The Lost Ones 10.

Summer. The Sultanate Of Dreese. Off The Far East Coast Of The Continent.

The ship, a twin masted schooner approaches another island in the chain off the coast of the mainland.
Tovis the war engineer turns and nods his head yes, when one of the local soldiers says in his heavily accented common "We should have the equipment and weapons off pretty quickly, the port facilities here are more than adequate".
The local soldiers, both from the mainland and the islands, treat the hired mercenaries with respect. After all they've won them victory after victory against the Viceroy's forces.
Not so the Sultan's personal guards, and others of his inner circle. Who couldn't care less about the mercenaries from the otherside of the continent. Just as long as they defeat the Viceroy's forces, and capture him.
The first part of that is going fairly easily. Not so the second part. As no one knows where the Viceroy is.
Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy crosses the deck, and joins the young engineer at the starboard rail.
"Pretty place" says Tovis the war engineer "That it is" says Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy, who after a brief pause adds "Then again so are most of these islands".
The war engineer originally from the kingdom of Druvic, where he served in the army of a baron Harkonin, nods his head in agreement with the elven spy who is from the principality of Alínlae.
Both nations which are in the Southlands, which is twelve thousand miles away, on the otherside of the continent.
As the schooner cuts through the warm tropical water towards the island that the fleet is stopping at. 
Tovis asks the spy Tanith "Getting ready to deal with them again?".
"That i am" sourly says Dalinvardél Tanith or Dalin as he's more commonly called by the others in the group.
The young engineer can't help but grin at hearing that tone from the elven spy, and he tells him "Better you than me".
"Wouldn't be so bad if i didn't see Mira most of the time i talk to them" says the elven spy, which causes the war engineer to wince.
"Poor bastard" murmurs Tovis, next to him, Dalin nods his hooded head in agreement.
The two of them are silent for a few moments, then the spy Tanith gestures towards the island they're approaching, and quietly says "Helbe's already over there" followed by "Seeing what he can find out before the army lands, and before you know who gets there".
Tovis nods in understanding. As the you know who in question. Is the Sultan of Dreese.
A man who doesn't like other spellcasters around who aren't under his control.
He also doesn't like undead warlords in his immediate vicinity as well. As lord Farque will kill him the first chance he gets. But hasn't, because the Sultan has Mira Reinholt the mage under his control. And will kill the spellcaster from the city-state of Vexil in the Southlands, if the lord and ruler of the lands Farque gets too close to him.
Tovis glances at Dalin, and quietly asks him "How's he doing?".
Knowing exactly who the young engineer is referring to, the spy Tanith can't help but grin, then softly burst into laughter, before he says "He's still not taking it well".
The war engineer can't help but grin too, and after he softly chuckles, he says "I can well imagine".
Tovis shakes his head, then adds "It must be such a shock".
"That my young engineer" says the elven spy who formerly served in one of the more prominent noble houses of his homeland of Alínlae "Is truly an understatement if I've ever heard one" adds Dalin who along with Tovis, continues chuckling.
The schooner puts in at dock, one of four vessels to do so at this dock. While a similar number put in at the next dock over, and three other vessels, put in at the smaller dock in the bay port.
Smaller vessels are anchoring off the beaches to the north and south along the bay. Where airships are putting down too. Airships that the Sultan and his personal guards fly on. As the regular army of the Sultanate travel by sea.
The others onboard come up on deck, with Beldane the cleric leading the way. Followed by lord Farque himself. Then the last member of the group who is onboard.
"Fuck" mutters Jarjin Littlefoot who almost trips up as he makes his way up the ladder onto the deck.
Looking back, and down, lord Farque says "What are you fucking bitching about now?".
"These damn legs, they're too short" mutters Jarjin who hails from the mainland of the Sultanate of Dreese.
"I can't climb steps most of the time" adds Jarjin, whose youthful face belies who he really is.
Shaking his full helmed head, the undead warlord as they make their way forward to where Tovis the war engineer and Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy are, says "You'll get used to it".
The heavily armoured deathlord, who gets nods and bows from the ship's crew and the local soldiers as he passes them, then says "If not, and you keep fucking complaining, I'll throw you into the ocean and see how well you swim".
"Maybe i can't swim" murmurs Jarjin, who then adds in a hopeful tone "And I'll drown" he grins at the thought of that.
Until the grin is wiped off his face, when the lord and ruler of the lands Farque quietly tells him in an ominous tone "You better fucking hope not, because if you do, I'll bring you back into a body you'll really fucking hate".
