Summer. The Sultanate Of Dreese.
"Do you think so?" asks Beldane the cleric as they walk back along the deck of the twin masted ship they're traveling on.
"Who knows" is the reply of Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy as they head aft.
Following behind them is Tovis the war engineer, who has just checked on the catapult on the bow deck of the sailing ship, as it plows through the water.
As it, along with the vast majority of the Sultan's fleet heads into the very north of the island chain, that's up near the equator.
It's been over four days since they left the island of Solma, as they pursue the Viceroy's forces into the northern islands off the coast of the mainland of Dreese.
The three of them are making their way to the aft deck, upon which is lord Farque and Jarjin Littlefoot the hobbit.
Close to the port rail on the aft deck of the twin masted sailing ship, that's essentially the flagship of the Sultan's fleet upon the water.
Jarjin Littlefoot looks up at lord Farque, who has turned and looked away to starboard. Looking up at the sky to the east.
Not that the halfling can see it, but the undead warlord is slightly frowning behind the faceplate of his full helm.
"What is it?" quietly asks Jarjin Littlefoot the hobbit.
"Helbe's coming back" is the quiet reply from lord Farque in the halfling language as Beldane the cleric, Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy and Tovis the war engineer make their way up onto the aft deck.
They keep back for now, and don't join the heavily armoured deathlord and the hobbit who was a former air sailor in the Viceroy's fleet.
As they see the two of them are in the middle of a private conversation.
"He's got someone with him" quietly adds the lord and ruler of the lands Farque.
"You think it might be" says the hobbit who is a member of the personal council to lord Farque, who the lord of the death realm interrupts and says "Could be".
Draugadrottin as he's also known by to the people of his lands, continues with "Whoever it is, they're a spellcaster".
The hobbit from the mainland of Dreese, who in actual fact is really a hordes outrider from the southern tundra by the name of Zubutai Timaginson, who just happens to find himself inhabiting the body of Jarjin Littlefoot. Nods his head, then quietly says "Could be alright".
The undead being nods his full helmed head, then makes his way over to the ship's captain, and some of his officers.
Gesturing away to the east, the heavily armoured deathlord says in the local dialect to the captain "One of our airships is returning" followed by "We might want to head that way, to see if they've found out anything".
"Yes sir" says the captain of the twin masted sailing vessel, who like his officers and crew, immediately takes the orders of the foreign mercenary they call the dead man, who essentially leads the Sultan's campaign against the Viceroy.
As the ship turns to starboard, and heads on a more north easterly course.
Des'tier as he's called in elven, which translates to, The Destroyer. Makes his way back to the port rail, where Jarjin Littlefoot has been joined by Beldane the cleric, Tovis the war engineer and Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy.
"The royal thief is coming back" quietly says the lord and ruler of the lands Farque in response to Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy quietly asking him "What's happening?".
"He's got someone with him too" adds the undead warlord, who after a brief pause says "It could very well be the one we've been looking for".
In his cabin onboard the Quick Gull, Helbe the elven thief looks at the unconscious Viceroy of Dreese, who is lying on the bed, totally oblivious to what's happening around him.
No one knows the younger brother of the Sultan is onboard. And the young elven noble from the island principality of Laerel, off the coast of the Southlands, on the otherside of the continent.
Suspects that the Viceroy's forces who were with him on his airship the Fast Gull, which is the sister ship of this one.
Only knows that he's gone missing since yesterday morning. When infact, the highly talented elven magic user captured him the night before last.
The elven masterthief as he stands in a corner of the small cabin. Once again reads the mind of the unconscious human spellcaster lying on the bed.
And he slightly nods his head once more as he sees how the Viceroy with so little resources. Had been wildly successful against the forces of his older brother the Sultan, after his attempted coup failed.
And how only it's been the last month or so, he's tasted defeat. Ever since lord Farque took over the campaign of the Sultan of Dreese against the Viceroy.
The elven master assassin wouldn't of been surprised, if the Viceroy, who if had a bit of luck on his side. Could of prevailed in the campaign against his older brother the Sultan.
But that's not going to happen now, as his forces have suffered defeat after defeat of late. And now he's been taken captive. Not that he knows it.
