The Homecoming 164.

King's Domain. Leeabra. The Kingdom Of Druvic...

"There's more of them" quietly says Tovis the war engineer as they see more of the king's guards hurrying across the square from the direction of the main palace, here in the king's domain.
Mira Reinholt the mage who is standing next to the bench that Tovis the war engineer and Lisell Maera are sitting on, pulls down the front of his cloak's hood, to obscure more of his face.
The once powerful mage who lived here in the city of Leeabra over a decade ago doesn't want to be accidentally recognised as they wait for the others to come back.
After the king's guards goes by, Mira Reinholt the mage looks behind them and says "Be quiet Dorc" in response to Dorc da Orc loudly muttering "Don't know why Dorc couldn't of fucken gone in. Them two fucken knight cunts did, and so did that new pretendy Zubu".
The large ork grumbles as he stands on the otherside of the tree behind the bench, a tree which Shur Kee the monk is sitting on the grass, at the base of.
They all hear the ork warleader, who is invisible thanks to a spell cast by the mage Reinholt, sit down in a huff, and quietly mutter away to himself in the totally incomprehensible language of the orks.
"An airship is coming in" quietly says Lisell Maera as they watch a warship, a fast flying cutter. Come in from the west side of the city, and over the king's domain.
"Something's definitely happened" quietly adds the attractive young woman who hails from the coastal city-state of Brattonbury.
Next to her on the bench, the young engineer from the Harkonin fief, Tovis. Nods his head in agreement, as they all watch the airship fly towards the main palace here in the king's domain.
More people hurry from the main palace, and as some hurry to the airship that's putting down in a square on the other side of the blocky looking palace where the king of Druvic lives, and holds court.
Others, army officers, soldiers and knights, make their way through a rift that has appeared on the otherside of the square, that they're on the eastern edge of, watching the comings and goings at the main palace.
"They've succeeded" quietly says Mira Reinholt, the exiled Vexilian mage who doesn't have to worry about being sensed, thanks to the amulet he wears on a chain around his neck.
Has just read the mind of an officer in the king's guard, who has just hurried by with a mixed group of domain guards, army officers and soldiers, as well as members of the constabulary.
The spellcaster from the city-state of Vexil who is also a highly skilled swordmaster, waits a few moments. Then tells the others "They've been sent out to round up those who have had dealings with the dark druids" the mage Reinholt adds "And the dark druids themselves".
"Worked alright" quietly says Lisell Maera, who is more commonly referred to as Lis by the rest of the group. As they wait in the afternoon sunshine on what's a clear spring day. For the others who entered the main palace earlier in the afternoon.
Around the edges of the square, which is surrounded by park like grounds where the various palaces and buildings in this part of the king's domain are set.
Other people who are on the benches, and near the trees dotted around the edge of the large square.
Also watch the activity coming and going from the main palace, where the afternoon session of the king's court is being held.
Soon word gets to those here outside of the main palace, in and around the square. As to what's happened in the king's court this afternoon.
Something that's irrevocably changed the kingdom, as much as the civil war that kicked off with the incident that occurred here in the city of Leeabra a decade ago.
This time, sir Twimen the lord high constable of Druvic. The most important and influential noble in the kingdom outside of the royal family.
Has been led away from  the king's court, bound in chains. After it was found out he was the leader of a conspiracy that wanted to see the spread of the ways of the dark druids of old, throughout the kingdom.
Now others in his cadre, from all levels of society. From those who are nobleborn to commoners, and everyone in between. Are being rounded up and arrested from a decree given by the king, the duke of Carville, Anders the First.
While the dark druids themselves, who are predominantly from the east of the kingdom. But are found throughout Druvic, are now being hunted by the royal army, aircorp and the constabulary.
After a pair of excited court officials hurry by, and quickly tell them what's happened within the main palace during this afternoon's session of court.
Lisell Maera looks at Mira Reinholt and quietly asks the once powerful mage "You think they'll be able to freely leave?".
Ignoring the loudly muttered "Who fucken cares" that comes from the invisible ork warleader sitting on the otherside of the tree that's behind the bench.
The swordmaster Reinholt quietly says to Lis "We'll soon find out". The spellcaster who was once the most powerful mage of his generation to be found anywhere within the Southlands, looks towards the main palace.
Where more and more people exit out of the numerous doorways that come out onto the square on this side of the main palace.
The Vexilian mage in exile hopes the others didn't get into any trouble as they exposed sir Twimen the lord high constable. Though he knows, that with sir Percavelle Lé Dic going into the main palace with the others. That it's a distinct possibility that they might get into trouble of some kind.
I'm sure Farque and that elven thief will keep them out of trouble, Mira Reinholt thinks to himself, the swordmaster from the city-state of Vexil pauses for a moment, before silently adding, i hope.
