain shrugs, then says "Might as well" he then adds "Royal cruisers, though they're not flying the colours of the king, or anyone else in the royal family" he then murmurs "Can't quite see that pennant the one closest to us is flying".
"Scales and hammer on a red background" says Des'tier "Sharp eyes m'lord" says the ship's captain who stands beside the helmsman, he continues with "From the lord high constable's personal fleet then".
The lord and ruler of the lands Farque pauses when he hears that, then he slightly nods his full helmed head, then the ship's captain tells him "Probably heading out east to the fiefs of the Lé Dic and Harkonin families" he continues with "Gossip around the docks today was that there's trouble brewing between those two families".
"Always trouble between them" says the helmsman who speaks up, he's a Druvician and he continues with "Even during the civil war they were on opposite sides, rumour back then, was that they did that so they could fight against one another with some legitimacy for once. Even though they, and much of the eastern part of the kingdom didn't really get involved in the war of succession that much".
The ship's captain from Vexil nods his head in agreement with his helmsman, who automatically obeys lord Farque when the heavily armoured deathlord tells him "Quarter turn to starboard, keep a stern of that trailing cruiser, stay in it's aft, starboard quarter".
The ship's captain sourly smiles as his helmsman obeys the large figure in the dark blue, black suit of heavy plate armour. But he doesn't say anything to contradict that order.
After all it's the way they're going. And though the passenger airship that's from the city-state of Vexil, is smaller, and slower than the battlecruisers they're following. It's actually flying faster than the two larger warships at the moment, as they pass over the eastern part of the city of Leeabra.
"Keep them in view" says lord Farque to the master of the airship, then the undead warlord makes his way off the aft deck. And the first mate leads him below deck, to his cabin.
After the first mate heads back up topside, Des'tier opens the cabin door opposite his, and says to the mage Reinholt "In here" as he nods to his cabin, which is on the port side of the vessel.
The exiled Vexilian mage follows the deathlord of Farque into his cabin, the spellcaster who was the youngest ever member of the mage council of Vexil closes the door behind them. While the lord and ruler of the lands Farque briefly looks out the porthole.
"Those battlecruisers are part of the personal fleet of the lord high constable" says Draugadrottin as he steps back to allow the mage Reinholt to look out the porthole "Damn" murmurs the highly skilled swordmaster, who then adds "They've got it in for Percy haven't they?" as he looks out the porthole to the nearest of the aircorp vessels, which is a couple hundred yards away.
"The lord high constable who is most likely, a follower of the druidic ways, well i should say, the ways of the dark druids" says the lord of the death realm, who then muses "Hmmm wonder if he's from the eastern part of the kingdom?".
"You think he's from the Harkonin fief?" asks the once powerful mage "That, or he's from wherever the fuck that dark druid Palvarc is from" says lord Farque.
The swordmaster Reinholt nods his hooded head, then he says "I should be able to" in response to lord Farque asking him "Can you teleport the two of us over to that cruiser from this distance?".
"Pair of spellcasters on each warship" says Des'tier, who continues with "A sorcerer and wizard on the closer one" he then adds "A pair of wizards on the one out infront" the heavily armoured deathlord follows that with "Both ships are flying short handed, there's less people on them, than what you'd normally find on ships their size".
"Tonight?" asks Mira Reinholt as he looks back west through the porthole, and up at the afternoon sky this cloudy spring day in and around the capital city Leeabra.
"Tonight" says the undead warlord, who continues on with "Further away from the city" lord Farque then adds "I'll take the far one out infront, the two wizards on it are more powerful than the spellcasters on this near one".
"Fine by me" says Mira Reinholt the mage. Then the undead warlord and the once powerful mage, make a plan as to what they'll do later tonight concerning the two nearby warships.
Which have been sent east by the lord high constable of the kingdom, to assist baron Harkonin and his war against the Lé Dic fief.
It's nightfall, and the deathlord of Farque goes up on deck to have a quiet word with the captain of the single masted passenger vessel that's returning to the city-state of Vexil.
After speaking with the ship's master, the lord and ruler of the lands Farque hurries back below deck, and returns to his cabin where the mage Reinholt is waiting.
"Looks like we'll be walking again" quietly says the highly skilled swordmaster who sighs "You'll survive" dryly says Des'tier, who looks out the porthole briefly, then steps aside for the Vexilian mage in exile to look out of it.
The two of them wait, then lord Farque quietly says "He's changing course" and they feel the airship turning to starboard, more to the south than the east.
The once powerful mage who has cast spells to be able to see in the dark, and to see long distances. Looks at the nearest of the warships that the single masted passenger vessel has been following.