Jarjin Littlefoot the hobbit sourly smiles as he struggles with his pack as he follows behind the large, heavily armoured figure of the lord of the death realm.
Fuck me, he'd probably bring me back as a goblin, or something even worse, Jarjin thinks to himself, the hobbit who is really a hordes outrider from the southern tundra by the name of Zubutai Timaginson, who just happens to inhabit the body of Jarjin, then silently adds, that fucking elven thief!
As it was Helbe the elven thief who picked this particular body. As it was the only one that was intact from an enemy airship that crashed and burned in the previous battle on one of the islands further to the south, where Arvelle Ganard the plainsman was killed.
Well, that's not strictly true. There were two or three other dead bodies that would be suitable for Zubutai the barbarian hordesman to inhabit.
But the young elven noble from the island principality of Laerel, which lies off the coast of the Southlands, on the otherside of the continent.
Thought it would be funny that Zubutai the son of Timagin was a hobbit. And so far that has proven to be correct. As the others in the group have found the barbarian hordesman being in the body of the hobbit named Jarjin Littlefoot to be hilarious.
Switching from the halfling language that he's speaking in with Jarjin aka Zubutai Timagin, lord Farque says "Dalin take Littlefoot with you".
The hobbit sourly smiles at being called by his last name, which the others all find hilarious.
"Why me?" asks the halfling who was a crew member on one of the Viceroy's airships until it was blasted out of the sky in the last battle by the cadre of spellcasters at the Sultan's disposal.
"Because you can speak and understand the local language, that's fucking why" says undead warlord in the elven language.
The hobbit nods in understanding, then does so again, when the lord and ruler of the lands Farque, who is also known by the name of Draugadrottin to the people of his lands, tells him "Don't lose that spell gem, you'll be fucked without it".
As the spy Tanith goes to hop over the starboard rail, and jump onto the deck, he asks Jarjin "You need a lift over the rail?".
"I'll wait for the gangplank thanks" sourly says the hobbit air sailor, which causes Dalin, Tovis and Beldane the cleric to all chuckle.
The halfling goes to say something disparaging to all of them, but keeps his mouth shut when he sees the heavily armoured deathlord looking closely at him.
Jarjin aka Zubutai Timaginson lets out a sigh, then struggling with his pack, he makes his way over to the gap in the rail, where the gangplank is being put out to the dock.
He's one of the first to cross it, after he yells at a number of the crew in their own dialect to get out of his way.
The halfling who was previously in the Viceroy's military, makes his way over to where the spy Tanith is waiting for him.
Zubutai the barbarian hordesman still isn't accustomed to this body. He's been short before, when he was a dwarf after he first died. And to be honest, he was quite happy being a dwarf. Apart from when Dorc da Orc was trying to kill him. Which was all the time.
He liked the sturdy, grounded nature of being a dwarf. As he was always stable on his feet. As well as being fairly strong. But the best thing about being a dwarf was the endurance and stamina he had.
Something he's missed in the numerous bodies he's been in since then.
As for being a halfling, or hobbit as they're more commonly known as. He can't see too many advantages apart from the enhanced hearing and eyesight that all non humans have.
He's got large hairy feet that the boots he's got, barely fit into.
Lord Farque has told him a couple of advantages of being a hobbit. Which Jarjin aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman has yet to discover.
Supposedly he's light on his feet. Though he has to go barefoot to do so, which he's unwilling to do at this time.
And he's also resilient. Which the former air sailor, who is a member of the personal council to the lord and ruler of the lands Farque, finds a little hard to believe.
Jarjin Littlefoot looks back, and sees the others disembarking from the schooner.
The halfling then hurries up, as Dalinvardél Tanith has set off and is making his way off the dock.
"Wait up you long legged prick" says Jarjin the hobbit, who admits having another language, two of them infact if you include the local dialect of the Sultanate of Dreese, to be an advantage.
Having caught up to the spy Tanith, councillor Littlefoot says in elven "Slow down will you" followed by "My legs aren't as long as yours".
"That's for sure" dryly says Dalin who at six and a half foot tall, is just above average height for an elf.
All the same, the elven spy from the principality of Alínlae slows down so that the former air sailor, who was previously in the Viceroy's forces, is able to keep up.
"In which direction has that fat idiot landed?" asks Jarjin aka Zubutai the son of Timagin.
"South of town" replies the spy Tanith as the two of them converse in the language of the elves.
The town is fairly large for one found in the island chain. There must be near ten thousand people living and working here.
