Aftermath 36

The Kaldel Plains...

Tamric Drubine is awake early the next morning, well before dawn. The young field commander walks away from where the others are sleeping, to take a pee.
After passing water, the nobleborn teenager originally from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin heads back to where the others are sleeping.
Tamric Drubine, or Tam as he's more commonly called by the others in the group, is in the middle of yawning, when a quiet voice, clearly female says to him in elven "What did you lot do?".
The field commander in the armies of Farque stifles a yelp when in the gloom of predawn, he sees a tiny figure, about four and half inches tall, fluttering infront of his face.
"Hey" says Tamric Drubine in the elven language to Narladene the ground pixie who he recognises.
"Where are the others?" asks the young field commander "On their way" says Narladene the ground pixie, who then adds "They should be here tomorrow sometime i guess".
The naturally magical creature decided to reveal herself to Tam, for the simple reason he was the only one awake. And that he, along with Lisell Maera have seen her a number of times over the years they've been in the group.
Unlike Tovis the engineer, who knows of her existence, but has never seen her as she's yet to show herself to him.
While Beldane the cleric doesn't even know about her, as he's only been with the group for such a short amount of time.
"You didn't answer my question" says the tiny winged creature as the nobleborn teenager leans back against the trunk of one of the scrubby looking trees "What did you lot do?" adds Narladene who during the night checked out the nearby village after she found the four that were missing, were safe and well. Camped out amongst a patch of the scrub like trees that are dotted here and there across the Kaldel Plains.
Tamric Drubine faintly smiles, then quickly explains to the naturally magical creature who is attached to Helbe the elven thief. What he, Lisell Maera, Tovis the war engineer, and Beldane the cleric have been doing since they escaped their airship as it was crashing.
In particular what they're done in the village about five miles to the west of here. A village that the crew of illegal wreckers who brought down the Farqian warship they were all flying on. Are living, and working from.
Narladene listens in silence as the son and former heir of a previous knight of castle Drubine speaks.
Only occasionally lifting an arched eyebrow as he details what they did in the village to the west. Where they stole a considerable fortune from the illegal wreckers.
Killing one of the leading wreckers in the process. All without anyone in the nearby village knowing that it was them who did it.
He's got a devious streak to him for sure, the ground pixie thinks to herself as she looks at the nobleborn teenager who hails from Sarcrin. A kingdom that's to the west and south of the Kaldel Plains.
Probably because of that group of reprobates he's been with since he was a child, Narladene dryly thinks to herself, who after Tam finishes speaking, asks him "How much do you think you took?".
"A lot" replies the young field commander as the gloom starts to lighten up, as a new day dawns upon the Kaldel Plains in the central Southlands.
Tamric Drubine gives a rough guess of what they think they stole from the illegal wreckers, and Narladene's eyebrows shoot up in surprise.
The ground pixie saw the chests and lockers they stole, paying particular attention to the barrel cask full of spell gems.
"How much are those spell gems worth?" muses the tiny winged creature, who has never bothered to learn their value because she can create them.
"Plenty" says the nobleborn teenager, who gives her a figure that Beldane the cleric reckons a small spell gem is worth.
"No wonder he bloody hoards them" mutters Narladene in the ground pixie language referring to prince Helbenthril Raendril who she is attached to.
The naturally magical creature who is originally from the Sunreach Mountains, switches back to the elven language, and says "Well, you lot are to keep out of trouble from now on".
The field commander nods his head, and the tiny winged creature tells him in a slightly dry tone "No doubt you'll get into plenty of trouble when that lot turn up".
Tam flashes a grin, then asks the ground pixie "What are they intending to do?".
"The obvious" says Narladene, who follows that with "They're a vindictive lot, you know that" the naturally magical creature continues with "They intend to inflict some revenge upon those wreckers" after a slight pause, she adds "And in some, i mean a lot".
Now, that doesn't surprise me in the least, Tamric Drubine thinks to himself, who then asks the tiny winged creature "Is it alright if we continue to observe them in that village?".