The spellcaster who is also a highly skilled swordmaster keeps fixed in his mind the running lights of the nearest of the battlecruisers, as well as the one further out infront, which is more to the north.
"Ready?" quietly asks Mira Reinholt "Go" says lord Farque. The once powerful mage drops the two spells he's casting, he casts invisibility upon himself, and upon the undead warlord who allows him to.
Then the Vexilian mage in exile teleports the two of them away. They're next on the battlecruiser, near the aft deck, and the practitioner of magic looks north, and casts teleport again, though this time only on the lord of the death realm.
The mage Reinholt who also drops the invisibility spell upon the heavily armoured deathlord, slightly winces as he wonders if he can teleport the undead warlord far enough.
After all, he's not as powerful as he once was, and he can only teleport up to a certain distance nowadays. And the other Druvician aircorp vessel in the night sky. Is pretty much at the limit of that distance. A few hundred yards away to the northeast.
"Fuck" mutters lord Farque when he appears again. The lord of the death realm shoots out an arm, and punches the hull just infront of him.
The undead warlord winces as his arm goes through the side of the ship, hoping no one up on deck heard it.
"Mira you fucking cunt" mutters Draugadrottin in the ancient language of command, the language he speaks when he's alone. Or more precisely, when it's just him with his sword.
The heavily armoured deathlord who appeared in mid air right next to the battlecruiser, and now has his most of his right arm in it's starboard side hull. Looks back to the south and west, to where the other warship in the personal fleet of the lord high constable is in the night sky.
Behind the faceplate of his full helm, the lord and ruler of the lands Farque sourly smiles as he senses Mira Reinholt heading below deck on that battlecruiser.
He slightly shakes his head, then looks at the side of the vessel he's got most of his right arm through. The undead warlord wonders if he should just smash in the side of the hull, and climb in through that way. After all, he does want to go below deck. Or if he should just jump up and over the rail, onto the deck of the warship.
He picks the latter, for the simple reason it's quicker. He punches his left fist into the hull, higher up than where his right arm is. Which someone up on deck heard, as a shout from up there can testify for.
Lord Farque pulls his right arm free, pulls upwards with his left hand, sticks his right boot on the edge of the hole his right arm was just in. Then kicks up and out, he doesn't even have to grab the starboard rail, he just goes completely over it, and lands on the deck. Startling a crew member, who was looking over the side, trying to see what made that thunk from below.
The heavily armoured deathlord grabs his head, twists, breaking his neck. The undead warlord throws the dead crewman overboard. Then he makes his way to the nearest ladder, that leads below deck.
On the other battlecruiser, Mira Reinholt who is still invisible, peeks in through a door to the captain's cabin. Where the captain is entertaining a number of guests for dinner. A number of the ship's officers are dining with the captain. As well as one of the spellcasters who is assigned to the airship.
There's one other guest with them. The only person not in the kingdom of Druvic's aircorp, flying onboard the battlecruiser. Well, apart from the mage Reinholt.
Safe in the knowledge that the two aircorp spellcasters onboard can't sense him due to the amulet he wears. The once powerful mage reads the minds of those in the captain's cabin. Starting with the one who isn't part of the crew. A paladin in the order of the knights of Saint Mar-che.
Well, well, well, imagine that, Mira Reinholt thinks to himself as he looks at the paladin, the invisible spellcaster shakes his hooded head, then he reads the minds of the others in the captain's cabin.
The exiled Vexilian mage steps out of the way of one of the valets who has come from the galley with a tray of food. Then he takes a peek back in through the door. Looking at those who are dining with the captain of the battlecruiser, that's part of the lord high constable's personal fleet within the royal aircorp of Druvic.
By the shape of fire, they definitely don't like you Percy, the once powerful mage thinks to himself, who after looking at the paladin and the captain one last time. He moves away, heading back along the passageway.
The spellcaster who is also a highly skilled swordmaster, slightly shakes his hooded head again. For though the ship's captain and the paladin have the same purpose in what they're doing. They definitely have two different agendas.
With the paladin in the order of Saint Mar-che only wanting sir Percavelle Lé Dic killed, and the item he stole from his order returned. While the captain of the triple masted battlecruiser just wants to carry out his orders from the lord high constable of the kingdom.
And that's to assist baron Harkonin's advisor, the dark druid Palvarc. During the baron's conflict against the Lé Dic fief.
Politics, Mira Reinholt sourly thinks to himself, as he goes in search of a ladder that takes him down into the hold of the warship he's onboard.
He has to get there, for the simple reason, that's where you can get the easiest access to the keel of the airship that runs along the length of the vessel. The magical keel, the most important part of any airship, for that's what keeps in the air. Unless it's damaged or destroyed. Which Mira Reinholt plans to do . . . . . .