The once powerful mage starts to pace back and forth. While Tovis the war engineer gets up from the bench he's sitting on with Lisell Maera, and stretches.
He sits back down when he sees Lis is still looking towards the main palace in the king's domain. The young engineer from the Harkonin fief in the east of Druvic also wonders if the others will return.
And when he's just about to voice that to the attractive young woman sitting beside him, Lis says "Here they come".
Tovis looks in the direction of the main palace. Mira Reinholt stops pacing, and spins around to look across the square to the main palace.
Shur Kee the monk who has been sitting with his back against the tree behind him, with his eyes closed.
Opens his eyes, and looks towards the main palace, here within the king's domain. The short, statured monk from the far eastern coastal kingdom of Wah Lee, stands up.
While on the otherside of the tree, the invisible Dorc da Orc grunts as he looks around the tree, to the main palace.
The large ork from the southern polar region of the world mutters to himself in his native language. As he, along with the others, watch the rest of the group, make their way from the main palace, and cross the large square to them.
They all stand up now, even Dorkindle. As they rest of the group walks across the large square to where they're standing on the eastern edge of the square.
When the rest get to them, and they stop. Mira Reinholt the mage is the one to speak first, and he quietly says "I figure things worked out well then?".
"They did" is the reply of lord Farque who has led the others out of the main palace, across the square, to where the rest of the group have been waiting for them.
Of those who entered the main palace earlier this afternoon. It's only the knights general of the order of Saint Mar-che, sir Dalacell. Along with the wizard Calrik from the lord high constable's personal fleet. Who didn't come back out with them.
The two of them are helping with the capture of those in the conspiracy led by sir Twimen the lord high constable. As well as hunting down the dark druids themselves.
Even Helbe the elven thief, along with Narladene the ground pixie, and Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy, have rejoined lord Farque, sir Percavelle Lé Dic, Tamric Drubine and Darid Parsen.
"The kingdom is in for a bit of shake up i gather?" asks the spellcaster who is also a highly skilled swordmaster "It definitely is" replies the undead warlord "A bit of a purge you might say, is going to take place" adds Helbe the elven thief.
The mage who is in exile from his homeland of Vexil, then asks the heavily armoured deathlord "Now what?".
"We leave" is the answer from the lord and ruler of the lands Farque, who glances at both of the spellcasters, and says "We've got some planning to do".
The undead being, who is also known by the name of Draugadrottin to the people of his lands, nods his full helmed head for the others to follow him.
The deathlord of Farque gestures towards Dorc da Orc, and says to the mage Reinholt "Keep him invisible for the time being" he pauses then adds "At least until we get out of the king's domain".
The Vexilian mage in exile nods his hooded head that he will. Then he and Helbe the elven thief walk on either side of lord Farque, and three of them quietly discuss things as the undead warlord leads the group away from the square, and through the king's domain.
While the invisible Dorc da Orc brings up the rear, still grumbling to himself about how he wasn't allowed to enter the main palace with those who went into the session of the king's court.
Sir Percavelle Lé Dic finds himself walking beside the young soldier from his family's fief, Darid Parsen. Who he doesn't know, is really Zubutai the barbarian hordesman.
While directly infront of them walks Lisell Maera and Tovis the war engineer. And right behind them is Tamric Drubine and Shur Kee the monk alongside Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy.
"Ha!" says sir Percavelle Lé Dic in his usual overly loud voice "You lot should of seen that jackanapes Twimen" to anyone who'll hear him speak.
He nudges the young soldier from his family's fief walking beside him, and adds "You were in there young fellow, tis was a pleasure seeing that popinjay of a lord high constable get his comeuppance wot".
Beside the heavily armoured knight, Darid aka Zubutai Timaginson nods his head in agreement with the former earl of Lé Dic. And hopes the knight in the order of Saint Mar-che doesn't go on and on, like he usually does.
Unfortunately for the young soldier from the Lé Dic fief, the former paladin is his usual self. And in love with his own voice. He gives a detailed account to the others who weren't in the main palace. Of what happened during the session in the king's court. Which has seen the downfall of sir Twimen the lord high constable. And the reveal of the conspiracy he was involved with.
And those infront and behind the heavily armoured knight try to ignore him. It's a bit hard to, what with his loud and boisterous voice, which he definitely loves the sound of.
As the nobleborn knight comes to the end of his retelling of events within the king's court as they make their way out of the king's domain, out of a different set of gates than the one's they entered through.
Sir Percavelle Lé Dic, oblivious to the eye rolls, and wry smiles of some of the others, has a smile upon his face, as he looks around and says "I do say, it's good to be back home here in Druvic" followed by "Yes indeed, it is good to be home".

Author's Note - Here ends "The Homecoming". The main story will return in "The Hire".