For though he knows he might be a field commander in the armies of Farque. He best do what the ground pixie wants, as she has the ear of prince Helbenthril Raendril. Who is a member of the personal council to lord Farque.
And the fact the ground pixie, can do pretty much what she likes. And can be extremely lethal if she wants. Secure in the knowledge that hardly anything in existence can harm her in anyway.
After thinking about it for a few moments, Narladene nods her head, then says "That fine" she continues with "Observe only".
"Will do" says Tamric Drubine who then adds "Best i get back to the others".
The ground pixie nods, and the nobleborn teenager from the kingdom of Sarcrin, heads back to where the others are waking up.
With the tiny winged creature flying beside him, as Narladene intends to keep an eye on them.
After they're all awake, and they have something to eat, field commander Drubine says to the others "We'll go and watch what they're up to" he continues with "See if any of them have turned on one another".
"Want me to stay again?" asks Tovis the war engineer who gestures towards the chests they stole.
Tam glances to his right, where Narladene mouths the words "Bury them" as she points at the chests of gold and gems.
"No, we stick together" says the young field commander in the armies of Farque, who then adds "We'll bury this lot" as he waves at the chests they stole from the illegal wreckers in the nearby village.
"We haven't exactly got any spades" muses Tovis as he rubs his chin while looking at the two large ship's lockers, a smaller chest, and two small barrel casks.
After rolling her eyes, Lisell Maera the messenger says "We've got a spellcaster for that" as she nods at Beldane the cleric.
A short while later, the chests they stole are buried in the ground.
And Beldane the cleric quietly says "Wonder if any of their spellcasters are back?".
"They're still not back" says Tam, the others look at him, and the fighting cleric asks him "How do you know?".
"An educated guess" says the nobleborn teenager in a slightly dry tone of voice, who has to listen carefully to hear Narladene, who whispers information into his right ear every so often.
"Well hopefully none of them are on our spot this morning" says Beldane as he casts a gateway spell, he continues with "Because they're not going to like that, that's for sure".
The gateway forms, and Narladene is through it first, followed by Tamric Drubine, Lisell Maera, Tovis the war engineer, and finally the powerful cleric who is a member of the church of Glaine.
After going through the gateway, and making their way up onto the slight rise, the four of them crawl the last bit to the top.
Where in the first light of the morning, they look to the nearby village, that's less than a quarter of a mile away.
"Hmmm seems none of their spellcasters are back" quietly says Beldane, who hails from the kingdom of Nastell.
Lisell Maera, or Lis as she's more commonly called by the others, glances sideways at Tam who is taking his brass, cylindrical eyepiece from his cloak.
"And how did you know that?" quietly asks the messenger in the elven language, the young field commander doesn't answer that, and instead looks through his eyepiece, though he does slightly smile as does so.
When Tamric Drubine does finally speak, he says in elven to the attractive young woman from the city-state of Brattonbury lying beside him "I think the others will show up tomorrow" he pauses as he listens to Narladene, then he tells Lis "Or maybe even during the night".
"Who?" asks the messenger, who is a member of the scouts division in one of the armies of Farque.
"Helbe and the others" says Tam, who starts naming the others who are with the elven princeling "Mira, Dorc, Shur Kee, Darid, Dalin, that goblin Teabagger, and Percy as well".
"Hell, that's one giant disaster if there ever was one" dryly says Lis, who then stares at the nobleborn teenager from kingdom of Sarcrin, as she asks him "And how do you know this?".
The messenger then adds "Out with it" followed by "Don't put me off like you did before concerning their spellcasters" as she gestures to the nearby village they're watching.
Tamric Drubine doesn't say anything, all the same, Lis jerks her head back in surprise when she suddenly sees Narladene the ground pixie appear above the head of the young field commander.
The naturally magical creature who is grinning, waves at the messenger, before she disappears.
"Well, that explains that then" dryly says the attractive young woman who hails from the coast of the Southlands.
