Aftermath 39.

The Kaldel Plains...

"Had some of your lot in yesterday morning selling me some of their stuff" says the merchant, he continues with "Have you got some more for sale?".
"Not at the moment" says Gorlic the former arena fighter from the city-state of Brattonbury, who then adds "Some others might be down in another day or two, I'm sure they'll have more things to sell you".
The illegal wrecker then asks the merchant "What I'm actually wondering is if you've seen one of us recently" Gorlic continues with "He might of come in yesterday as well".
"Hmmm who?" asks the man behind the counter who owns a trade store, that sells everything from rope to weapons, the merchant continues with "Just those lads yesterday is the only ones up from your way that's been in recently".
"Not the dwarven fellow you've dealt with previously?" asks the former arena fighter from the coastal city-state of Brattonbury, who continues with "Mac's his name".
"Haven't seen him since last month" says the merchant who is a regular buyer of the goods that the illegal wreckers bring to town to sell, he continues with "When you lot brought in nearly a dozen wagons worth of goods".
Gorlic, who is a hothead at times, refrains from sighing, as this is the third store in town he and the other illegal wreckers sell to, that he's been in today, where the proprietor hasn't seen the missing dwarf Mac.
The former arena fighter, then nods to a pile of goods that he recognises from one of the airships that's still being torn apart back in the village further to the north on the plains, and he asks the merchant "Will you have any trouble selling them now that it's going into autumn?".
"Should be able to sell them fairly quickly" says the business owner, who continues with "Always have people coming into town wanting to buy stuff" he then adds "Only really slow down in the wintertime, and usually only sell to the locals then. Though even then, people are still willing to buy what you lot send down".
Gorlic nods, and continues to chat with the merchant for a little while longer, until he finally wishes him farewell, and exits the store when a pair of gold prospectors come in, wanting to buy some equipment.
Outside, the former arena fighter from the coast of the Southlands looks around, and wonders where Samiel the mage is.
Gorlic shrugs his shoulders, and sets off. Hoping to find the powerful spellcaster somewhere.
The illegal wrecker heads to the center of town this afternoon, on what's been a cool day. The first real cool day of the year so far. The first true sign that summer has finally come to an end on the Kaldel Plains.
As he makes his way through the busy town, people keep clear of the Brattonburian. As the locals, whether they be plainsmen or foreigners who live here in town. Know that he's one of the illegal wreckers from the two villages about thirty miles further north on the plains from town.
While those visitors to town who spot him, keep clear of Gorlic. For the simple reason, the slightly balding man in his thirties, who around six foot tall. Whose muscular frame has gone a bit to fat. Who like many from the coast of the Southlands, is tan skinned.
Has on him more weapons than most men own. He has bracers of daggers and knives. As well as throwing axes and hammers. A pair of shortswords, and a brutal looking long dagger he has strapped to his back.
The former arena fighter who is in hardened leather armour, and has a plate of steel armour over his left shoulder and upper left arm.
Is a bit of a disreputable looking individual, even though he's quite jovial and outgoing when he isn't losing his temper.
People who don't know him, tend to keep clear of him. He doesn't know why, and he really doesn't care. In his opinion, it saves him a lot of time in unnecessary chatter with people he doesn't know.
So as he makes his way through the bustling town, he's only going to places where the people know him. Going to places that he knows Mac the dwarf frequented when he visited town. Often in the company of Gorlic, and some others, such as Pallen the blademaster, Sasha the former mercenary, as well as Samiel the mage.
As for the mage, he's just exited one of the inns they stay at when they spend any extended amount of time in town.
The innkeeper and those who work in his establishment haven't seen or heard from Mac since earlier in the summer. When he visited just over a month ago with some of the others when they brought down the last of the smaller items off a trade ship that Samiel took down, further south on the Kaldel Plains, in the canyon country.
The powerful mage looks around, and spots Gorlic coming down the main road that goes through town.
The former arena fighter from the city-state of Brattonbury spots the spellcaster from the city-state of Tuledare standing outside the inn, and makes his way over to him.
