The Lost Ones 38.

Summer. Gilsom & The Cascades.

They set down on the inland side of Gilsom just after midday.
The large port town has grown over the years.
And on the opposite, or inland side of the hill that the bulk of the town is in. Shipyards for airships are located.
As the amount of vessels coming into Gilsom has far outgrown the small airdock that's on the coast side of the port town.
And the only expansion that's been done in the crescent shaped harbour is for the influx of sailing ships that come into dock.
Especially over the last fifteen years or so. Ever since trade picked up across the Great Western Ocean
When the empire of Nors and Tran fell. So that only the nation of Nors now survives. As the floating city of Tran was destroyed.
The twin masted airship puts down at one of the new airdocks, come shipyard.
As the captain and crew have had repair work done here previously. Though nothing like the damage that was done to their vessel early yesterday morning up in the Maldin Hills, which the northern end of the range  is over forty miles to the east and south.
As Brossic the lowlander, and Sharnd the flatland merchant, along with the ship's captain head to a reputable shipwright.
The two local mercenaries from Gilsom, Spranen and Halnard. Along with Grunna the sorcerer, who is originally from further south along the coast. Head into the port town.
They make their way through the airdocks, and shipyards. All of which weren't here twenty years ago.
Then through the township on this side of the hill. Though a hill is a bit of a misnomer. As it's more like a small mountain that's right on the coast of the Southlands.
And they make their way into the tunnel that goes right through the small mountain.
A large, and quite wide tunnel. That has a high vaulted ceiling. In which the large town of Gilsom itself is located.
A town that's teeming with life and activity.
As it's probably the third busiest port along the vast coastline of the Southlands.
Behind only the city-states of Brattonbury and Renoa.
And though smaller than Calinar, the capital city of the far southern kingdom of Melaurn.
It's location in the central region of the coast makes Gilsom a far busier port than the capital of the kingdom of Melaurn.
"Any?" asks Spranen the mercenary who grew up here inside the hill, which is an old abandoned dwarven city.
"A few" replies Grunna the sorcerer who has actually sensed quite a lot of spellcasters here in the large town. Both here in the tunnel that goes right through the small mountain. And also out on the coast side of Gilsom. As well as back outside in the airdocks.
"Best place will be to try some of the agents" says Halnard the mercenary, who is from a fishing family on the coast side.
"For both spellcasters and the others" adds the local man, who is the most cautious of the group of five who have intentions of creating their own nation up in the Maldin Hills.
Spranen nods his head in agreement, then says "Best to do it through them" followed by "I bet even spellcasters dislike being hired outright just like normal mercs".
After a pause as a couple of horse drawn wagons go by them as they head out through the tunnel.
Spranen adds "And any extras we can't find here, we can try elsewhere in The Cascades".
The coastal hill range known as The Cascades. Are a more verdant and more populated hill range compared to the dry and hot Maldin Hills.
And though The Cascades are no where near as high, or as long as the Maldin Hill range.
More business, trade, bartering, and life in general is done in the coastal hill range called The Cascades.
Which the town of Gilsom is part of. Though Gilsom, and the small mountain it resides in. Is in a large open area of the coast.
Where the nearest hills, fall away a few miles away to the south. And don't start again for nearly five more miles away to the north.
And the country away to the east, is almost as flat as the region known as the Lowlands which is further away to the southeast.
The other two nod in agreement with Spranen, who points away to the right side, or north side of the tunnel. Where a long row of shops have been dug out into the side of the tunnel.
There amongst the various goods sellers and dealers, and merchants selling their wares.
Are quite a few agents, or brokers. And though most of them are shipping agents. Dealing with both sailing and airships. As well as hauling merchants.
Quite a few of the agents deal exclusively with the hiring of mercenaries.
From lone mercenaries who sign with them for looking for a contract. To actual mercenary companies, which are essentially small armies.
All looking for a hire, as Gilsom is one of the busiest places along the entire stretch of the coast of the Southlands. A coastline that's just over seven thousand miles in length.
Where mercenaries can be found for hire. Especially in the last fifteen years, with trade opening up across to the continent on the otherside of the Great Western Ocean.
As the three of them enter one of the shops of a mercenary broker here in the tunnel within the small mountain.
Outside in the shipyards on the inland side of Gilsom. In an office of one of the shipwrights, who is speaking with Sharnd the flatland merchant and the ship's captain.
The lowlander Brossic, who leads the mercenary crew. Looks out the open window of the office. And spots a bird in the branches of a tree preening it's feathers. On this warm summer's day on the central coast of the Southlands.
It's a blackbird by the looks of it. And after a while, Brossic. Who is sitting on a bench next to the door. Goes back to watching and listening to the negotiating between the merchant Sharnd, the captain of the damaged airship, and the shipwright who they want to repair their airship.
"They're there" says Saanea the witch after she opens her eyes, having just watched what her familiar is looking at.
"Gilsom" adds the pretty looking hillwoman, who continues with "Well i guess it is, from what you've told me it looks like".
Next to the spellcaster from the Maldin Hills, Tamric Drubine the field commander nods his head.
Then they continue on their way up the road that goes up a hill. Following after Shur Kee the monk. While Dorc da Orc follows along behind the two of them.
For Saanea the witch, The Cascades are completely different to what she's used to when it comes to hill country.
For starters they're not dry and rocky like the Maldin Hills. They're more verdant, with much more vegetation on them. Including many different types of trees.
Unlike the scrubby looking, and bare looking trees you find throughout the Maldin Hills.
Where citrus trees are only found close to habitation and water, and no where else.
The pretty looking hillwoman who has never been out this way before. Still can't get used to looking away to her left, and look out over the Great Western Ocean.