The young elven noble who is the grandson of the ruling prince of Laerel, slightly shakes his hooded head as he watches the unconscious Viceroy.
Who apart from some of his facial features. Doesn't look anything like his older brother the Sultan at all.
"What is it?" quietly asks Narladene the ground pixie who has just appeared on the right shoulder of the elven spellcaster from the Southlands who she is attached to.
"It's hard to believe they're brothers" quietly says Helbe the elven thief, who continues with "They look so unlike one another".
"I know" murmurs the naturally magical creature as they converse in the elven language, as they always do when they're alone.
"Just around the eyes and the cheekbones i guess" quietly says the elf who is a member of the royal family that rules the island principality of Laerel.
The elven masterthief from the Southlands pauses for a moment or two, then he quietly says "Though they do have something in common".
"What's that?" asks the tiny winged creature, who is from the Sunreach Mountains in the Southlands.
"The desire to rule" is the reply of the elven princeling who is a member of the personal council to the lord and ruler of the lands Farque.
Narladene slightly nods her tiny head, then she tells the highly talented elven magic user "We're approaching the fleet".
The elven masterthief makes his way out of the corner he's been standing in. And walks over to the porthole in the small cabin he's been using whilst onboard the Quick Gull.
Helbe the elven thief has a view to the west, that the small, sleek looking airship, is heading towards.
And with his naturally enhanced eyesight, he spots the Sultan's fleet in the distance down on the ocean.
The young elven noble who is the grandson of Prince Raendril of Laerel, looks down at the unconscious Viceroy, and quietly says "Well, whatever your fate is, it lies down there now fella".
Then the elven master archer from the Southlands, which is on the otherside of the continent, waits for the Quick Gull to get closer to the Sultan's fleet down on the water.
On what's another warm tropical summer's day, here in the island chain that's part of the Sultanate of Dreese.
Eventually prince Helbenthril Raendril blurs the Viceroy, then picks up the unconscious spellcaster, and puts him over his left shoulder.
The highly talented elven magic user blurs himself. Then looks out the porthole, then shifts away from the Quick Gull.
"Go down to the cabin" says lord Farque to the others, the undead warlord continues with "Helbe is coming back".
As the heavily armoured deathlord has spotted the blurred and shielded elven magic user floating in the air, a quarter mile to the west of their position.
As the rest of the group make their way below deck, and as prince Helbenthril Raendril shifts closer to the twin masted sailing ship.
The lord and ruler of the lands Farque makes his way over to the captain near the wheel, and says "No doubt they'll report what they've found, and what they haven't" as he points to the small airship in the distance away to the west.
"I'll hear of it after i go below and check on something" continues Draugadrottin "Yes my lord" says the ship's captain.
The lord of the death realm nods his full helmed head, then makes his way off the aft deck.
He heads to the nearest ladder, next to which Helbe the elven thief has just appeared next to.
Well, the undead warlord can see him, because no one else can.
Then Des'tier follows the elven master assassin down the ladder, as steps on a ship are called.
And once below deck, they head to the captain's cabin, which the lord and ruler of the lands Farque has taken over while he's onboard.
The heavily armoured deathlord follows the blurred and shielded elven spellcaster into the large cabin, that goes along the entire width of the ship.
Then after undead warlord closes the cabin door, the elven masterthief reveals himself to the rest of the group in the cabin.
"This" says Helbe the elven thief as he makes his way over to long, padded seats beneath the aft windows of the cabin.
"Is the Viceroy of Dreese" adds the highly talented elven magic user as he slips the unconscious spellcaster off his left shoulder, and onto the padded seats.
"He doesn't really look like his brother" says Jarjin Littlefoot as they gather around the unconscious Viceroy.
"A bit around the eyes perhaps" says Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy who has met the Sultan of Dreese and dealt with him the most out of the group "That's about it really" adds the elf who is originally from the principality of Alínlae in the Southlands.
"He's no where near as fat as that fucking prick" says lord Farque as he looks down at the unconscious Viceroy "That's something going for him" adds Draugadrottin.
Who then looks at Beldane the cleric and tells him "Add your wards to Helbe's". As the young elven noble from the island principality of Laerel has already warded the cabin. So that no one can hear what's happening in here. Nor can they pry in here by magical means.