"Any luck?" asks Samiel the mage "Nothing" is the reply from Gorlic, who then asks the powerful spellcaster "And you?".
The mage, who before he took up a life of crime and joined the illegal wreckers, worked for the airdock authority in the city of Tuledare, sourly smiles then says in a tone that matches his smile "Nothing as well".
Gorlic sighs, then looks around and says "Now what?" the former arena fighter who is doing well to keep a hold of his temper, continues with "I don't think he came to town" followed by "And if he did, i don't think many people noticed him".
Samiel nods his head in agreement, then quietly says to the Brattonburian "There's a few spellcasters in town" the powerful mage continues with "Let's go and speak with them" he briefly pauses before adding "If Mac didn't get help from Davon, then he might of had outside help".
"You think one of the spellcasters in town?" quietly asks Gorlic as they move away from the front of the inn "If not one of them, they might know of someone else who has been in town, who could of helped Mac out" replies Samiel.
The former arena fighter nods at the logic of that, then he walks beside Samiel who heads to the nearest spellcaster in town that he can sense as it gets later in the afternoon on what's been the first truly cool day of the year, even though it's been a clear and sunny day here in this part of the Kaldel Plains.
They head to the south of town, and through the houses and buildings to their right, they can see in the distance out on the plains, the mounds of dirt where gold prospectors have been digging up the ground looking for the valuable metal.
The land to the south and southwest of town, and further west. Is the last really big gold field on the Kaldel Plains. And people come from far and wide to try their luck to find the gold.
Samiel points to a house, and says "That one" Gorlic nods and asks him "They know you're here?". "Of course" says the powerful mage who has been sensed for sometime by every spellcaster in town, ever since he approached from the north.
The Tuledarian mage knocks on the door, and a voice on the otherside says "Come in". The pair of illegal wreckers enter the house.
Gorlic who has never been here before looks around, and is surprised to find a clean spotless place, where the main room and kitchen are one.
At the table sits a fairly young man in robes, reading a book, while in the kitchen on some shelves, are rows of vials of magical potions.
"Mage" says the young man sitting at the table "Wizard" replies Samiel who makes his way to the table and sits down opposite the local spellcaster, while Gorlic remains standing just behind his fellow wrecker.
"What can i do for you?" asks the wizard named Barra, who continues with "A potion perhaps?".
"Maybe" says the powerful mage who glances to the rows of potions on the shelves in the kitchen. Samiel doesn't have many uses for potions, but there are a few he'll use. Particular healing potions, as one can't heal themselves with a spell.
"What I'm actually wanting is some information" says the spellcaster who used to work for the airdock authority in the city of Tuledare.
"Oh?" says Barra the wizard, who is originally from the kingdom of Nastell, who left there a few years ago and set up shop here in the bustling town in the northeast of the Kaldel Plains.
"Such as?" asks the young wizard, who has knack at creating potions, better than most spellcasters he's met, and certainly better than anyone else here in this region of the Kaldel Plains.
"You mind if i cast?" asks Samiel who thinks it's best to be a bit courteous about it.
"As if i could stop you anyway" dryly says the young wizard from Nastell who is badly outmatched in magical power by the mage.
"True" says the illegal wrecker with a grin upon his face, the powerful mage then adds "Thought it was best to ask first".
The wizard Barra nods then says "That's fair enough i guess" he follows that with "Go ahead".
"I was wondering if you seen one of my acquaintances" says Samiel as he casts a spell. The young wizard lifts an eyebrow then says "A truth spell?".
The powerful mage nods his head, and tells the other practitioner of magic "Thought it would be best, instead of reading your mind" he pauses before adding "Besides I'm not particularly adept at doing that".
"You mages" says the young wizard with a shake of his head, who continues in a dry tone with "Magic isn't just about blowing things up you know".
Samiel can't help but grin at that, then he says with a shrug of his shoulders "What can you do?" he then adds "It's in our nature".
"Apparently" dryly says the local wizard, who then asks the powerful spellcaster sitting opposite of him at the table "Who is it you're looking for?".
