The Journey 6.

Autumn. Terrindim.

Daeliss Komav the rider of the dragon of Sunbeam makes her way quickly to where the dragon is waiting for her just outside of the town of Mormass.
The word has been given, and the Balford fleet here have been ordered to fly out.
Airships that weren't damaged and others that were only lightly damaged in yesterday morning's battle. Are preparing to leave, with some of them already lifting up into the air.
Those too badly damaged from the battle, who barely made it here to Mormass after the battle. Will remain here, and the repair work on them will continue.
Daeliss, the blonde, lean commonborn dragon rider looks away to her left. And sees admiral Halmack and some of his officers hurrying towards the flagship, the Dragon's Revenge.
They're followed by the admiral's aides, carrying bags and lockers. She faintly smiles as she sees the young aide Orvick. Limping along, keeping up with the others as he carries his own bag, along with some of the admiral's.
Rider Daeliss who is in her flight leathers, and has her bag slung over a shoulder. And rests a hand on the hilt of her sabre as she walks.
Grins as she sees her dragon Sunbeam restless to be off, as he watches the warships that have already lifted off as the fleet has been ordered west.
"Hurry up why don't you" says Sunbeam the dragon for his rider's ears only.
With a laugh, Daeliss Komav the dragon rider replies with "Hold up why don't you" as she walks quickly towards the large dragon that's been in her family since the egg.
"It's not as though the fleet can beat us there" dryly adds the commonborn dragon rider who hails from the western province of Halvarc.
Sunbeam snorts at that, then he lowers down to his belly, and folds his wings in as he waits for his rider.
His large eyes are swirling with emotion, a sure sign he's glad his rider is back from this morning's meeting in Mormass. And that he's also anxious to be off, as they like the rest of this particular fleet of the Balford faction have been ordered further west into the central region of the kingdom of Terrindim.
Daeliss looks at her cousin's ship the Dragon Flame, and sees her cousin Jarmic on deck issuing orders, as the repair work on the battlecruiser was completed earlier this morning.
Captain Jarmic Komav spots his cousin the dragon rider, and calls out to her "Beat you there!".
"I doubt it!" calls back Daeliss with a laugh, her rakish, and rather handsome looking older cousin laughs, then calls out "Worth a try".
The younger of the two Komav cousins rolls her eyes and grins as she thinks of the conversation she and Sunbeam had earlier this morning just after sunrise.
It was a rather loud and public conversation, which was a continuation of what they were discussing last night. About Jarmic and his fidelity, or rather lack of it.
The captain of the Dragon Flame hurried into town after waking up and heard what was being discussed. Especially when Sunbeam mentioned that he better be providing for his bastard children that he's fathered across the kingdom, or else.
The warship captain is. But he didn't want to hear about his dirty laundry being aired in public.
Especially with his crew listening. And the crews of about ten other airships listening. As well as a large number of the army who were breaking down their camp.
And most importantly, dragon rider Malfane and his dragon Firelight. The nobleman from the province of Halvarc and his dragon were laughing at what they heard.
So much so that Firelight was rolling around laughing. A sight that was more than a little embarrassing to captain Jarmic Komav.
Rider Daeliss gets up into the saddle, and as Sunbeam lifts his neck and head up. She looks away to their left, and sees sir Malfane is in the saddle too.
The nobleborn dragon rider and his dragon Firelight launches into the clear morning sky here in the southeast of the kingdom.
While Daeliss and Sunbeam wait for a bit, as they do. The Dragon Flame lifts off, to join those airships already in the air.
When it does, the young woman who is the rider of Sunbeam gets a clear view of the flagship the Dragon's Revenge.
And sees that lord Ganulf, the lord of the city of Highsun, and the advisor to the prince, has just climbed onboard.
As the advisor to the prince speaks with admiral Halmack, Daeliss Komav watches him for a few moments.
And though she doesn't particularly like the lord of Highsun, she can't fault his loyalty to the Balford faction.
He must really hate his family, Daeliss thinks to herself as she watches lord Ganulf onboard the flagship the Dragon's Revenge.
Then the commonborn rider shouts "Launch!". And the nearly hundred foot long, burnt orange coloured dragon Sunbeam, with his more than two hundred and fifty foot long wingspan. Shoots straight up into the sky, going between some of the ships in the air.
Sunbeam like Firelight gets above the fleet and starts circling it. As they provide protection as the warships, troop transporters, and supply vessels head westwards.
They're bound for the province of Smalsare. Where another of the Balford fleet, along with a substantial chunk of their army. Are preparing to engage with their enemy, the Golmard faction.
