The Journey 3.

Autumn. The Town Of Mormass. The Kingdom Of Terrindim. The Eastern Half Of The Continent.

Orvick, an aide to admiral Halmack. Infact he's one of about half a dozen aides to the admiral.
Looks up from where he sits at one of the tables in the common room of the inn, where he's going over some of the reports that have come in over the last couple of days.
The young aide, just recently turned seventeen, quickly stands up when he sees who has just walked in from outside. Everyone else seated in the busy common room stand as well.
Orvick looks quickly away to the right, where one individual is slower than everyone else to stand.
The young aide to the admiral slightly frowns as he watches lord Ganulf, the advisor to the prince.
Who everyone knows isn't exactly pleased with who has just walked in. But Orvick is glad to see the prince's advisor isn't scowling at those who have just walked in, as the young aide has often caught him doing. Even though the nobleman tries to hide it.
Orvick looks back at the new arrivals, and feels his heart thump in his chest when he looks at one of them.
He can't help it, as he's madly in love with her. Though he knows it's a complete waste of time. As he's far beneath her notice. As she's a dragon rider, and he's just a lowly aide. And a not very important one at that.
He sits back down, when rider Malfane says to those in the common room "Get back to what you're doing".
Orvick takes a quick look again at rider Daeliss, before he goes back to reading the report he's got infront of him.
It's a dispatch from up north, where more of their faction are after another fleet of the enemy.
The young aide to the admiral sees that four newly built war galleys have joined the fleet, to boost the numbers of those going after the enemy up north.
Orvick shows this to the scribe sitting beside him, who writes it down in his ledger infront of him.
While the young aide to admiral Halmack goes back to reading the dispatch.
Not in the least disappointed that he was ordered to stay in town and not take part in this morning's battle against the enemy faction.
He and a couple of the other aides to the admiral, stayed behind here in Mormass. While the admiral and the others took the flagship, Dragon's Revenge into battle.
From what some of the officers who have already come in and reported, the flagship came through this morning's battle unscathed.
Which is no surprise really, as the rider Malfane and his dragon Firelight would of kept a close eye on the admiral and his battlecruiser.
As he gets to the end of the dispatch, Orvick gets a nudge in the side from the scribe sitting next to him, who quietly says "The rider wants you airman".
The young aide to the admiral, who has the rank of able airman in the fleet. Looks up, and sees sir Malfane looking his way, beckoning him to him.
Orvick, as the most junior of the aides to admiral Halmack. Finds himself doing a lot of errands for senior officers and the like. Including the dragon riders.
He gets up, and quickly walks over to the dragon riders, who are chatting to a number of officers, ship's captain's and their first officers, who have just returned to town from the battle this morning.
Orvick as he walks, slightly limps as usual, as he has club foot, his right foot.
Which though was a source of embarrassment when he was younger.
But nowadays it doesn't mean a hell of a lot. Ever since he joined the fleet, and he's able to perform his duties. Most people couldn't care less about his club foot.
One who couldn't care less, is sir Malfane. Who often has Orvick run errands for him.
The young aide to the admiral of the fleet. Likes the nobleman from the western province of Halvarc.
And though sir Malfane is land poor, and doesn't come from a influential family.
He's one of the most important people in their faction. Infact the entire kingdom, for the simple reason he's a dragon rider.
"Rider Malfane" says able airman Orvick with a bow for the nobleborn dragon rider.
He sneaks a peek at rider Daeliss, but she's busy speaking with the group of captains and first officers.
"Orvick, go up to my room, and in my locker is a book of heraldry, riders and dragons" says sir Malfane the rider of Firelight, who continues with "You know the one?".
"I do sir" says the young airman who is an aide to the admiral of the fleet.
"Bring it down, there's something i need to check" says the nobleman from the west of the kingdom, who though is in his mid forties, has only been a dragon rider for three years.
Sir Malfane nods to where Orvick was sitting, and adds "I'll join you shortly" followed by "There's some things i need to discuss here first".
"Yes sir" says the young aide to admiral Halmack, who limps away to the stairs. As he does, he glances sideways, and spots a frowning lord Ganulf watching him.
The able airman with the club foot, would normally dismiss a look at that directed at him by just about anyone else.
But since it's the prince's advisor, he knows it's something he cannot easily dismiss.
As from just being around the lord of Highsun and watching what he gets up to and says, Orvick doesn't trust the nobleman who advises the prince.
The young aide to the fleet admiral handles the stairs with ease, and he's soon on the third floor, and making his way down a hallway to rider Malfane's room.
Which of course is unlocked, as no one in their right mind would enter unless told to. And after Orvick walks in, the reason becomes apparent.
"And what are you doing young airman?" asks Firelight the dragon whose voice reverberates through the room.
