Aftermath 11.

The Kaldel Plains...

Narladene the ground pixie watches them work. And she can admit that what they do, they do it efficiently. As if they've been doing this for some time, and they've gotten good at it.
The first group who came through the first rift were basically a scouting party.
Who checked out the surrounding area first. Before approaching the wreck of the tri-masted destroyer.
And after they checked that, and started marking things on the wreck and around the crash site.
The mage who brought them through his rift. Went back through his rift. Which the ground pixie sensed went to the northeast.
How far? She's not too sure. Just that the mage expended quite a bit of power to cast it. And from that, she can guess that he's easily going over five hundred miles via his rift. And in all likelihood, probably even further than that.
As the first group, who look to be predominantly mercenaries in the eyes of Narladene. Go over the wreck of the warship. And mark things off.
The mage returns via a rift. This one larger than the previous. Large enough that horse drawn wagons come through it.
The tiny magical creature as she sits upon the very top of the only mast of the destroyer that's still upright. Though at a jaunty angle. As that part of the airship, the largest bit still intact. Is leaning to starboard as it lies upon the plains.
Nods her head as she watches wagon after wagon come through the larger rift. And those with the wagons seem to be more like labourers, carpenters and the like. In comparison to the first group that arrived at the crash site.
Who as Narladene watches them more and more. Seem to definitely be mercenaries. Though mercenaries of a mixed kind to be sure. But nevertheless, mercenaries to be sure.
They've gone around and tied red rags to every magetube they could find. And now they're tying yellow pieces of cloth to other things they deem valuable.
After they first showed up. And started searching for things of value. The naturally magical creature immediately knew who they were. Or to be exact. What they are.
Wreckers. Though not the type who have been hired by shipping agents. Air ship owners, or local authorities to clear away downed ships.
These lot are going to clear away an airship that they themselves have brought down.
Illegal wreckers doing their job for a profit. And by the looks of it, doing the job fairly well.
Narladene counts nearly two hundred of them come through the larger rift with the wagons.
And they soon set to lifting up magetubes onto the wagons. And collecting other valuable items.
While others start breaking apart the wreck. As these wreckers are going to clear away as much as the downed warship as possible. Even though the valuable magical keel is broken apart in too many places to be of any worth now.
The ground pixie who is originally from the Sunreach Mountains. And who is now attached to the young elven noble from Laerel, prince Helbenthril Raendril.
Has taken note of names, as well as places mentioned by the wreckers. Especially from the first group who came through the rift. Those that are definitely mercenaries.
The tiny winged creature who has gone around and listened to conversations this morning.
Drops down off the top of the sole remaining mast. And makes her way after some of those who she's learnt their names.
They've met up with the two of the more recent arrivals. A plainsman by the look of one. And the other a dwarf.
Who are on a wagon with a number of others. They're all taking the wagon away to the north.
To the spot where Helbe the elven thief and the rest of the group left from yesterday morning. On one of the warship's jolly boats. Which some of the survivors used to get off the airship when it was attacked by the mage. Who Narladene has learnt is called Samiel.
The naturally magical creature, who is invisible to all. Apart from the horses, who occasionally glance at her as she passes them by as they haul the wagons.
Follows after those who are making their way to the spot from where the jolly boat took off from yesterday morning.
When the ground pixie gets to the wagon. She watches and listens to those on the wagon. As well as those walking beside it.
"Why's it all the way out here?" asks Arvelle the leader of the crew of illegal wreckers, who is riding on the wagon. On the wagon seat with Mac the dwarf, the former shipwright from the Cascades.
And another of the crew, who is driving the wagon that's being drawn by a pair of horses.
"It must be over half a mile from the wreck" adds the plainsman, who with tan colouring, is considered quite fair for a plainsman. Though his shaved head, and expressive eyebrows is quite common for a plainsman.
Though with the constant look of what's basically a sneer upon his face. He makes a rather intimidating figure. Considering he's quite tall at a few inches over six foot in height. And quite lean too, as are most plainsmen.
"Beats me" says Sasha the former mercenary, who is walking beside the horse drawn wagon. Followed by a number of others who came through the first rift cast by Samiel the mage earlier this morning.