As the two largest factions in the kingdom of Terrindim continue to battle one another, so that the family of egg hunters, who recently found a wild dragon egg, join their faction and not the other.
This is how the Komav family joined the Balford faction about a hundred years ago.
For they too were a family of egg hunters, who for centuries searched across the northwest of the kingdom, hoping to find a dragon egg.
And when they eventually did find one. A number of factions throughout Terrindim went to war so that they could join one.
They eventually picked the Balford faction. As it won the most battles in that war about a hundred years ago. And were able to offer the Komav family the best terms. Terms being a rather less overt way of describing funds.
For that's what the various factions are actually fighting over. Who can offer the latest family of egg hunters, the most in the way of coins for their service, and that of their dragon once it's hatched.
In the air, as they circle the rising fleet, Sunbeam asks his rider "Any word come in during the night about the other factions?".
"Nothing new" says Daeliss who doesn't have to shout to be heard thanks to Sunbeam's magic.
"Just what we learnt yesterday" continues the young woman who is the rider of the dragon Sunbeam, who then adds "That the Salmain faction are ramping up the ship building, a sure sign that they might enter the war".
"Could be another suitor" says the large dragon in his deep, rumbling voice as they look down at their fleet as it heads west.
"Could be" murmurs Daeliss Komav with a nod of her head, who after a moment, asks her dragon "You see any of the Golmard we fought yesterday morning?".
"Nothing at the moment" says Sunbeam, who continues with "They broke off to the north and east after the battle".
The dragon that's been in the Komav family for about a century, momentarily pauses as he closes his eyes, as he casts a spell.
Sunbeam opens his eyes after casting, then he says "They turned west during the night" followed by "They're flying to join their forces who will face ours in Smalsare".
"Not unexpected" says Daeliss, who then nods her head, and adds "I think we will" in response to Sunbeam asking her "Should we see what's happening?". It's clear from the tone of his voice that Sunbeam is eager to.
"Inform sir Malfane and Firelight that we will go ahead as planned, to see how things are" says the commonborn dragon rider who looks away to the south where the deep yellow coloured dragon is flying about a quarter of a mile away.
"I have done so" says Sunbeam, Daeliss spots sir Malfane pump a fist, while his dragon Firelight lets out a loud bugle like roar.
Sunbeam replies in kind, then turns his head in flight to look at his rider, and in a mischievous tone of voice he asks "Should we dive by cousin Jarmic's ship?".
Sunbeam like any dragon who has been with just one family all his life, sees all the members of the extended family as being from his clutch, so to speak. Daeliss Komav grins, then says to her dragon "Lets".
The dragon rider clutches onto the saddle that sits at the base of the dragon's neck.
Sunbeam almost ripples as he dives, twisting in midair as he does so. Even though they're a couple thousand feet above the rest of the fleet.
Daeliss easily spots her cousin Jarmic's battlecruiser the Dragon Flame, flying in tandem with the flagship of the fleet, the Dragon's Revenge.
With a booming flap of his wings as he dives at an incredible speed, hitting over three hundred knots fairly quickly.
Sunbeam in mere moments, is diving down between the two battlecruisers that are flying just a few hundred feet apart.
The large dragon and his rider hear the crew and the others onboard the two large warships cheering and hollering as he dives down between them.
And as his tail snaps in the air making a loud crack that's heard by much of the fleet. Sunbeam the dragon and rider Daeliss disappear in midair as he dives in through a rift he's just cast.
The two of them reappear just under two hundred miles away to the west and north, in the province of Smalsare, one of the central provinces in the kingdom of Terrindim.
Sunbeam comes out the otherside of his rift, flying level just a few hundred feet off the ground.
He's flying very slowly, especially in comparison to the breakneck diving speed he was flying at when he entered his rift.
As Sunbeam rises in altitude, the large dragon, who is fairly young in dragon years, says for the ears of his rider only "Further north".
Daeliss Komav nods and says "I see them" as she spots an army on the march, with a fleet flying above them, about a dozen miles away.
They're of the Balford faction, and are heading further north here in the province of Smalsare, to confront an enemy Golmard force who are here in the province of Smalsare.
The commonborn dragon rider spots three of the other dragons with their faction, flying with the fleet above their army.
"Hell, this will be the largest battle of the war so far" says the rider Daeliss, as the war between the two largest factions in the kingdom is only a couple of weeks old, and doesn't look like slowing down anytime soon.
The lean, blonde haired dragon rider from the western province of Halvarc doesn't expect the war between the Balford and Golmard factions to come to end until one side or the other suffers significant losses.
When that happens, the other faction will be in the best position to negotiate a set of terms with the family of egg hunters, who have so recently found a dragon egg in the wild.
