Aftermath 23.

The Kaldel Plains...

Sasha the former mercenary and her lover, the blademaster Pallen. Continue to watch the loading of the magetubes onto the two cargo ships.
They're business factors from the kingdom of Nastell. Regular buyers from Arvelle and his crew of illegal wreckers. One of whom, has also purchased quite a lot of the salvaged equipment from the warship they took the magetubes from.
As well as the materials and parts, the airship was actually made from. With the exception of the keel which wasn't able to be recovered as it was basically destroyed.
The two factors from the kingdom to the east of the Kaldel Plains, were able to purchase in total, eighteen of the magetubes that were recovered, including two that were in their cradles. Leaving more than twenty left to be sold.
Which the crew of illegal wreckers hope to sell sometime tonight, or tomorrow.
"Are they leaving straight away once they're loaded?" asks Pallen the blademaster as they stand up at window on the second storey of the house that Arvelle is using as his own.
"They are" replies Sasha the former mercenary as they look at the two airships on the village green, as another magetube is hoisted up by one of the wooden cranes on one of the cargo vessels.
And as the heavy, magical weapon is swung over the port rail, over to the open hatch of the forward cargo hold, the good looking, one eyed woman quietly says "They'll be free to go".
The dangerous blademaster, who is also a plainsman, nods his head as he figured as much.
As the two business factors from Nastell are regular buyers of what they salvage. And Arvelle doesn't want to threaten that relationship in anyway.
"Any idea who'll they'll sell them on to?" asks the tall blademaster, who is quite fair for a plainsman, who are predominantly darker skinned.
"The nobility, or trading companies wanting protection for their airships most likely" says the former mercenary who is originally from the kingdom of Girdane "That's what i overheard some of their crew chatting about" adds the good looking woman, who only has one eye, and has a gnarly looking scar down one side of her face.
"Makes sense" murmurs the blademaster, who like his lover, is also from the kingdom of Girdane, though his parents were from the Kaldel Plains.
The couple then look across the village green, which is essentially a large, basically circular in shape, flat area of grass.
To another house over there. Where they spot Gorlic the former arena fighter at the back door of that house, watching the pair of cargo ships being loaded.
The former arena fighter from the city-state of Brattonbury, is with a number of others in that particular house. He's in charge of them, as they observe the two vessels from the kingdom of Nastell that are being loaded at this time.
The lovers Sasha and Pallen glance at one another, then the good looking woman, who lost her eye, and received the scar down the side of her face, from the blademaster standing next to her, says "We should go down, they're about to finish up".
The tall plainsman nods, and the two of them make their way out of the room, then downstairs. Where they exit the two storey house.
After looking into the main room where the chests of coins from the sale of the eighteen magetubes, and the salvaged equipment, and ship materials are stacked up.
The lovers from the kingdom of Girdane, wander over to where Arvelle their leader, along with Mac the dwarf are standing. After saying farewell to the pair of business factors from the kingdom of Nastell.
As they stop beside the leader of the illegal wreckers, Arvelle quietly tells them "They would of purchased more if they had brought more coin" after a brief pause, he adds "I would of sold them all to them, if i could".
Sasha nods in understanding, then quietly asks the shaven headed plainsman who leads them "And that lot from Druvic?".
Arvelle grunts, then waves as one of the cargo ships undoes it's tie lines, then hauls up it's ground anchor, and starts to slowly rise up into the late morning sky, on what's a very mild day here at the end of summer in the northeast quarter of the Kaldel Plains.
"From those four vessels you lot saw, and the description you gave of them, i only recognise one" quietly says the leader of the crew of illegal wreckers, who have been bringing down airships across the Kaldel Plains for the last year or so.
The plainsman, who is fair skinned, though not as much as Pallen, continues with "So one out of four i can kind of trust" he shrugs his shoulders, then adds "As for the other three?".
"Who knows" quietly says the dangerous blademaster Pallen, the other three standing here on the edge of the village green nod in agreement with him.
Then Arvelle says "We won't know until they get here" he continues with "And what the twins Sara and Famic tell us".
Sasha nods, then quietly asks the leader of the crew of just over two hundred illegal wreckers "Has Samiel come back".
The shaven headed plainsman shakes his head no, then says "He was going to wait until this lot left" Arvelle follows that with "He's probably nearby waiting for them to leave".
"Sounds like something he'd do" quietly says Pallen the blademaster, his fellow plainsman Arvelle nods in agreement, as the two of them don't entirely trust Samiel the mage, as they do all spellcasters.
That's indeed what the powerful mage was doing. Waiting for the two cargo vessels from the kingdom of Nastell to leave.
For as soon as the second of the airships is a few miles to the east of the village. The mage, along with the brothers Tim and Tom appear on the village green.
"We letting them go?" asks Samiel the mage after he and brothers make their way into the two storey house, that Arvelle lives in.
The others are at the table in the room just off the kitchen. There they're having the midday meal.
The three who just arrived back in the village, join them at the table, and have something to eat.
"We are" says plainsman who leads them, who then asks the spellcaster originally from the city-state of Tuledare "That other lot coming down from the north?".
"We saw them" says Samiel, who continues with "All four of them" he then adds "They'll get here this evening for sure".
The powerful mage, who is the one who actually brings down the airships they target, briefly hesitates, which of course Arvelle notices, and asks "What is it?".