Among those following behind the good looking one eyed woman. Is her second in command. The former arena fighter from the city-state of Brattonbury, Gorlic.
As well as her lover, the blademaster Pallen. Who like Sasha is from the Girdane.
And though Pallen is a plainsman. He's even fairer than Arvelle. Not to mention he's bulkier than the average plainsman. And he wears his hair long, in a braid. Unlike most other plainsman who prefer to shave their heads.
The others on foot behind Pallen and Gorlic who are walking side by side. Keep well back from the dangerous blademaster. Who has already killed this morning.
Having done so earlier this morning, when he killed someone for quietly chatting on the village green before going through the rift that brought them here, over seven hundred miles away from the villages they've been using as their base.
The driver eventually brings the wagon to a stop, where a magetube lies by itself over a half a mile from the wreck.
A wreck that's being torn apart by the labourers, carpenters and the like who came through the larger rift with the wagons.
"Odd" murmurs Arvelle after hoping down off the wagon seat and looking down at the heavy magical weapon lying so far from where the rest of the wreck is concentrated.
The leader of the illegal wreckers who have been plying their trade here on the Kaldel Plains over the last year or so. Shrugs his shoulders, then asks "Does it still work?".
"It's got power" says the good looking one eyed woman from the kingdom of Girdane, Sasha continues with "And Samiel says it's in working order" followed "As are most of them".
Arvelle nods, and after slightly smiling as he works out how much just one magetube is worth, even sold at a discount as pretty much all buyers know it will be stolen.
Turns to those workers in the back of the wagon, and tells them "You lot get it loaded into the back of the wagon" the leader of the illegal wreckers continues with "I want it ready to go back through Samiel's next rift as soon as possible".
The dozen or so workers in the back of the wagon hop down, and take a bunch of heavy leather straps from wagon bed. Which they'll use to lift the more than one thousand pound magetube.
The others get out of their way. And while the magetube is rolled onto the leather straps that have been placed down onto the ground.
Arvelle as he looks back at the downed warship, quietly says to Sasha "Best we get back before the end of the day".
"Why's that?" asks the former mercenary from the kingdom of Girdane, who continues with "A ship that size usually takes a couple of days to be completely torn down" she then adds "Though we don't have to transport a keel this time".
"Samiel says there's a big storm coming in from the northeast" explains the tall, shaven headed plainsman who is the leader of the illegal wreckers "Traveling southwards" adds Arvelle who continues with "Near a hundred miles across and probably there times that in length, which will be here in this area of the plains in the middle of the night".
"I see" quietly says Sasha, who after a slight pause adds "We'll have to get a hurry on for certain".
Arvelle nods his head in agreement, then quietly says "I want all the magetubes through first, followed by everything else".
The good looking one eyed woman, who has a gnarly looking scar down the side of her face that's missing an eye. Nods in understanding, as she knows Arvelle wants the most valuable things back through the rift before anything else.
Meanwhile, just a few yards away. The blademaster Pallen is standing with the former arena fighter Gorlic. Watching the workers and their progress with shifting the heavy magetube.
Pallen is watching that, but Gorlic is watching the dwarf Mac. Who has wandered off a dozen yards or so. Where he's looking closely at the ground.
The former arena fighter from the coastal city-state of Brattonbury gets the attention of the dangerous blademaster from the kingdom of Girdane. And nods his head to where Mac is. And lifts an inquiring eyebrow.
Pallen nods, then walks over to where the former shipwright originally from Cascades is standing.
The blademaster is one of the few people amongst the illegal wreckers on speaking terms with the dwarf Mac. Who is almost as feared amongst the others as much as Pallen.
"What is it?" quietly asks Pallen the blademaster in the dwarven language as he crouches down next to Mac, who has got down on his knees to get a closer look at the ground.
"Something was here" is the quiet reply in the same language from Mac the dwarf.
"Any idea what?" asks the learned blademaster, who though from the central kingdom of Girdane, his parents were plainsmen.
