The Lost Ones 28.

Summer. The Islands Off The Mainland Of The Sultanate Of Dreese.

"There's another one out that way to the east" says Helbe the elven thief.
"Don't usually come out this way" says the captain of the Quick Gull, who then adds "Usually continue up northwards, up near the equator" he continues with "Not many people live out here to the east".
The young elven noble from the island principality of Laerel, which is on the otherside of the continent, off the coast of the Southlands.
Nods his hooded head at what the airship captain just said, then the highly talented elven magic user says "Good enough reason to try out this way" followed by "He could very well be out here to the east, where there's less people".
The captain grunts in agreement as he wipes his brow with a forearm, on this warm tropical summer's day here above the island chain off the coast of the mainland of Dreese.
"Good as reason as any alright" says the ship's captain, who then glances forward along the deck of the small, single masted vessel, and mutters "Don't know how he's going to take things with us going further east".
The captain is looking at the representative from the Sultan's court, who is in a midships at the moment.
And will probably not like that they're going to head out further to the east, than they already are.
As he's stated previously that he would prefer they go due north, compared to the northeast they've been traveling the last couple of days since defeating the Viceroy's forces on the island of Solma.
"Don't worry about him" quietly says the elf from the Southlands to the captain "You're the one in command, not him" continues the elven masterthief, who then adds "He's just here to observe and watch things".
The grandson of the ruling prince of Laerel briefly pauses, before he says in a slightly dry tone of voice "It's not as though he does anything of importance".
The ship's captain chuckles, as does the helmsman infront of the two of them, who is listening to their conversation.
"Three points to starboard" says the captain to the helmsman "We're going further east" adds the captain of the small, sleek, single masted airship that's the quickest vessel by far, in the Sultan of Dreese's fleet.
With the airship turning, the representative from the Sultan's court, looks aft and frowns, wondering why the captain has decided to turn further to the east than the Quick Gull has already been going.
The court member is about to head aft and complain to the ship's captain, when all of a sudden he decides not to. And he continues to look down over the port rail, at the ocean five hundred feet below them.
With the captain, behind the helmsman at the wheel, Helbe the elven thief faintly smiles.
The young elven noble who is a member of the royal family that rules the principality of Laerel, and who is also a member of the personal council to lord Farque.
Has hardly cast whilst he's been onboard the Quick Gull. But when he has, like just now, it's usually on the representative from the Sultan's court.
To stop him bothering the crew, particularly the airship's captain.
The court member is far from popular onboard the quickest vessel in the Sultan's fleet.
Infact pretty much everyone dislikes him to some degree or another. Unlike the elf mercenary who travels with them. Who is hugely popular amongst the crew and officers of the Quick Gull.
Since leaving the island of Solma, they've flown over a number of islands. Some just atolls with no one living on them.
Others that are larger atolls, with protected lagoons. With small villages on the beach within the atoll.
They've quickly searched them, and not found the person they're searching for. The Viceroy of Dreese, or to be exact, the former Viceroy, who happens to be the younger brother of the Sultan of Dreese.
They've come across larger islands with no one living on them. Due to there being dangerous animals and creatures on them.
Whilst they've flown over much smaller islands, that have hundreds of people living on them.
They've encountered two such islands. Where they've had to stop, and search amongst the local populace. Trying to find the Viceroy, or at least any sign of him, and where he could be.
So far no luck for the crew and officers of the Quick Gull. That's basically one of the scout ships for the Sultan's entire fleet, both air and sea fleet.
The elven princeling from Laerel in the Southlands, is by far the best lookout onboard.
And not just because of the advantages of his naturally enhanced eyesight, and his magical powers.
But also because of who is with him. Narladene the ground pixie, who has gone ahead to the island the Quick Gull is now making it's way towards.
While onboard the small, single masted airship. Helbe the elven thief continues his conversation with the captain as the helmsman and others on the aft deck listen on.
Narladene is a good ten miles infront of the quickest vessel in the Sultan's fleet.
Flying swiftly towards the island, the following airship is now heading towards.
The naturally magical creature from the Sunreach Mountains in the Southlands, slightly frowns as she looks at the nearby island.
The tiny winged creature who is just twenty feet above the water, flying above a pod of dolphins who are below her, who she's been chatting away to.
Lifts up in altitude, climbing to a few hundred feet. Then she nods her head in understanding, as she spots a few tiny islands further to the east of the larger one she's approaching.
Not that it's particularly big, nor does it have a thick covering of trees over it. Like the islands further to the west in the chain, closer to the mainland of Dreese tend to do.
The ground pixie drops back down, farewells the pod of dolphins. And continues quickly to the larger island, out of about a group of four of them.
The naturally magical creature is soon there. And once she's down on the ground, she senses through it, as well as sensing for magic.
Narladene nods her tiny little head as she senses a few hundred people on this, the larger island. An island she'll soon learn is called Gallem.
The ground pixie makes her way to the nearest village, and has a quick look around, as she knows she'll go out to one of the smaller islands that are close by.
The tiny winged creature makes her way into houses and buildings, listening to the locals, trying to find out as much as she can.
The naturally magical creature from the Southlands, doesn't hear much in the way of talk concerning the war between the Sultan and the Viceroy.
Seems the people out here in the very east of the island chain that's part of the Sultanate of Dreese.
Don't particularly care about the war between the two brothers, one the Sultan the other the Viceroy.
It's not until she gets to a boat shed, that she actually hears anything specific about it.
When a local fisherman says to another man, obviously a sailor from elsewhere in the Sultanate. What "He" thinks of what's going on in the war between the two brothers.