"Getting a book for your rider" replies the young aide to admiral Halmack, who has spoken to Firelight quite often.
"So you are" says the voice of the dragon, who Orvick figures has just spoken to her rider, to see if he's telling the truth. That's if she hasn't just read his mind to find out herself.
The able airman with the club foot, looks out the window, and grins for in the distance outside of town, to the east of Mormass. He sees Firelight, up on her hind quarters, neck extended, and looking this way.
"Well hurry up about it little Orvick" says the voice of the deep yellow coloured dragon, who calls just about everyone little, considering everyone and everything is little compared to her.
"My rider is waiting for you" continues the voice of the dragon as Orvick opens the wooden chest at the foot of the bed, takes out the leather bound book sir Malfane wants.
Closes the locker, and before he exits the room, he looks out the window, and bows to the dragon sitting outside of town, watching him with both her eyes, and by magical means.
Orvick grins as he hears Firelight chuckle and say "Why you little scamp, we might make a courtier out of you yet".
The young aide heads back downstairs, knowing that he's one of the few non riders in the fleet to speak with a dragon, infact he's even spoken to the dragon Sunbeam.
And he hasn't been scared witless in doing so. As most people end up being both frightened and completely dumbfounded when a dragon speaks to them.
Back down in the common room, Orvick takes his seat, and looks at the leather bound book.
He suspects why sir Malfane had him fetch it. One of the first things reported back from this morning's battle. Was that an enemy dragon was killed. Infact it's the reason the battle ended.
No doubt the dragon riders want to know which dragon, and who it's rider was, that was killed.
For though there's a number of dragons in the various factions in the kingdom.
Many of them like to keep who they are a secret, in particular their riders.
Unless they're someone like rider Daeliss, who is part of the Komav family. Who have had the dragon Sunbeam from the egg. And are well known, both dragon and current rider, throughout the kingdom of Terrindim.
Orvick suspects, infact he knows, it will be the same for this new family of egg hunters, who have gone and found themselves a wild dragon egg.
Who two of the factions are warring with one another, to have that family join them.
The young aide to the general considers opening the book, but he waits for sir Malfane instead.
So Orvick takes another dispatch from the pile infront of him and the scribe assigned to him, and reads that.
"The Salmain faction are increasing work in their shipyards" quietly says Orvick to the scribe next to him.
The scribe looks sharply at the young airman, and quietly asks "Think they want in on this?" followed by "A three way war for that family's allegiance?".
"Maybe" quietly says Orvick who silently hopes the Salmain faction doesn't get involved, as the war as it is already, is bad enough with the two largest factions in the kingdom involved.
One of the smaller factions joining in would definitely complicate matters. For if they did, other factions that so far have stayed out of the conflict, will want to get involved.
"Where?" asks the scribe, who flips to another page in his ledger, dips his reed pen into his ink bottle, and adds "And how many?".
Orvick tells him, and the scribe starts writing. Though he briefly pauses, and the two of them share a look, when a pair of passing officers, lament the loss of the battlecruiser the Flaming Breath during the morning's battle.
The aide to the fleet admiral grimaces as he knew some of the crew serving on that airship. Some of whom were his friends.
Orvick wonders how many other people he personally knows, didn't survive this morning's battle. He figures it will be quite a few.
The scribe next to him, quickly finishes writing, picks up his ledger, and the pile of reports infront of the two of them.
Stands, then bows, after which he says "Sirs" before moving away to another table.
Orvick looks up, and finds the two dragon riders approaching the table he's at.
He goes to stand, but sir Malfane motions for him to remain seated.
The young aide to the admiral refrains from blushing in embarrassment as rider Daeliss sits right down beside him on the bench, where the scribe was just sitting.
While the nobleborn rider sits down on the otherside of him.
"Well open it up young airman" says sir Malfane, who like his fellow dragon rider Daeliss, is from the western province of Halvarc.
"Yes sir" says Orvick who then nods when rider Malfane tells him "One of the southern provinces" followed by "Dershin or Garmaine i think".
The able airman opens the leather bound book, and heads to the chapters detailing those two particular provinces, as he does, he asks the nobleman from Halvarc "Sir do you know the name of the dragon?".
"Quick one isn't he" says sir Malfane with a look at his fellow dragon rider, Daeliss who nods in agreement.
Feeling his face go warm, Orvick who feels slightly dizzy sitting so close rider Daeliss.
Quickly bobs his head at that compliment from rider Malfane who then tells him "Blaze something" followed by "It was a deep red coloured dragon, so it might be Fireblaze or something similar".
Orvick quickly goes down through the families of dragon riders in those provinces, starting with those who have had their dragon from the egg. As the dragon would of have always been in that particularly family.
The young aide to admiral Halmack, who can read far more quickly than either dragon rider.
