The Lost Ones 41.

Summer. Gilsom. On The Coast Of The Southlands.

Lisell Maera the messenger looks through the trees towards the airdocks and shipyards.
At this time of night, the shipyards are silent. While in the airdocks, there's still a bit of movement.
As airships arrive and leave at all times of the day and night. Though far less now at nighttime than during the day.
The attractive young woman from the city-state of Brattonbury, who is now a messenger, or runner in the armies of Farque.
Looks away to the right, to the north side of the shipyards. And there she spots the vessel that they've been after since early yesterday morning.
When it attacked a village up in the Maldin Hills. And previous to that, it attacked the village in the hill country that the group had lived in during part of the summer.
The tall, athletic looking runner watches the damaged airship for a while. Then she turns and makes her way back through the trees. And finds sir Percavelle Lé Dic where she left him.
"Let's head back" quietly says Lisell Maera the messenger, the heavily armoured knight from the kingdom of Druvic nods his head when the runner adds "I found it".
The two of them walk back through the trees that lie here to the east of the port town of Gilsom.
At the far edge of the trees, they find the rest of the group waiting for them.
"I've found it" quietly says Lisell Maera who is more commonly called Lis by the others in the group.
The attractive young woman who hails from the coastal city-state of Brattonbury, glances at Saanea the witch, and adds "Like you said, it's on the north side of the yards".
The messenger who is part of the scouts and rangers division in the armies of Farque then looks at Tamric Drubine and says "Well" followed by "What exactly is your plan?".
The young field commander in the armies of Farque has thought of a number of things they could do.
He'd prefer to blow up the airship they've been after. But though the witch Saanea, is able to blast it with her spellcraft. She doesn't have the ability, or the power to actually blow an airship up.
So the nobleborn teenager from the kingdom of Sarcrin, who is now a senior officer in the armies of Farque has decided on the next best thing.
"We'll set it on fire" quietly says Tamric Drubine the field commander.
As Dorc da Orc grunts, and says "Sounds fucken good to me".
Lisell Maera looks at the young field commander and quietly says "You sure about that?" followed by "If it spreads the rest of the yards might catch on fire" she then adds "If we get caught".
She falls silent to imply what will happen to them if they're caught setting the shipyards of Gilsom ablaze.
Shrugging his shoulders, field commander Drubine says "We'll be in the shit with the local authorities no matter what we do" the nobleborn teenager originally from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin then adds "Setting it on fire will definitely draw those mercenaries out, i can guarantee that".
"If you say so" quietly says Lis in the elven language.
Tamric Drubine or Tam as he's more commonly called by those who know him well, says "Trust me" in the same language.
Then switching to the common language, and looking at the spellcaster from the Maldin Hills standing beside him, the young field commander asks Saanea the witch "What are they doing now?".
Brossic the lowland mercenary pours himself another goblet of wine from the carafe in the middle of the table, and refrains from yawning, as it's been a busy last couple of days for them.
The leader of the crew of mercenaries who have plans to carve out their own nation in the Maldin Hills.
Glances down as the inn's cat brushes against the chair he's sitting on, as it wanders over to the next table, then jumps up onto an empty bench there.
Brossic goes back to the conversation the others are having, not realising that the cat doesn't actually belong to the inn they're staying in this night.
"Though there's way more with us now, and we have to spend a lot more with their hire" Spranen the mercenary is saying "We can get a lot more done, and more quickly too, now with the numbers we have" adds the mercenary who is from here in Gilsom.
Sharnd the flatland merchant, who is supplying most of the funds to pay for their plans, can see the logic of that. But he doesn't necessarily like it, and sourly smiles at how much extra they've spent today.
With the cost of the repair work to the damaged airship that he owns. Plus the new mercenaries they've hired, two of whom are expensive spellcasters.
They've spent way more than what he was intending they would spend at this time.
Especially considering they've only just got underway with their plans to take over a large chunk of the Maldin Hills, to create a nation of their own up in the hill country away to the southeast, back across on the otherside of the Lowlands.
"I understand your reasoning" says Sharnd the flatland merchant, who follows that with "But paying this much so early, is more than a little annoying i tell you".
