The Homecoming 121.

A Find...

Helbe the elven thief appears upon a slight rise next to some woods in the west of the Lé Dic fief.
The young elven noble who is blurred and shielded, makes his way along one side of the rise, until it flattens out a bit, before it drops down to a small stream that comes from the woods.
"Here, is it?" asks Helbe the elven thief "At the end there" replies Narladene the ground pixie, the elven magic user nods his hooded head and continues along the flat bit that's on the side of the rise.
The elven princeling from the island of Laerel comes to a stop at a hole in the ground. It's not natural, and shows signs of recently being dug out. There's even newer boot marks in the upturned soil.
The elven masterthief knows who was here just a little earlier this morning. Baron Harkonin's advisor, the dark druid Palvarc.
Just inside the edge of the hole, stonework can be seen, as well as stone steps that lead down into the ground, and into the side of the rise.
The elven masterthief who has no where near the sense of smell as Dorc da Orc, doesn't need to, as he can smell what's down the stone steps in the ground, as to what must of happened fairly recent.
"Do i want to go down?" quietly asks the elven master assassin "Probably not" is the answer from the ground pixie who stands upon the right shoulder of the young elven noble.
The grandson of the ruling prince of Laerel sighs, then makes his way down the steps into the ground. Though the stone steps are cracked in parts, they're in pretty good shape for being centuries old, and underground until recently.
Though there's soil above his head, the elven master archer can just see the stonework hidden by the soil, and the same again when he reaches the bottom of the steps, and finds himself in an underground chamber that's within the rise next to the woods.
"Fuck" mutters prince Helbenthril Raendril as he survey's the underground chamber "Probably from that village to the northeast" adds the elven magic user in a murmur.
On his right shoulder, the tiny winged creature who is 'attached' to him, nods her head in agreement.
Around the chamber, that's basically circular in shape. There are standing stones, which jut out of the walls, a dozen in total.
And on the four points of north, south, east and west. Four bodies are tied to the standing stones. Which is obviously a druid's circle.
Two men and a woman, and a young girl are tied to the stones. All in various states of nakedness. And in very states of death.
They've all died fairly recently, not long ago this morning to be exact. With the young girl, who looks to be about five or six, dead with a cut across the throat.
To one of the men, who has been sliced open, and ribs spread open. Within his organs and insides on the floor of the chamber at his feet.
Helbe the elven thief grimaces as he steps forward, to where a flat circular, stone like table is in the center of the underground chamber.
It's about three feet off the floor, on a heavy square pedestal. Which looks like it's natural bedrock.
And though some of the circular table is broken in parts. It's still nearly ten feet across.
The young elven noble from the island of Laerel lets out a slow breath as he looks at the fifth body in the underground chamber.
Another woman, naked, who has been dismembered. And though her legs, arms and head have been cut off. They've been placed close to the torso so that it still roughly resembles a body.
"Blood magic" mutters the highly talented elven spellcaster. On his right shoulder, Narladene with a look of disgust upon her face, nods in agreement as she looks at the dismembered body on the stone table in the center of the hidden chamber.
"Fucking druids" mutters prince Helbenthril Raendril in the royal elven language, who like all elven kind, isn't particularly fond of druids in general. And despises the dark kind, such as Palvarc, who is the advisor of baron Harkonin.
Switching back to the regular elven language which Narladene can understand, the elven masterthief says to her "Wonder if he needs the power for himself?" he then adds "Or that staff of his?".
The naturally magical creature, who originally hails from the towering Sunreach Mountains, which lie north of the kingdom of Druvic.
Is quiet for a few moments before she says "How about he needs it to control that staff?".
The elven magic user pauses for a moment, then he slowly nods his hooded head, as he quietly says "Maybe".
Then looking at the five dead in the underground chamber, who were killed not that long ago by the dark druid Palvarc. Helbe the elven thief feeling that they deserve some sort of respect in death.
Casts a spell on all five of the bodies, one at a time, starting with the young girl, and ending with the naked, dismembered woman on the stone table in the middle of the ancient druid's chamber hidden beneath a rise.
The bodies each flash a yellowish white, as the elven magic user burns them in an instant without a single flame appearing on their bodies.
"May your gods protect you" murmurs the grandson of Prince Raendril as just a slight dusting of white ash remains of the five who were sacrificed by the dark druid Palvarc this morning.
Then the elven masterthief turns, and makes his way back up the steps, and out of the underground chamber.
"None of them will ever use this again" mutters the young elven noble as he walks away from the hole in the ground, and along the flat section on the side of the rise.
As earth, soil, rock and stone spews up from the hole in the ground as he destroys the ancient underground druid's chamber with a series of blast spells.
On top of the rise as the ground tremors beneath him, Helbe the elven thief looks away to the southwest, and as he senses, he asks the tiny winged creature who is attached to him "Has he got to that airship?".
"He's there now" is the answer from Narladene as she senses where the dark druid Palvarc is. Prince Helbenthril Raendril nods his hooded head, then he spots the frigate in the sky to the southwest, flying fairly slowly due to the lack of wind this morning in the west of the Lé Dic fief.
"Right" says the elven magic user, who after taking heed of his power of foresight from earlier. That if he was to go directly to the Druvician aircorp vessel heading across the skies of the Lé Dic fief. That he'd would die at the hands of Palvarc the dark druid.
He shifts away, towards it. Still taking a circular route to get to it. As he hopes to come at it from behind.
Sitting on the hilltop where Helbe the elven thief left him earlier, Shur Kee the monk who has been meditating as he sits in the sun. Opens his eyes, and looks to the west and south.