"A ship's boat if I'm not mistaken" is the quiet reply of the former shipwright originally from the hill country and low mountains known as the Cascades. Which isn't all that far from the coast of the Southlands, near where the crescent port of Gilsom is located.
"And a number of people are on it" adds the dwarf, who is almost as bad of a cold blooded killer as Pallen is. It's just that Mac, who is Arvelle's offsider. Has learnt to keep his murdering ways under control. Which the blademaster has never learnt to do. And has no intention of ever doing.
Mac frowns, then mutters "One's a big bastard too" followed by "A troll" the former shipwright pauses for a moment or two, then he adds in disgust "Or a filthy ork".
Pallen's eyebrows lift in surprise at that last bit. The blademaster unlike most other people. Actually believes that orks are real. As he's read about them, and know that they're the mortal enemies of the dwarven race.
Pallen also knows that it's highly unlikely you'll ever encounter an ork outside of the frozen wastes of the southern polar region where they dwell. And where no one else lives.
And that it's probably just Mac's inherent hatred of orks that caused him to mention it.
The blademaster, who would admit he's not particularly great at reading tracks, or even finding them. Looks at the ground, and is pretty sure he sees the brown, green grass of the plains. Bent down in places from various sized boots.
One of which is way larger than any of the others. So much so, you can actually see the boot print in the ground. Where it's caused a slight depression.
"Hell, that is big" murmurs Pallen, who then tells the former shipwright from the Cascades "Probably is a troll" followed by "Lots of them to be found in and around airships, not to mention a lot of armies like to have them in their ranks".
Mac grunts, then says "Aye blademaster, you're probably right" then after a slight pause he adds "But what were that lot doing here away from the wreck?" he then gestures back to the magetube, where it's being dragged around to the back of the wagon, and he says "And what were they doing with that, because no way in hell was it flung all the way up here when the ship crashed".
Pallen nods at that assessment from the dwarf, and wonders the same thing.
Mac gets up, then goes and tells Arvelle what he's found out. While Pallen, after one last look at the ground that the dwarf was closely examining. Makes his way back to where Gorlic is standing.
Sasha walks over to them after hearing what Mac has to say to Arvelle, and she quietly asks her lover Pallen "What do you think?" followed by "Survivors?".
"Definitely" is the reply of the plainsman who is a blademaster, the good looking one eyed woman nods, then tells Pallen and Gorlic "We'll have to keep an eye out for them, just incase they end up coming our way".
"All the way up north?" asks the former arena fighter Gorlic, who then adds "You think they might show up there?".
"You never know" says Sasha as the three of them watch the magetube being lifted up into the back of the wagon.
"Okay i guess" says the former arena fighter from the city-state of Brattonbury, who continues with "They're only a small group with a little air boat, what's the most harm they could ever do?".
Narladene the ground pixie grins when she hears that from the one called Gorlic.
Then the tiny magical creature goes and sits on the magetube which after much effort, is finally on the back of the wagon.
The wagon heads back to the site of the crash, and the others walk beside it. Including the workers who were previously in the back of it.
The ground pixie when they get back near the crashed warship. Watches it being dismantled for sometime. Until just after midday. When most of the wagons are loaded with the more than thirty magetubes that have been salvaged.
The mage Samiel casts a larger rift, and the wagons with their valuable load, start going through it. Once they drop off their loads. They'll return, to collect whatever else the wreckers are going to take with them.
Which looks like it will be a lot. Considering how thorough they are in breaking down the wreck of the warship which was part of the Farqian fleet.
Narladene goes through the rift on the back of one of the wagon. Once through she has a nosey around the village. Which she overhears from one of those living there. Is more than seven hundred miles to the northeast of the crash site on the otherside of the rift.
Then after checking out the village and it's surroundings. The naturally magical creature from the Sunreach Mountains goes back through the rift that's still up.
Then after one last look at the wreckers at work as they dismantle the downed warship.
Narladene sinks into the ground which she can move quicker through. And starts flying northwards. Heading after the others who left early yesterday morning in one of the ship's jolly boats. Hoping to find those who were responsible for bringing down the tri-masted destroyer.
The ground pixie now knows where they're based, and she will inform the others once she has caught up to them . . . . . .