Though the others all agree with him, they understand the necessity to do so. Especially after the unforseen circumstances which saw them being attacked by a small group of people, who killed and injured a lot of the mercenaries they had originally hired, and damaged their airship at the same time.
Looking across the common room of the inn they're staying in here in the township just on the inland side of the small mountain, that has the town of Gilsom proper within it.
Brossic sees a few of the mercenaries Spranen and Halnard hired today. Making their way from the common room, and heading upstairs to their rooms.
Most of them are staying here in this inn, and in another one just down the street.
While the rest of them, a crew of what can only be described as pirates. Are staying on their own sailing ship, that's at dock in the port over in the crescent shaped harbour on the otherside of the small mountain that sits here, right on the coast of the Southlands.
"Spend more now, save less later" says Brossic the lowland mercenary, Sharnd the merchant nods at hearing that old business adage, and can't help but agree with the mercenary who leads their crew.
Though he still doesn't like that he has had to spend way more than he was expecting to at this time in their plans.
"These things happen" says Halnard the mercenary, who like Spranen, is from here in the port town of Gilsom.
He continues with "Who knows, we might run into unexpected trouble some time later" the mercenary who is the most cautious of the five of them, then adds "It's how we deal with the adversary that counts".
"Here, here" murmurs Grunna the sorcerer, while the others including Sharnd, nod in agreement with what Halnard just said.
Then Brossic, who out of the corner of his right eye, sees what he thinks is the inn's cat wander away, and head outside.
Says to the others at the table with him "Once we get underway again, i expect progress to be made" the leader of the crew who intends to create a nation of their own in the Maldin Hills, then quietly adds "We'll hit some of the smaller villages we've targeted".
The other four all nod in agreement to that, then just as Sharnd is about to say something. They, along with everyone else in the common room of the inn, hear shouting and yelling from outside.
"Wonder what it is?" says Brossic the lowlander "I'll go and see what's happening" says Halnard the mercenary, who heads outside like a lot of the other customers are doing.
The mercenary from here in Gilsom comes running back inside a few moments later, and calls out "Fire at the airdocks!".
The others at the table all look at one another, then they scramble from their chairs, and rush across the common room, and hurry outside.
"Where?" asks Brossic the lowlander when he's outside and joined Halnard.
"The yards?" quickly adds the leader of the crew who have intentions of creating their own nation up in the Maldin Hills.
"I don't know" replies Halnard who has walked out onto the street, and is looking through the township, in the direction of the airdocks and shipyards.
Brossic looks back and up to the balcony of the second storey of their inn, and spot some of the original mercenaries they've hired, and he calls out to them "Where's that fire?".
"The shipyards!" is the reply of one the mercenaries from the flatlands like Brossic is.
"Which end?" calls out the crew leader.
"Looks like the north!" is the reply from the lowlander, a couple of the other mercenaries up on the balcony concur with that.
A wave of panic briefly passes through Brossic, which quickly disappears when Grunna the sorcerer says "Come on, let's go" followed by "I need a clear view to get us there quickly".
The spellcaster from further down the coast of the Southlands hurries out onto the street, and starts running down it.
Quickly followed by the other four, Brossic, Sharnd, Spranen and Halnard. On the street, they can clearly see the glow of fire in the night sky away to the east of the township, and smell the smoke from the fire.
As they hurry to where Grunna can get a good view of the airdocks and shipyard.
An owl up on the eaves of the inn they're staying at. Watches them hurry down the street, along with many others who want to see what's going on this night in the airdocks and shipyards of Gilsom.
Then the owl stretches it's wings, then takes off. Heading up into the night sky, and heading to the nearby airdocks and shipyards. Once it's there, it circles high above the docks and yards. And watches what's happening down below.
Each individual shipyard is guarded by a paid guards of the shipwrights guild here in Gilsom.
And unlike over in the nearby airdocks. People are not allowed to stay on the vessels that are being repaired or built.
For obvious reasons. Such as taking off with their ship before paying for the repair work done.
And more importantly, stop there from being any accidents in the yards.
And the worst accident in any shipyard, weather it be for airships or sailing ships. Is an accident that causes a fire.