And the sailor replies that "He" who is someone else they're referring to, doesn't think much of what's happening in the war between the brothers.
A war that started all because of a failed coup attempt by the younger brother the Viceroy, against his older brother the Sultan.
Narladene watches the sailor and fishermen for a little while longer. And when the sailor heads to his dinghy at the short pier, and sets off.
The ground pixie who is attached to Helbe the elven thief heads off in the same direction.
The naturally magical creature makes her way to one of the tiny islands nearby.
It's only five hundred yards or so from the larger island. And by the looks of it, you could walk to it when the tide is out.
But at the moment the tide is in, and the sailor has to row his dinghy across to the small island.
Of course, the tiny winged creature gets there far quicker than he does.
And up above the small island, Narladene sees that there's a sailing ship at anchor on the far side of it.
Obviously a warship, though trimmed to look like a merchant vessel. And by the looks of it, the same style of vessel found in the Sultan's sea going fleet.
Because that's exactly what it is. Part of the Sultan of Dreese's fleet. Well, it used to be part of his fleet.
Then the ground pixie looks straight down at the island below her. Where amongst the trees sits an airship.
You wouldn't be able to moor a ship in the middle of many of the islands further to the west in the chain of islands that are part of the Sultanate of Dreese.
As the tropical forests are just too thick. But out here, in the far east of the island chain, it can be done.
And from a distance, like from the nearby larger island. The single mast that sticks up, looks exactly like one of the taller trees on this small island.
From where Narladene hovers over the island, the small single masted vessel down on the ground looks like a sister ship of the Quick Gull that Helbe the elven thief is traveling on.
It's got the same lines and dimensions, and the same configuration.
And when she drops down to it, and gets a good look at the name plate that's been blacked out.
That's exactly what it is, the sister ship of the Quick Gull. Though the blacked out name plate of this sleek looking single masted airship, is the Fast Gull.
The ground pixie passes through the hull of the Fast Gull, and heads aft, to where she senses the spellcaster she's first sensed some distance away when she started heading this way.
The tiny winged creature goes through the closed door of the captain's cabin.
And inside she finds a lone man, standing looking down a number of maps on the cabin table.
Narladene goes around him, to get a look at his face. And when she sees his face, she nods her tiny head in satisfaction.
He looks like the Sultan of Dreese, who the naturally magical creature has seen from a distance.
Though this man is much slimmer, and more athletic looking than the supreme ruler of the Sultanate of Dreese, not to mention younger.
And this man, a spellcaster, who isn't particularly strong in magic, is taller than the Sultan.
At about six foot in height, he's taller than the average Dreesian, who tend to be fairly short people.
As are many other people in the kingdoms and nations up the east coast of the continent.
Narladene watches him concentrating on the maps he's looking at.
And after a little while, the ground pixie from the Southlands, makes her way through, and out of the airship hidden on the tiny island.
And heads back to the Quick Gull that she senses is heading this way. To tell Helbe the elven thief, that she's found the person they're looking for, the Viceroy of Dreese.
The helmsman at the wheel who has joined in on the conversation, asks the elven magic user from the Southlands "Is it true you lot live forever?".
The Quick Gull's captain has been wanting to ask that for days, but he's thought it's impolite to do so. He's glad that the crew member at the wheel has done so.
"Well, not forever" says Helbe the elven thief as he waits for Narladene the ground pixie to return from the island the small, single masted airship is heading towards.
"But we do live for a long time" continues the young elven noble from the principality of Laerel, which is the largest island off the coast of the Southlands.
"I'm two hundred and twenty years old" adds the elven master assassin.
The captain, helmsman and the others on the aft deck, all blink or stare in surprise when they hear that.
And continue to do so, when the highly talented elven spellcaster tells them "And I'm quite young for an elf".
The captain of the Quick Gull speaks up, and asks "Young compared to what?".
"Well, my grandfather is over twelve hundred years old, and he's still going strong" is the reply of the grandson of the ruling prince of Laerel.
Many a mouth and jaw of those on the aft deck open, or drop down in surprise at that.
Then the elven princeling from the Southlands excuses himself, and wanders over to the starboard rail, to listen to what Narladene the ground pixie, who has just landed upon his right shoulder, has to tell him.
The elven master archer listens in silence to what the naturally magical creature who is attached to him has to say.
After she explains what she has found on the island of Gallem and the tiny islands that are just off it.
Prince Helbenthril Raendril of Laerel slightly nods his hooded head, then quietly murmurs to her "Can i take him?".
"You should be able to" is the quiet reply from Narladene the ground pixie, who then adds "Fairly easily too, without anyone knowing".
The highly talented elven magic user slightly nods his hooded head again, and murmurs "And hopefully no one onboard here knowing too".
The elven masterthief walks back to where the captain is standing behind the helmsman at the wheel.
And the elven master assassin from the otherside of the continent, suggests to the captain that the Quick Gull drop down to just above the waves.
So that those on the island of Gallem, which the captain and the crew can now clearly see. Think that the Quick Gull is a sailing ship and not an airship.
The ship's captain doesn't know why, but he orders it, as it seems the right thing to do.
After a subtle suggestion spell upon the captain standing next to him. Helbe the elven thief looks at the island of Gallem that the airship, which is dropping in altitude towards the ocean, is quickly approaching.
And he wonders the best way to capture alive the Viceroy of Dreese, who is on his own airship, the Fast Gull. That's hidden on one of the tiny islands right behind Gallem.
The young elven noble from the principality of Laerel slightly nods his hooded head, when he comes up with a plan to capture the Viceroy without anyone knowing. Including the Viceroy himself . . . . . .