As Sunbeam flies at a fairly easy pace, and informs their fellow Balford dragons about a dozen miles away, that they're here.
Daeliss Komav thinks about the latest wild dragon egg that's been found. And wonders when it will hatch.
For though the wild caught dragon eggs rarely hatch close to after being found, it does happen. Though not in centuries.
Most of the wild dragon eggs lie unhatched for years. Sunbeam took about twenty years to hatch, which is on the quicker side of the natural order of things.
While others can take centuries. The record being nearly three hundred years between when it was found, to when it eventually hatched.
Daeliss hopes this latest wild dragon egg to be found, hatches fairly quickly if her faction, the Balford faction acquires the services of the family of egg hunters who found it.
Though if the Golmard faction is victorious in the war, she hopes it's centuries before the latest dragon egg to found, eventually hatches.
"They know we're here, and that our fleet is on the way?" asks the rider Daeliss to her dragon Sunbeam, who answers with "They do, I've told them".
The young woman from the province of Halvarc in the west of kingdom, nods then says "There to the north, a few miles away" she continues with "That hilltop".
Sunbeam looks that way, and instead of flying them there, he disappears, then reappears a few moments later sitting on top of the hilltop after teleporting there.
The rider Daeliss stays in the saddle and watches the fleet up close thanks to a large viewing spell cast by Sunbeam that's infront of him.
The lean, blonde young woman from the west of the kingdom sees not only the fleet admiral's flagship, but also the Balford command ship.
"Hell" says Daeliss Komav who then asks "Is the prince with them?".
"No just his command ship" is the reply from the large dragon, who is an almost glowing, burnt orange colour, especially in the sunshine, like today.
"That's good" murmurs Daeliss who then nods her head as the large fleet starts to slow down, allowing the best chance for the fleet she's with to catch up in a couple of days.
Sunbeam who is silently chatting with his fellow dragons flying with the fleet just to the northwest.
Tells Daeliss that a number of their family are with this fleet and army. Including Marric Komav, the older brother of captain Jarmic Komav.
The dragon rider grins as the viewing spell infront of Sunbeam changes, and she sees a cutter up close as it flies at the edge of the fleet.
There onboard is captain Marric Komav, father of Pallison. Who in all likelihood will be Sunbeam's next rider.
The dragon absolutely dotes on the young girl whenever they see her. Making it clearly obvious she's next in line to be his rider.
Though Daeliss hopes that's not for quite a few years yet. For Pallison to be Sunbeam's rider means that Daeliss will be dead.
And she's not willing to die anytime soon. Though she know her father died suddenly just three years ago with a heart attack after being Sunbeam's rider for over thirty five years.
Her grandma before that died in battle flying on Sunbeam. So it could happen to her too. Though she hopes not, and prays to the gods it doesn't.
Just after the large dragon muses "Hmmmmm i wonder how young Pallison is?" and Daeliss Komav replies with "I'm sure she's fine" and shakes her head as she knows how much he spoils rotten the young girl.
Sunbeam suddenly turns his head to the right, and growls "Dragon".
The dragon rider looks quickly that way yoo, and sees a rift in the sky above another hill about three quarters of a mile or so away, out of which flies a light blue coloured dragon.
Daeliss frowns when she sees it, as it lands upon the nearby hilltop.
She feels Sunbeam tense, then grunt, and though he's still tense as the other dragon and it's rider look their way.
He tells Daeliss "Bluefire" naming the dragon he's just silently spoken to "Rider Marson" continues the large burnt orange coloured dragon, who momentarily pauses before he adds "The Salmain faction".
Daeliss Komav slightly grimaces, then sourly smiles as she looks to the nearby hilltop, and the dragon and it's rider there. Who are obviously observing the large Balford fleet in the air and the army on the ground below it.
"Have they entered the war?" quietly asks Daeliss, who already knows the answer since they're still sitting here.
"No" is the muttered reply of Sunbeam, who then lets out a long whistling like sigh as they continue to watch the dragon Bluefire and his rider Marson.
And true, dragons and their riders will occasionally fight against others, usually over some incident or another.
They for the most part don't do so needlessly. As most times fighting dragon against dragon is done between factions that are at war with each other.
Patting Sunbeam, which is more of a thump on the side of his neck infront of the saddle, Daeliss Komav quietly says "Easy there" followed by "Don't worry about it".
Then she grins as she hears Sunbeam mutter "I could take him easily".
"I bet you could" says the dragon rider from the western province of Halvarc.
Who like her dragon continues to watch the Salmain faction dragon and it's rider on the hilltop just three quarters of a mile away, who are observing the nearby Balford fleet and army . . . . . .