The Journey 8.

Autumn. The Kingdom Of Terrindim.

"Hmmmmm" murmurs Mira Reinholt the mage as he lifts out another book from one of the shelves, opens it and starts reading.
Next to the once powerful mage, are a couple of books, one of which is full of spells, that he's put on a stand.
The Vexilian mage in exile stands there reading the book he's opened for a little bit. And finally nods his hooded head as he decides to buy this one too.
The spellcaster from the Southlands, who also happens to be a highly skilled swordmaster looks around and spots Helbe the elven thief walking down the aisle towards him.
"Got another one, two now, and all in fine detail" says Helbe the elven thief who is holding two rolled up maps.
The mage Reinholt nods then says "Good" followed by "I've got what i want too".
And with the book he's holding, plus the two books he's got on stand, which he picks up. The two spellcasters make their way to the counter.
Where the shopkeeper, once again stares at the young elven noble from the island principality of Laerel. For the simple reason there's no elves here in the kingdom of Terrindim.
They've seen goblins, as goblins are found pretty much anywhere there's people. And apparently there's dwarves in the north of the kingdom, in the mountainous provinces of Terrindim. But no elves, or any other races of people, like halflings and trolls for instance.
The two Southlanders, switch to the common language to speak with the shopkeeper as Helbe the elven thief and Mira Reinholt the mage buy what they've picked out. After they do, the spellcasters exit the scriviners and copyist shop.
They're in a fairly large town by the name of Cominth. In the province of Darnass, near the border of Smalsare.
They've been following at a distance, one of the fleets they got mixed up with in a battle.
By the looks of things, they're heading into the province of Smalsare, where the word on the streets of the town of Cominth. Is that a large battle is soon to take place between the kingdom's two largest factions who are at war with one another.
As they walk through the large town, where the Quick Gull has stopped to pick up supplies, the mage Reinholt quietly says in the elven language "You know these factions are named after people?" followed by "I thought they were named after regions, or provinces of some kind, but no, it's people".
Gesturing at one of the books he's carrying, the highly skilled swordmaster from the city-state of Vexil in the Southlands says "A pretty good history book of the kingdom from the quick read i did back in the shop".
The spellcaster, who was once the most powerful mage of his generation, to be found anywhere in the Southlands, continues with "Factions come and go over the years, but some have been around for centuries, if not longer".
After they turn onto another cobblestone street, on what's a sunny but cool autumn day here in this part of the kingdom of Terrindim, Mira Reinholt the mage says "The kingdom has been around for quite a while by the looks of it" followed by "Seems pretty stable, even with it's whacky style of governance".
Nodding his hooded head in agreement, Helbe the elven thief says "Probably has something to do with all these damn dragons".
The young elven noble who is the grandson of the ruling prince of Laerel, continues with "The older of the two maps I've got, even has the title of Here Be Dragons, across the top of it".
"How droll" wryly says the swordmaster Reinholt with a shake of his hooded head, as they make their way back to where the Quick Gull is moored.
"Get anything?" asks Tovis the war engineer when Jarjin Littlefoot the hobbit, and Beldane the cleric make their way out of the armourers the two of them were in.
"I did" says Jarjin Littlefoot the hobbit, as he hefts the pack he's carrying.
"They thought he was a skinny beardless dwarf" says Beldane the cleric with a soft chuckle.
The halfling, a former air sailor from the Sultanate of Dresse, sourly smiles then says in a dry tone "Which wasn't embarrassing at all".
The hobbit from the far east coast of the continent, continues with "Though they did have a couple of sets of dwarven leather armour, one of which they adjusted and cut, to fit me" he then adds "So that's something".
"Cost much?" asks the young engineer who hails from the kingdom of Druvic in the Southlands.
"Not too bad actually" replies the hobbit who is not actually who he seems to be.
"Little more expensive than similar places back in the Southlands" adds the former air sailor from Dreese, who is really a human being. A hordes outrider from the southern tundra by the name of Zubutai Timaginson, who just happens to inhabit the body of the halfling from the far east coast of the continent.
"But i think the cost had more to do with the work i wanted done quickly upon it" adds Jarjin aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman.
Next to the hobbit from the sultanate of Dresse, the cleric in the church of Glaine nods his head in agreement.