"Well, they could get here before nightfall if they wanted to" says Samiel, the brothers Tom and Tim, two street ruffians turned wreckers from the kingdom of Nastell, nod in agreement with the Tuledarian mage.
"Oh?" says the leader of the illegal wreckers, the powerful spellcaster nods his head yes, then says "Wind coming out of the north, and what's coming from that way is pretty steady today" he continues with "They've basically got a tail wind, and could be here later this afternoon if they wanted to".
"Oh really?" says Arvelle, who after a slight pause adds "All four ships?".
"All four now" says Samiel, who continues with "One was out infront for a bit as we watched them, but came back to be close to the others, for protection no doubt".
The shaven headed plainsman who leads the illegal wreckers nods his head, then says "Was it the twin masted bark?" he continues with "The one that's been here before a few times?" followed by "The one the twins are flying on? ".
"It was" says the powerful mage, who along with the brothers Tim and Tom, observed the airships coming from the kingdom of Druvic. For quite some time this morning from a distance.
"Rogar's ship" says Arvelle, who then adds "He probably wants to get here as quickly as possible, but is unable to as the other three are flying slowly".
"And he doesn't want to be away from their protection" says Sasha, who then adds "Especially considering one is fitted for battle with magetubes and ballista".
"He's no fool" says Arvelle, who looks at the couple from the kingdom of Girdane, and adds "You've met him before, he's a cautious fellow. And doesn't do anything to put him and his crew in danger".
"And he always pays a fair price for whatever we're selling" says Mac the dwarf who speaks up for the first time.
The former shipwright from the Cascades, those low mountains and hill country near the coast of the Southlands, inland from the crescent port of Gilsom, then adds "He might not trust those other three vessels that the twins were able to persuade to come here".
"Might not" murmurs Arvelle in agreement with his best friend, and offsider, Mac.
Then the leader of the illegal wreckers says to the others at the table "We'll have to prepare for anything before they turn up tonight" Arvelle then adds "They'll be up to something for sure".
Just then Gorlic comes in from outside, and the leader of the crew of the illegal wreckers asks the former arena fighter "How was it?".
"Not to bad" says Gorlic the former arena fighter, who takes a plate from the table and starts loading it with food.
The former arena fighter originally from the city-state of Brattonbury continues with "All depends where they are" he briefly pauses before adding "Would be best if we have that other lot land on the green where we want" Gorlic then adds "Especially the one rigged for war".
Arvelle nods, then says "We'll make sure of it" the leader of the illegal wreckers continues with "Since they're getting here tonight, we'll have an excuse to have them land where we want" he then adds "For safety of course".
The others all grin at that, and Gorlic as he sits down on a bench next to the lovers Pallen and Sasha, softly chuckles, and snorts then murmurs "They'll be safe alright".
They eat in relative silence, not speaking about much or what they'll do later tonight, when the buyers from the kingdom of Druvic eventually show up.
Once they finish eating, Arvelle has the brothers Tom and Tim, as well as a couple of others who ate their midday meal here. Check on the other preparations for tonight when the four airships from the kingdom of Druvic show up.
Once they're gone, and it's only Arvelle, Sasha, Pallen, Mac, Gorlic and Samiel still at the table in the room off to the side of the kitchen. And Mac gets up and closes the door to outside, and then takes his seat next to his best friend Arvelle.
The leader of the crew of illegal wreckers quietly says "Let's just hope we can actually sell some of them".
Sasha the former mercenary nods, then says "Your best bet is Rogar, he'll definitely buy them".
"But not all of them, he can't afford to buy all of them, unfortunately" says the tall, shaven headed plainsman who leads them, he continues with "The trick will be to get him to buy some first, and have them loaded and leave while I'm still negotiating with the others".
"Think we could risk negotiating with them in the morning?" asks Gorlic, who can be more than a little hot headed at times "That's what they'll be wanting" says Arvelle, who continues with "Well those other three will at least".
"So they can take what they want" quietly says Pallen the blademaster, who continues with "That's what i would do if I've flown hundreds of miles to get to a fortune in magetubes" he then adds "Take them, instead of paying for them".
They all nod at that, as they all have a feeling this will be what they're dealing with once the buyers from the kingdom of Druvic turn up. Well at least three out of the four vessels will. With probably only one, the merchant Rogar who they've dealt with previously a number of times. Being the only one who'll likely legitimately purchase some of the magetubes.
"Might be best if you did try to haggle with the others, and draw out the negotiations" says Sasha as she looks across the table at Arvelle.
The good looking woman with just one eye, continues with "Because three ships, with their crew and whoever else they've brought as passengers, will probably outnumber us".
They all nod to that, even with the illegal wreckers who live in the next village just a few miles away. Who have made their way over to this one this morning. Arvelle's crew will most likely be outnumbered by those coming from the kingdom of Druvic who are arriving tonight some time.
"What ever happens, we'll have to be decisive" says Arvelle, who after a brief pause, adds "Even if things go well, we're bound to lose some our crew if they try to take the magetubes by force".
They all nod at that, then the tall plainsman Pallen says "Such is the life of a criminal" the dangerous blademaster follows that with "And that's the life we've chosen".
The others at the table are all in agreement with that, as they all know the risks of being illegal wreckers. And that there's a fairly good chance that the criminal activities they partake in, will take their lives . . . . . .