As the fighting cleric from the kingdom of Nastell in the Southlands does that. Prince Helbenthril Raendril takes out a number of maps and documents he had folded in hidden pockets in his cloak. And opens them up, and lays them out on the large state table here in the cabin.
The lord and ruler of the lands Farque looks at them, and after a moment he nods his full helmed head, and says "Clever".
After a few moments of silence Draugadrottin continues with "He's done a lot with little, that's for sure".
The others look at the maps and plans of the Viceroy of Dreese, in his campaign against his older brother the Sultan.
Then Helbe the elven thief asks the lord of the death realm "Think he could of won if we hadn't been involved?".
"Maybe" replies the undead being, who then adds "He would've needed a shit load of luck with him to do it, but he might of".
The elven princeling nods his hooded head as he thought the same, then the grandson of Prince Raendril of Laerel glances at the rest of the group, before he asks lord Farque in the royal elven language "So what exactly are you going to do?".
"Give him to his older brother of course" replies Des'tier in the same language, who after a slight pause adds "Eventually".
The heavily armoured deathlord continues with "But before that, there's another battle to be fought".
Then switching to the common language, the lord and ruler of the lands Farque says to the highly talented elven magic user "Ward him so he can't cast" Draugadrottin then adds "Then wake him".
The elven masterthief does so, and the others step back out of the way, so that only the undead warlord stands over the Viceroy, who is the younger brother by nearly ten years to the Sultan of Dreese.
The Viceroy starts to stir as he wakes up, after being unconscious for at least a day and a half.
Then the local nobleman opens his eyes, and blinks a few times as he wonders where he is.
Then he sees the rather tall, and large figure, in dark blue, black heavy plate armour standing over him.
The Viceroy, a lean, athletic looking man in his late twenties, goes to sit up. Until he suddenly pauses as he realises he can't touch his magic at this moment.
He looks around and sees the others in the group, all foreigners, two of whom are elves. He frowns as he sees the halfling, who looks vaguely familiar to him.
The Viceroy who recognises the cabin he's in, and knows that the ship he's on, is one that belongs to his brother's fleet, sits up.
"So I'm" says the Viceroy of Dreese, who pauses and coughs as his throat is dry.
Tovis the war engineer pours a mug of water from one of the jugs on the state table, steps forward and hands it to the local nobleman.
"Thanks" says the Viceroy of Dreese after he drinks the water.
He puts down the mug, and looks at the towering figure in the dark heavy plate armour, then says "I'm a prisoner then?".
"Something like that" is the reply from the lord and ruler of the lands Farque.
The Viceroy nods, then looks at the group who are his captors, and slightly frowns before he says "So you're the mercenaries I've heard about?" followed by "Working for my brother?".
"We are" says Draugadrottin as he steps back and continues to look at the prisoner, who is fairly calm considering the situation he's in.
"And the reason he's been so successful of late?" adds the Viceroy of Dreese.
The lord of the death realm nods his full helmed head in response to that.
The younger of the two nobleborn brothers who are at war with one another, sourly smiles.
As he knows he would of been a hell of a lot more successful against his older brother's forces if it wasn't for these mercenaries.
Previously the only commander he had to worry about amongst his brother's forces was general Martos.
But these mercenaries have changed the outcome of the campaign against his brother the Sultan.
"So" says the Viceroy, who monetarily pauses as he figures his life is soon to end, then he asks "What's going to happen?".
"Well, there's going to be another battle" says the undead warlord who continues with "Where the Sultan's army and fleet is going to suffer significant losses, but once again be victorious".
The local nobleman's eyebrows lift up in surprise at that, and they do again, as he stares at the large figure in the dark plate armour who tells him "A battle where you'll be captured".
"Er?" says the confused looking Viceroy of Dreese, well former Viceroy to be exact.
"And you'll be brought before your brother the Sultan" says the heavily armoured deathlord.
The local nobleman is silent for a while as he realises something else is at play here, and he eventually asks "And then what?".
"Then" says lord Farque, who pauses for a moment or two as he looks down at the Viceroy, before he adds "You'll kill your brother" . . . . . .
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