Then the powerful spellcaster from the kingdom of Nastell in the Southlands as he looks around at the town of Cominth, it's streets, shops and residents, quietly says "Things seem to be fairly prosperous here" followed by "As have the other towns and villages we've seen so far in the kingdom".
Both Jarjin Littlefoot and Tovis the war engineer nod in agreement with the cleric from the kingdom of Nastell as they head back to where the Quick Gull is moored.
Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy, with his hood up to cover his ears, takes one more look at the shipyards, then he crosses the street to the airdocks.
Even in a town like Cominth, you'll find shipbuilding yards, as well as airdocks. As there's a high percentage of airships for the population of a kingdom the size of Terrindim.
The elf from the principality of Alínlae in the Southlands, makes his way to the dock where the Quick Gull is moored. It's one of a handful of trading or privately owned airships in dock at the moment.
Every other vessel in the airdocks are war galleys and support ships, belonging to one faction or another.
Though there's no airships in either the Golmard or Balford faction in the Cominth airdocks at the moment.
For the simple reason the two largest factions in the kingdom of Terrindim are at war with one another. As they fight to have a family of dragon egg hunters join them.
Dalinvardél Tanith or Dalin as he's more commonly called by the others in the group gets to the circular airdock where the Quick Gull is tied up.
He climbs the steps up to the dock platform that's about thirty feet up off the ground.
The elf who previously served in one of the more prominent noble houses in his homeland of Alínlae, walks around to where the small, sleek looking airship is moored.
He crosses the gangplank, and makes his way to where lord Farque is standing at the starboard rail in the bow.
"I felt like Helbe or Mira" says Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy as he takes the hood of his cloak, down off his head.
"Everyone kept staring at me" adds the elven spy from the Southlands, who continues with "They've definitely never seen elves before".
Lord Farque nods his full helmed head, then asks "What did you find out?".
"They're for a couple of the smaller factions" says Dalin who nods to where the shipyards are across the street from airdocks, here on the north side of the town of Cominth.
"They've been building them for the last couple of months" continues the spy Tanith, who then says "Though see those three galleys to the side, the ones that are almost completed?".
The undead warlord nods his full helmed head, and the elven spy tells him "They were built for the Frussen faction, but the Salmain faction bought them off them just a few days ago".
The heavily armoured deathlord is silent at hearing that, and the elven spy who is an officer in the scouts and rangers division in the armies of the lands Farque, quietly asks him "Think this Salmain bunch might get involved in the war that's going on?".
"Maybe" quietly says the lord and ruler of the lands Farque, who also has the name of Draugadrottin to the people of his nation. Which is located in the western half of the continent, in the Southlands.
"From what we've heard so far, anyone of the other factions could get involved because they're so desperate to have another dragon join them" says Dalinvardél Tanith.
"Not to mention the way they fucking wage war here" sourly says lord Farque who has the elven name of Des'tier, which means, The Destroyer.
Even from the battle that they and the Quick Gull got caught up in. The lord of the death realm quickly surmised that the way these factions conduct war, in particular air battles. Is not very efficient or very effective. In either attacking one's enemy, or trying to evade them.
Draugadrottin puts it down to them not having magetubes at their disposal. And using mainly spellcasters to both attack and defend their fleets.
The only strategy the undead warlord thought was reasonably sound, was the use of their dragons by both sides.
As by far they were the most destructive force on both sides in the air battle the other morning between the Golmard and Balford factions.
Though from personal experience, Des'tier who has fought and killed a number of dragons in his lifetime. Including one Greater Dragon, those beings that created the world of Volunell.
Is of the opinion that these tame dragons could be, and should be a hell of a lot more destructive in battle.
And though the dragon named Sunblaze that he killed the other morning, did destroy one of the larger battlecruisers in the Balford fleet.
It should of done a lot more damage to the enemy fleet before that.
Lord Farque suspects it's the dragons way of life here in Terrindim that's made them less cunning, less destructive and less willful compared to other dragons found elsewhere in the world.
The influence of the humans they live with. Humans who raise some of them from the egg. Has had a detrimental effect on the normal, naturally destructive behaviour found in dragons.
"The others are coming back" says lord Farque who senses the rest of the group making their way through town towards the airdocks.
"Hopefully they've found more out too" adds the undead warlord who figures Helbe the elven thief has found what they've been searching for.
Detailed maps of the kingdom of Terrindim, and the nations further to the west of it, as they continue their journey westwards across the continent, back to the Southlands.