"A dwarven fellow by the name of Mac" says the Tuledarian mage who continues with "I came here to your place with him in the spring if you remember".
"I remember" says Barra the wizard who continues with "That's the only time I've seen him". "Damn" murmurs Samiel as the young wizard is telling the truth.
The powerful mage drops the truth spell, then asks the local spellcaster "You think he might of visited any of the others in town?" referring to the other practitioners of magic here in the bustling town.
"I can't see why he would" says Barra the wizard who continues with "Your ah acquaintances don't exactly mingle with our kind, especially considering they've got you and that other one to do any magic for them".
Samiel nods and doesn't mention that there's actually two other spellcasters with him in the crew of illegal wreckers, who are based in the two villages further to the north on the plains.
"So i doubt he would of visited them" says the young wizard, who then adds in a slightly drool tone "Besides that old sorcerer and that witch are notorious gossips, trust me i would of heard it from them if that dwarven acquaintance of yours visited them".
The powerful mage originally from the city-state of Tuledare nods once more as he thinks about something, then he asks the young wizard "Has there been any other spellcasters in town recently?" he then adds "Anyone really, ones you might not know?". Barra slightly frowns, then says "There was a cleric in town earlier this week".
"There was?" asks Samiel the mage, while behind him, Gorlic is suddenly more interested in what's being discussed.
"He was holding his power within himself so he couldn't be sensed, but i recognise what he was when i spotted him walking through town" says the young wizard who then adds "His armour and vestments gave him away" he continues with "He's in the church of Glaine, and their fighting clerics are a pretty common sight in Nastell, especially up in the north of the kingdom".
"Now isn't that interesting" quietly says Samiel with a glance back at Gorlic, who nods his head in agreement.
"By himself?" asks the powerful mage "He was with three others" says the local wizard who is originally from the kingdom of Nastell, who then adds "Fairly young folk they were, my age and younger" Barra follows that with "Two young men, and a young woman, all armed and armoured, adventurers probably, maybe even soldiers as the three of them were in black for the most part".
"Even more interesting" murmurs Gorlic from where he stands behind Samiel, who nods when he hears that.
Then the powerful mage asks the young wizard "Do you know where they visited whilst in town?".
"A few stores in the north of town" says Barra who continues with "Apparently the cleric had been here in the past, just before i came here" he then tells the illegal wreckers which places the four strangers visited while they were briefly in town.
"Thanks for that" says Samiel as he gets up out of the chair, the Tuledarian mage looks to the kitchen, and after glancing at Gorlic, he says to the young wizard "Actually i might buy a couple of potions while I'm here".
The illegal wreckers leave the wizard's house, and Samiel gives one of the healing potions he's just purchased to the former arena fighter.
"Just incase you get into trouble" says the powerful mage as he hands the healing potion to Gorlic "Only use it if looks like you're dying" adds Samiel.
"I will" says the Brattonburian who then adds "Thanks".
The spellcaster originally from the city-state of Tuledare nods, then says "Come on" followed by "Let's go and find out what this cleric and these others were up to while they were in town".
As they head through town, making their way to the north side of it as it gets later in the afternoon and it approaches dusk. Samiel suddenly senses his mageglobe quickly approaching from the north.
The powerful mage tells Gorlic this, and that the living piece of magic must of found what it was sent out to find.
When the mageglobe shows up, and plops itself in Samiel's right hand. The Tuledarian mage studies it, looking at the images it shows him.
The powerful mage sourly smiles as he sees the mageglobe found five chests that he described to it that were missing.
It found five identical ones that are still amongst the fortune the illegal wreckers still have, not the ones that Mac the dwarf stole.
"What was it?" asks Gorlic after the living piece of magic disappears in the hand of the powerful mage.
"Nothing" says Samiel who continues with "It didn't find them" the powerful mage follows that with "Waste of bloody time". The two of them continue through town, hoping to find out what they can about the cleric in the church of Glaine and three others who are with him . . . . . .