It's under the control of the Sultan. Though much of the island, which is one of the largest in the entire chain. Is under the control of the Viceroy's forces.
"Doesn't feel like a town that could be in the middle of battle soon" quietly says the hobbit, who is really a barbarian hordesman from the southern tundra by the name of Zubutai Timaginson, who just happens to inhabit the body of Jarjin Littlefoot.
The elven spy in the gray hooded cloak nods his head in agreement with the halfling from the mainland as they head south through the port town.
A town with white walled buildings, and colourful rooftops. That contrast with the bright blue tropical waters of the ocean on one side. And the thick green tropical forest that goes up the mountain behind the town on the otherside.
The two of them, halfling and elf. Are pretty quiet as they make their way through the town, that the Sultan's forces are pouring into.
Then once they're on the road that leads south behind the beaches in that direction as they leave town.
They see a figure in a white hooded cloak waiting on the side of the road for them.
Jarjin aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman sourly smiles at the sight of Helbe the elven thief. As the elven magic user is the one who is responsible for him being a hobbit now.
"They've landed, best not i go further south" says Helbe the elven thief after they greet one another. Well, Dalin and the elven magic user greet one another. Jarjin ignores the young elven noble from the island principality of Laerel.
"What did you find out?" asks the spy Tanith as they stand off the side of the road, conversing in the elven language.
"They're on the otherside of the island as lord Farque predicted" says the elven masterthief who nods his hooded head towards the mountain to the east, and adds "We'll probably have to go over that, as the roads here don't go around the island, nor do they go that far".
The grandson of the ruling prince of Laerel, who like Jarjin aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman is a member of the personal council to the lord and ruler of the lands Farque, gestures to the town behind them.
"The Sultan might be in control here, but there's a fair few locals there who are sympathetic to the Viceroy" quietly says the elven princeling.
Dalinvardél Tanith who stands a couple inches taller than the nobleborn elf, nods his hooded head then quietly says "As they were on some of the other islands".
The two elves are quiet for a few moments, then the elven spy who hails from the principality of Alínlae says "Seems the younger brother might be the better ruler".
"That's for sure" says the elven master assassin, who then adds "Then again, just about anyone would be a better ruler than that fat degenerate".
The spy Tanith slightly nods his hooded head, then he quietly says "We're fighting on the wrong side of the war".
"True" admits prince Helbenthril Raendril, who follows that with "But we came through the void, and ended up in the middle of his palace grounds of all places, and Mira was immediately captured, so that was that".
Dalin nods, while Jarjin grunts, his first contribution to the conversation, off to the side of the road, just south of the port town, on what's another warm tropical day here in the island chain that makes up part of the Sultanate of Dreese.
Looking at his fellow member of lord Farque's personal council, Helbe the elven thief asks Jarjin Littlefoot "Still pissed off with me?".
"Yes" is the sour reply from the hobbit, who stands just a little over four foot tall.
"Like i said, it was the only suitable body i could find" lies the elven master archer.
The former air sailor in the Viceroy's forces grunts to that, then he grimaces when the highly talented elven magic says "Just be glad we're not back in the Southlands with the others".
Councillor Raendril continues with "If we were, Dorc would be pissing on you all the time" the young elven noble briefly pauses before continuing with "No, that's right, he does that to gnomes".
The elven princeling follows that with "All the same, he'd make your life a living hell, probably carry you around in one of his filthy sacks all the time" he briefly pauses then adds "And still piss on you, knowing that big green psycho".
Jarjin who fervently hopes he dies again, and is in another body before they return to the Southlands, sourly says "Thanks" followed in an extremely dry tone with "That makes being here feel so much better".
"You're welcome" says Helbe the elven thief, who can't help but grin at the predicament his fellow councillor is in.
Then to put things into perspective, the elven master assassin says "It could be worse" followed by "You could be in Mira's situation".
Both Jarjin and Dalin wince at that, then the hobbit nods in agreement with what his fellow councillor just said.
Then the young elven noble from the principality of Laerel says "Stay safe" he continues with "And whatever you do, don't lose those spell gems".
Both Jarjin aka Zubutai Timaginson and Dalinvardél Tanith nod to that.
Then after the elven princeling disappears as he shifts into town. The hobbit from the mainland, and the elf from the principality of Alínlae continue along the road.
Making their way to where the Sultan is setting up camp, as the spy Tanith is to meet with him, to discuss lord Farque's plans of attack against the Viceroy's forces here on the island . . . . . .