As the crew of the Quick Gull carry aboard fresh supplies, and equipment they need.
The rest of the group, starting with Tovis the war engineer, Beldane the cleric, and Jarjin Littlefoot the hobbit. Followed a little bit later, by Helbe the elven thief and Mira Reinholt the mage return to the small, sleek looking airship that was previously in the fleet of the Sultanate of Dreese.
They're met by Dalinvardél Tanith who tells them go below deck, to the captain's cabin. Which lord Farque is now using as they journey to the west, to the Southlands.
In the largest cabin onboard, that goes across the stern of the Quick Gull.
Helbe the elven thief unrolls the two maps he purchased in town, and places them on the table, where Des'tier is sitting.
"Quite detailed too" says the elven masterthief, who then adds "Especially this one" as he points at the older of the two maps, that shows just the kingdom of Terrindim and nothing else.
Behind the faceplate of his full helm, there's a quirk of the lips, that does the lord and ruler of the lands Farque for a wry smile, as he sees the monika of, Here Be Dragons. Written across the top of that particular map.
"The kingdom is a bit bigger than i thought" quietly says Draugadrottin.
The elven princeling from Laerel, who is on the personal council to the deathlord of Farque, nods his hooded head in agreement with the undead being.
Infact lord Farque sees the kingdom of Terrindim is a hell of a lot bigger than he thought it would be.
"It's no wonder they have all these provinces" quietly says the highly talented elven music user, who is a member of the royal family that rules the island principality of Laerel.
"I'm guessing even though they have all these different factions across the kingdom" says the elven master assassin who continues with "Each of the provinces are well governed by the nobility in them".
"Seems the logical thing" says the undead warlord, who follows that with "And also why each place we've seen looks quite prosperous, and there's little poverty".
"Building all those airships costs a lot, so they're making a lot too" says Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy, who continues on with "Bet there's a lot of wealth in the kingdom too".
"Dragons help with that i guess" dryly says Mira Reinholt the mage, both lord Farque and Helbe the elven thief nod in agreement with that, as does Jarjin Littlefoot the hobbit.
While Tovis the war engineer with a frown upon his face, asks "Why's that?".
"You know all those tales and stories about dragons on their piles of gold and treasure they've hoarded?" asks the mage from the city-state of Vexil.
"Yeah" says the young engineer who is from the east of the kingdom of Druvic, where he served a certain baron Harkonin.
"Well they're true" says the once powerful mage, who happens to also be a highly skilled swordmaster "Kind of" adds spellcaster from the Southlands.
"They are?" says a surprised Tovis, next to him, Beldane the cleric is equally surprised.
While Dalinvardél Tanith, is somewhat surprised. Though what the mage Reinholt just mentioned, confirmed some suspicions he's always had.
"Dragons like to find mineral deposits, usually in hills and mountains" explains lord Farque, who continues on with "Where you'll find precious metals like gold, silver and platinum, as well as valuable gems".
The lord and ruler of the lands Farque, which is the largest nation by size in the Southlands, though it has one of the smallest populations, then says "They like to live in places like that".
The undead being then adds "Even civilized dragons who live amongst people, a couple of which Mira has known" as he nods at the Vexilian mage in exile "Would still go to those places in the wilderness" adds Des'tier.
Nodding his hooded head, the mage Reinholt says "One of my tutors at the Mage College of Vexil, the dragon Mor would leave the city every summer break" the once powerful mage then adds "We found out he would go off to somewhere in the hinterland north of the state, and stay in caves rich in mineral deposits, which of course no one ever mined, because there was a big, bloody dragon living in them every summer".
"Hell" mutters Beldane the cleric, who then adds "I never would of thought". As even in his homeland, the kingdom of Nastell, there's legends and fables of a dragon living in the hill country, where apparently there's supposed to be hidden treasure.
"And that brings us to this" says lord Farque who taps the map of the kingdom of Terrindim on the table infront of him "And the battle we found ourselves in the middle of the other day" adds the undead warlord.
After a moment's pause, the heavily armoured deathlord says "These factions are fighting for this family that's found this dragon egg for various reasons i guess" followed by "Strengthening their military being one".
Draugadrottin briefly pauses again, before he says "But let's not fucking kid ourselves" the lord of the death realm continues with "The main reason they want another dragon to join them, is to help them find more gold and precious gems so they get even more wealthy" . . . . . .