Flips to the next page, then the next. Which starts listing dragons, from the province of Garmaine. Who have picked riders randomly in their lives from the candidates given to them. As they weren't brought up from the egg by any one family.
"Here" says airman Orvick who continues with "Sunblaze" he then adds "A red dragon in his fifth century out of the egg".
Both dragon riders slightly wince, for even though it flew for the enemy. It was significantly older than either one of their dragons.
For Firelight is just over three hundred years out of the egg. And Sunbeam is under a hundred. Though age out of the egg has nothing to do with the size of a dragon, nor it's skill with magic and in battle.
"I see it's current rider was a fellow named Cyril" says Daeliss Komav the dragon rider who leans towards Orvick as she points to it on the page.
"A former foot soldier in their faction's army" adds the lean young woman with the blonde shoulder length hair, that she has tied up at the moment.
"They're not going to be happy about that" quietly says sir Malfane, both his fellow dragon rider, and the young aide to the fleet admiral nod in agreement with the nobleman from the western province of Halvarc.
Orvick, who thinks it's best he should tell the two riders what he learnt from reading the last dispatch before they sat down beside him.
Quietly says to the dragon riders "Sirs" both sir Malfane and Daeliss Komav look at him.
And though he's always relaxed around the nobleborn dragon rider, not so much around the common born Daeliss, who he's madly in love with.
And with their scrutiny, especially hers, Orvick quickly and quietly tells them "I thought you should know, the Salmain faction are increasing their production in their shipyards".
He nods over to the table the scribe he's been working with has moved to, as he adds "It's in the latest dispatches that have come in".
Both of the dragon riders wince, then Daeliss mutters "Hells" and sir Malfane mutters "Fuck".
From being around the nobleborn dragon rider a lot, Orvick has learnt that sir Malfane swears a lot. Pretty much more than most airmen the young aide knows. And he should know, he's one himself.
The dragon riders are quiet for a few moments, then after sir Malfane glances at the open book, he looks away to their right, to where lord Ganulf is at a table, speaking with a couple of officers who fought in the battle this morning.
After having a silent word with his dragon Firelight, so that their conversation at the table can't be overheard by anyone.
Sir Malfane asks the young aide sitting next to him "Have you told the prince's advisor?".
"I haven't sir" says Orvick, who continues with "Though he might know already" he briefly pauses before adding "He has his own ways at finding things out".
The nobleman who is the rider of Firelight grunts, then he looks at his fellow dragon rider, and says to her "One of us better tell him anyway" he then adds "Considering". Sir Malfane leaves it at that.
Lord Ganulf, advisor to the prince. Is the lord of Highsun. A city in one of the central provinces in the kingdom.
Who has split from his family, and the faction they lead. That faction being the Salmain faction. One of the more prominent minor factions in the kingdom.
"I better tell him" says Daeliss Komav who has been informed by her dragon Sunbeam, that their conversation is protected by anyone eavesdropping, both mundanely and by magical means, thanks to sir Malfane's dragon, Firelight.
"He doesn't particularly like you" adds the lean blonde, commonborn dragon rider.
Sir Malfane pointedly looks at the young aide to admiral Halmack, who under his scrutiny says "It's true sir" Orvick continues with "It's common knowledge throughout the fleet, and the entire faction for that matter, that lord Ganulf doesn't care all that much for you".
"Thanks" sourly says the nobleborn dragon rider.
And though the young airman is slightly embarrassed as speaking the truth. He just shrugs apologetically to sir Malfane.
The nobleman from the province of Halvarc sighs, then says to his fellow dragon rider "Well he doesn't particularly like you either" continued with "What with you being a commoner and all".
"I know" says Daeliss the dragon rider with a shrug of her shoulders, then she adds "But he straight out dislikes you" followed by "You know". She leaves it unsaid as to why, as it's common knowledge and not worth repeating.
The nobleborn dragon rider sourly smiles again, which gets a chuckle from his fellow dragon rider. Who then gets up from the bench, and heads over to where lord Ganulf is sitting.
As he watches rider Daeliss, Orvick the aide to admiral Halmack can't help but admire her. Not just her looks, but the way she holds herself, and her confidence in the way she goes about things.
And true, she probably gained a lot of that when she became the rider of Sunbeam.
But Orvick likes to think that she would have those qualities anyway, no matter if she was Sunbeam's rider or not.
As he sits there on the bench next to the young aide to admiral Halmack.
Sir Malfane wryly smiles, and slightly shakes his head, as he sees young Orvick sitting there with his heart in his eyes as he watches Daeliss Komav.
The nobleborn dragon rider hopes for young Orvick's sake, that he snaps out of his infatuation with Daeliss.
For though he likes the young airman, he only sees disappointment there for Orvick who is obviously in love with rider Daeliss . . . . . .