Which to her eye, definitely deserves it's name. As there's nothing but water to the west, as far as one can see. And she knows it continues on for thousands of miles in that direction, before it get to the next continent.
As they climb up the hillside road, which at the moment isn't too busy. As it was a little earlier, and no doubt will be again, on the otherside when it goes down to the coast, and follows that for a bit until the road has to go over another hill that will no doubt get in the way.
Saanea looks at the young field commander in the armies of Farque walking beside her. And though she hasn't known him long, she can tell he's looking a little pensive.
"You look a little worried" quietly says the pretty looking hillwoman "You think they'll get away from us?" asks the spellcaster from the Maldin Hills.
"A little bit worried that they will" quietly says Tamric Drubine the field commander, who then quickly glances back down the hillside road, to the last member of the group following the rest of them.
What the nobleborn teenager from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin is really worried about is Dorc da Orc.
For the simple reason that there's communities of hill dwarves in The Cascades.
And that field commander Drubine is worried that the large ork will get distracted by them.
And in distracted, Tamric Drubine or Tam as he's more commonly called by the others in the group. Is afraid the ork warleader will run off to kill a bunch of dwarves. Which he's likely to do if he catches wind of any of them.
At the top of the hill, Lisell Maera the runner who is out in the lead. Looks back down at the others following after her.
It's not too long before sir Percavelle Lé Dic joins her at the top of the hill. There's a breeze coming in off the ocean. Helping to keep things a little cooler on what's a warm summer's day. Especially in comparison to what they've been experiencing in the Maldin Hills. Where it's dry and hot, with little in the way of wind on most days in the summertime.
Next to the crest of the hill, is Shur Kee the monk. Who a little bit later, is followed by Saanea the witch, and Tamric Drubine the field commander, who tells the others "They've reached Gilsom".
The son and former heir of a previous knight of castle Drubine, which is in the forested north of the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin, continues with "Trying to get their ship repaired" followed by "And trying to hire new mercenaries".
The young field commander in the armies of Farque, points north to where the road continues up to another hill, and he asks the witch "Can you teleport us all to that hilltop?".
"Too far" replies the pretty looking hillwoman who continues with "I can get us to just before it, then quickly teleport up the hill".
"We'll do that then" says Tam, who looks back down the way they've come, and watches the ork weaponsmith approach the rest of them as they stop for a little while on this hilltop.
The big, burly ork from the southern polar region of the world is breathing heavily as he joins the rest of them.
He's just about to complain about something, when Saanea the witch teleports them all away.
They briefly reappear, then disappear again, before reappearing once more, on the hilltop, two and half miles north of the one they were just on previously.
Dorkindle grunts as team of horses hauling a wagon shies away from where the group are standing next to the road.
"How far to Gilsom?" asks field commander Drubine to the startled looking wagon driver, and the hired guard sitting next to him on the wagon bench.
"About fifteen miles" is the eventual reply from the driver who points back behind him, in the direction he's come from with his wagon.
While beside him, the mercenary guard is still gawking at the group who suddenly appeared next to the road, here on the hilltop.
Infact he's staring at Dorc da Orc wondering what he is. Until the large ork loudly growls at him, and swears at him in a mix of both the common and ork languages.
Tam thanks the wagon driver for that, and after checking the position of the sun in the clear blue sky, and seeing that it's early afternoon at the moment, he says in the elven language "Should get there in the early evening".
Lisell Maera the messenger nods in agreement, then says in the same language "Thought of what we're going to do when we catch up to them?".
The attractive young woman originally from the city-state of Brattonbury, which is nearly two thousand miles further north up the coast, then adds "It's not going to be easy with how busy Gilsom is".
"I know" says Tam, who follows that with "I'm still working on something" he then silently adds, which i hope will work out.
Then once the wagon is out of earshot, the nobleborn teenager who hails from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin switches to common, and says to the others "We should be there in the early evening".
Lisell Maera or Lis as she's more commonly called by those who know her well, has already set off, and is making her way down the road.
Which goes down to the coast, and follows that for a couple of miles, before it starts going over more of the rolling hills, that are part of the range known as The Cascades.
The others follow after her, knowing that Tam will only let Saanea the witch teleport them all, just once or twice at a time, so as not to tire her out.
As usual, sir Percavelle Lé Dic is the first one to follow after the messenger or runner in the armies of Farque.
Following a bit behind the nobleborn knight from the kingdom of Druvic, is the physical adept, Shur Kee.
About twenty yards behind the short, statured monk is Tamric Drubine and Saanea the witch.
While Dorc da Orc follows further back behind the young field commander, and the spellcaster from the Maldin Hills who is the newest member of the group.
Who Tam has every right to be worried about as they make their way northwards through The Cascades along the coast.
As the large ork, who doesn't remember a lot, about many things. Does remember that there's hill dwarves in this range.
Infact, he was taken prisoner with a bunch of them a number of years ago by sky pirates. When he and lord Farque were robbing mines up in the Maldin Hills.
Sky pirates who took the ork weaponsmith across the Great Western Ocean to Nors and Tran. Where he was sold into the fighting arenas in the floating city of Tran.
A floating city, that a number of years after that particular ordeal. He helped to destroy.
But from that time, when we was taken prisoner by sky pirates. The large ork knows that dwarves live here in The Cascades.
And when they entered the hill range earlier this morning. The ork weaponsmith has been trying to sniff some of them out.
As he has every intention of finding some of them whilst in The Cascades, and killing as many as he can.
As he follows behind Tamric Drubine and Saanea the witch as they head downhill.
Dorc da Orc grins and murmurs to himself in the ork language "Fucken get some" as he thinks of what he'll do once he locates some of the dwarves who live in this hill range along this part of the coast of the Southlands . . . . . .