Tam just nods, then in the common language so that Tovis and Beldane can understand what's being said, he says "Seems some of them must of left during the night".
The young field commander in the armies of Farque, continues with "As there doesn't seem to be so many of them about this morning".
Tamric Drubine after listening to what Narladene has whispered to him, then adds "Those that have gone, are out and about searching for that dwarf Lis killed" followed by "And to search for their missing gold and gems".
"Good luck finding that" quietly says Beldane the cleric, next to him, Tovis the war engineer nods in agreement.
With the sun rising in the east behind them, Lisell Maera says "Looks like there's just a few of them working on stripping apart one of those ships" she continues with "A handful at most".
Field commander Drubine nods, then he says "Hardly any of them alright" he continues with "They're more concerned with finding the dwarf, and their missing loot".
They continue to watch the village and the surrounding area, and it's Tovis the war engineer who spots the horses "Riders to the north".
"They must of been up at that other village last night" says Tam as he watches the mounted wreckers, he identifies a couple of them, and says "That plainsman who is a blademaster, and that one eyed mercenary he's always with".
"The couple, Pallen and Sasha" says Lis, who a couple of days ago, snuck into the village disguised as a plainswoman.
"None of them exactly look pleased" murmurs the young field commander as they watch the wreckers ride into the village.
"Can't find what they're looking for" says the cleric Beldane, who continues with "Someone's going to pay for it".
The other three nod in agreement, then Tovis the war engineer says "There's the leader" as he points to the village green, where next to the two storey building at the northwest corner, stands the plainsman named Arvelle, who leads the crew of illegal wreckers.
A short time later, and they see Pallen and Sasha who have just ridden in, talking with their leader Arvelle. What ever they're talking about, they don't seem happy as they enter the two storey house that Arvelle lives in.
The same house that the four of them, stole a substantial chunk of the illegal wreckers wealth from.
Field commander Drubine is just about to mention something, when he quickly changes his mind when he hears what Narladene whispers to him.
And instead, the nobleborn teenager originally from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin quickly says "Beldane hold your power within yourself" followed by "There's a rift".
"Where?" asks the fighting cleric as he holds his power within himself "Oh there it is" adds the churchman as a rift appears on the village green.
"It's the mage" says Tam before anyone comes out of the rift.
And when people start coming through it, the young field commander adds "That sorceress too".
"That must be her twin brother with her too" says the messenger Maera, who continues with "They certainly look alike".
"Well, that's two of their spellcasters back" quietly says Beldane the cleric who continues on with "Let's see what happens with them thrown in the mix".
"Wonder what's being said" quietly says Tovis the war engineer as they see the leader Arvelle, along with the couple Pallen and Sasha walk out of the two storey building. To meet those who have just returned via a rift. The discussion is definitely animated as they all head back into the two storey house.
Tam glances at Narladene who points to the village. The young field commander slightly nods, and the tiny winged creature dives into the ground, no doubt heading into the village.
"Just that other spellcaster to show up now" says the powerful cleric who is from the duchy of Phelm, which is in the north of the kingdom of Nastell "That wizard" adds Beldane.
They watch and wait for some time, it's almost mid morning when those who went into the two storey house make an appearance outside.
Those who came through the rift definitely don't look happy, much like Arvelle, Sasha and Pallen.
Narladene reappears next to Tamric Drubine, who slightly nods when she whispers to him what she's found out.
"They'll go out and join the search" quietly says the young field commander in the armies of Farque.
"The mage and another just disappeared" says Tovis the war engineer "Teleported no doubt" says Beldane who is still holding his power within himself.
"They've gone south" says Tamric Drubine, and as the sorceress and her twin brother disappear as she teleports them away, the nobleborn teenager adds "And they're going north".
A short while later, and Tam tells Beldane it's fine to stop holding his power within himself.
The fighting cleric breathes a heavy sigh when he stops doing so, as the four of them continue to watch the nearby village where the crew of illegal wreckers are based in . . . . . .