For if a fire isn't put out in a timely fashion. Not only the airship could be completely destroyed. So could the yard it's in.
Though the fire that's broken out tonight, on the north side of the Gilsom airship yards was no accident. It was definitely deliberate.
The guards who were on duty at the very northern shipyard were knocked out by magical means, courtesy of Saanea the witch.
Then the spellcaster from the Maldin Hills, along with the others, Tamric Drubine, Lisell Maera, Shur Kee the monk, sir Percavelle Lé Dic and Dorc da Orc.
Went about setting the airship that is own by Sharnd the merchant, on fire. Which went pretty quickly, considering all the new dry, seasoned wood that's been used for the repairs. Along with the new pitch used in the seams between the new planking.
The twin masted vessel caught fire really quickly towards the bow, where the damage, and the newly done repair work is located.
Once the airship in the northern most shipyard was on fire.
Tam, along with Lis and Saanea the witch, and Shur Kee the monk. Hurried away to a nearby building, which the ship builders and carpenters use to store their equipment and supplies.
And while the four of them stand at one of the back corners of that building, looking back at the nearby shipyard, that has an airship that's on fire tied to it.
Dorc da Orc and sir Percavelle Lé Dic, the two bitter rivals, who have absolute disdain for one another.
Stand just a handful of yards apart, as they stand infront of the airship that's now well and truly ablaze.
The two of them, the large, heavily armoured knight from the kingdom of Druvic. And the large ork from the southern polar region of the world.
Stand there with their backs to the burning airship that's just twenty yards behind them.
The two of them are relaxed as they stand there, not even looking at the privately owned airship that's on fire behind them.
The two of them stand there to stop anyone from approaching to try and put out the burning airship.
They've done so a couple of times already. When workers who live nearby, carrying buckets of water, hurried to this particular shipyard.
As well as some of the dock workers from the nearest airdock. All of whom fled when they saw Dorc da Orc who roared at them.
Now there's a crowd gathering at the edge of the next shipyard along. And though many of them would like to move forward to try and put out the fire that's taken hold on the twin masted airship that's being repaired.
They're too scared to because of the threat of the two menacing figures standing infront of the burning ship.
To the right of Dorc da Orc, sir Percavelle Lé Dic glances at his bitter rival the ork warleader.
And though the heavily armoured knight would like nothing better to do than lift up the visor of his full helm to get some fresh air in, as it's awfully hot behind him.
He can't help but grin as he sees the big, burly ork from the southern polar region of the world. Who must be really feeling the effects of the heat coming off the burning ship behind them. Standing there, sweating profusely this night as they wait for the mercenaries who they've been chasing, and who own the airship they've set alight, to show up.
As the crowd at the edge of the next shipyard gets larger, the ork weaponsmith grunts in a positive manner.
"What is it you ghastly beast?" asks sir Percavelle Lé Dic.
"Them fucken merc cunts are here" is the reply from Dorc da Orc who then adds "Ya fucken cuntbag".
The former paladin decides to let that insult pass, and says "Very well then".
The nobleborn knight from the kingdom of Druvic draws his sword of knockdown, and hefts the shield of Saint Mar-che as he says "Let us deal to these villains, you big fat smelly green demon" he then adds "Wot".
"Whatevers" says Dorkindle who takes a throwing axe from his weapon harness, and along with the former earl of Lé Dic, wait for those they've been chasing from the Maldin Hills to come forward.
"They're here" quietly says Lisell Maera the messenger as she looks around the corner of the building they're behind.
Tamric Drubine the field commander glances at Saanea the witch who is holding her power within herself, and quietly asks her "Ready?". The pretty looking hillwoman nods her head yes in reply.
Then the nobleborn teenager from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin glances at Shur Kee the monk, who quietly and calmly tells him "I am ready friend Tamric".
The young field commander in the armies of Farque slightly nods, then he too looks around the corner of the building they're behind. And looks beyond the shipyard with the burning airship in it. And looks to the edge of the next shipyard along.
"Alright then" murmurs Tam as he looks at the gathered crowd at the next shipyard along "Let's see what you lot do" . . . . . .