The acolyte in the philosophical order of Bru Li slightly frowns, then he gets up off the ground. The short, statured monk makes his way to the nearby shade from the few trees on top of the hill.
There he looks to the west and south again, and he nods his head as he spots the airship in the distance. Which looks like it's heading directly this way, more or less.
The physical adept, who has pretty keen eyesight for a human being. Can see that even from over a couple of miles away, the vessel in the late morning sky to the southwest, is a warship.
And that it's flying fairly slowly due to the lack of wind here in the west of the Lé Dic fief.
The monk from the kingdom of Wah Lee on the far east coast of the continent. Suspects if the wind was as strong as it was yesterday afternoon and last night.
The warship, which is part of the kingdom of Druvic's aircorp. Would be at castle Lé Dic by now, if as Helbe the elven thief informed him. The airship from the capital Leeabra, is bound for.
Moving further back beneath the branches of the tree he's under. Just incase a spellcaster, or someone with an eyepiece on board the Druvician airship is looking this way.
Shur Kee the monk waits as the vessel in the clear spring sky comes this way.
And if prince Helbenthril Raendril is correct. And that the dark druid Palvarc, the advisor to baron Harkonin has gone to meet the oncoming warship.
Then he, the short, statured monk from the far eastern coastal kingdom of Wah Lee, might be the only one who will be able to stop the spellcaster who is the advisor of baron Harkonin.
Shur Kee just doesn't wait for the oncoming airship. He also waits for a message from Helbe the elven thief. Which no doubt will come via Narladene the ground pixie.
Appearing on a wooded hilltop, that gives him a fairly good view of the airship in the aircorp of the kingdom of Druvic which is now to the east of him, since he's come around behind it.
Helbe the elven thief quietly says to Narladene the ground pixie "I can deal to the ship itself" the young elven noble from the island principality of Laerel continues with "But Shur Kee might be the one to who has to take on the dark druid".
The naturally magical creature who is perched on his right shoulder, nods her tiny head in understanding. As the two of them look further to the east, and north, to the hill in the distance a few miles away. That the short, statured monk is on.
"He's waiting beneath the trees there" says Narladene, prince Helbenthril Raendril who is blurred and shielded, nods his head when he too spots the short, statured monk in the shade on the hill in the distance.
A hill, that the nearby warship, which though is part of the king's fleet. It is actually part of the personal fleet of the lord high constable of the kingdom.
Is more or less, heading towards. And will probably pass over sometime fairly soon.
"Well that staff has definitely got a limit to how far it can sense" quietly says the elven magic user who avoids mentioning what's more than likely, captured within the staff that the dark druid Palvarc has in his possession.
"If not, he would of attacked me" adds the elven masterthief, who is the grandson of the ruling prince of Laerel.
Nodding her head in agreement, Narladene asks the young elven noble that she's attached to "How do you want to do this?".
She listens in silence as the elven master assassin quickly explains what he'll do. And also what he wants Shur Kee the monk to do.
After slightly frowning when the highly talented elven spellcaster finishes telling her his plan. The ground pixie quietly says "You'll need a lot of luck for that to happen".
The tiny winged creature, who like the elven master archer, is closely watching the nearby warship as it heads east above the Lé Dic fief.
Continues with "What if he doesn't face Shur Kee?".
"He will" quietly says the elven princeling, who continues with "All spellcasters want to take him on when he confronts them" he then dryly adds "Much to their misfortune".
Helbe the elven thief who is watching the Druvician aircorp frigate, which he can sense the dark druid Palvarc is onboard, with another spellcaster. A sorcerer, most likely an officer in the kingdom's aircorp.
Glances at the ground pixie on his right shoulder, and quietly tells her "Go and tell Shur Kee to get ready" the elven magic user continues with "Because it'll be quick once i do it".
The naturally magical creature who is originally from the Sunreach Mountains, nods her tiny head, then takes off. Diving down into the ground, which she can fly quicker through than she can through the air. And she wings her way to the hilltop to the east and north that Shur Kee the monk is on.
As she does, prince Helbenthril Raendril gets ready to do a series of shifts to get to the warship in the kingdom's aircorp.
The young elven noble from the island principality of Laerel waits as he watches the hilltop in the distance that the short, statured monk is on, standing in the shade beneath some trees.
After taking a drink from his water bottle, and putting it back on his belt. The acolyte in the order of Bru Li picks up his staff, and goes back to watching the approaching airship. Which looks like it's picking up a bit more speed. Not much, as it's still flying slowly. But quicker than it was before, as a slight, but steady breeze is now coming from the southwest.
The short, statured monk is just wondering when Narladene the ground pixie is going to show up again. When all of a sudden he hears her familiar voice to the right of him.
The physical adept slightly frowns as he listens to what she has to tell him.
"He wants me to do what?" asks Shur Kee the monk, who then slightly shrugs when the invisible ground pixie quickly explains again what Helbe the elven thief wants the short, statured monk to do.
"If friend Helbe says so" murmurs Shur Kee with another shrug of his shoulders, as he waits as the approaching warship gets closer and closer to the hill that he's on.
Then the physical adept, straightens his hat, and with his staff in hand, he walks out from beneath the tree he's been standing under.
Shur Kee walks across the hilltop, out into the open. Clearly in view of the lookouts onboard the Druvician aircorp vessel that's nearing the hilltop he's on.
The short statured monk, twirls and spins his staff a couple of times to make sure he's seen by those onboard the approaching warship.
"Wait for it" quietly says Narladene, who though invisible to the acolyte in the order of Bru Li, she remains beside him.
Shur Kee slightly nods as he waits for what Helbe the elven thief is about to do . . . . . .