The Journey 21.

Autumn. The Kingdom Of Terrindim.

"Lift off" quietly says lord Farque. The captain of the Quick Gull nods, and passes the order onto the helmsman.
The small, sleek looking airship that was previously in the fleet of the Sultan of Dreese rises up in the sky.
It's nighttime, they've waited all day to get underway again. For the simple reason that there's so many patrols going on here in this part of the province of Smalsare.
Airships and dragons from both the Golmard faction and the Salmain faction have been crisscrossing the sky over the farmlands here in central Smalsare all day since the battle this morning.
It's only now that it's nighttime, that their patrols have decreased. Though even now, after nightfall, airships with their running lights on, can be seen in all directions.
They fly for just a little while before lord Farque orders the captain to land, as he senses, then sees a dragon just a few miles away.
The dragon which will easily sense the small airship, and the trio of spellcasters onboard.
Doesn't sense this way, nor does it look in this direction, as it heads westwards through the night sky.
Helbe the elven thief, along with Jarjin Littlefoot the hobbit, who see the dragon too. Share a look, as they know they're rather lucky the dragon was a bit lax in checking the surrounding area.
The undead warlord then orders the Quick Gull up off the ground again. With a heading more to the southwest, as they fly barely more than fifty feet above the ground.
The heavily armoured deathlord then walks over to where three of his personal council members are standing on the starboard side of the slightly raised stern deck. On the airship from the Sultanate of Dreese that's running dark this night. With not a single lamp, or what's referred to as the running lights, having been lit.
"We might have to turn, either to the south or the north" quietly says lord Farque in the elven language to Mira Reinholt the mage, Helbe the elven thief and Jarjin Littlefoot the hobbit.
"We're bound to run into a patrol ship or a dragon from both of these fucking factions eventually" says the undead warlord, who is also known by the name of Draugadrottin to the people of his lands.
Which is located faraway to the west, on the otherside of the continent, in what's known as the Southlands.
"Which way is best you think?" asks Mira Reinholt the mage, who out of those onboard, has known the deathlord of Farque the longest.
"Who the fuck knows" mutters the undead being who has the elven name of Des'tier, which means, The Destroyer.
"South probably if we do" continues the undead warlord who then adds "That second lot, the Salmain faction seem to be coming down from the north" lord Farque follows that with "They seem to be pouring into the area".
The once powerful mage, the elven masterthief, and the halfling who is a former air sailor, all nod in agreement.
For throughout the day they observed Salman faction's airships, both warships and support vessels, along with their dragons. Turning up from the north. As apparently their base of power is up in the northern, mountainous provinces of the kingdom. Especially in the province of Hanamede.
They also saw them keeping a cautious distance from the Golmard faction's vessels and dragons here in central Smalsare. And the Golmard fleet doing likewise.
Draugadrottin and three of the members of his personal council with him at the moment. Figures there must be an uneasy truce between the two factions.
As they both seem to be at war with the Balford faction. Whose fleet was defeated this morning over the rich farmlands here in the central districts of the province of Smalsare.
Lord Farque isn't too worried about running into any patrol ships from either the Golmard or Salmain factions this night.
He just doesn't want to run into a bunch of them at once. Nor does he want to encounter any dragons from either of the two factions.
He feels comfortable dealing with one or two at once. He doesn't want to face any more dragons than that at once.
For though these tame dragons here in the kingdom of Terrindim for the most part lack the viciousness and sheer violence of dragons found elsewhere in the world.
Draugadrottin would be hard pressed to protect the Quick Gull and all onboard the small airship from the Sultanate of Dreese, if he had to face more than a pair of dragons at once.
"Put down again" quietly orders lord Farque to the ship's captain and the helmsman. The elven spy Dalinvardél Tanith is standing near them, helping them to navigate this night.
The mage Reinholt is just about to ask what it is this time, when the heavily armoured deathlord points up into the night sky, away to the west, and says "Rift".
A moment later, and the familiar sparkling multicolored lights of a rift spell can be seen in the night sky.
And a moment after that, a dragon comes flying out of the rift. It comes out flying westwards. And it doesn't bother to look or sense behind it.
As the Quick Gull has set down in the middle of a field, just a half a mile or so from the rift. Which disappears as the dragon wings its way westwards.
"Hell" mutters Helbe the elven thief, who continues with "If we keep flying stop, start like this every couple of miles, it's going to take us bloody days just to get out of this province".
Both his fellow councillors Mira Reinholt and Jarjin Littlefoot nod in agreement.
While behind the faceplate of his full helm, the lord and ruler of the lands Farque sourly smiles.
Repressing a sigh, Des'tier mutters "For fucks sake" in a language the others don't understand.
Then reverting back to the elven language, the heavily armoured deathlord says "Due south it is".
As they've seen just a handful of ships, from both the Golmard and Salmain faction head that way. Though predominantly the Salmain faction, whose vessels tailed after the survivors of the Balford faction's fleet who fled in that direction.
Lord Farque after ordering the Quick Gull to lift off again, then tells the captain to turn to port a full quarter, which is due south.
Draugadrottin after a little while, who senses and sees neither airship or dragon in their vicinity as they turn directly south and fly that way. Quietly says "Jarjin stay up here, help Dalin with looking out" followed by "Set down if you spot any airship or dragon within a few miles".
The halfling who isn't exactly what he appears to be. Nods his head, as his natural nightvision, and farsight is just as good as the spy Tanith.
"You two with me" says the lord and ruler of the lands Farque to the two spellcasters, who are members of his personal council.
The large, heavily armoured figure leads the way to the nearest ladder. Des'tier makes his way down the steps followed by the mage from the city-state of Vexil, and the elven magic user from the island principality of Laerel. Both nations that are located in the Southlands.
Once below deck, lord Farque leads the way to the captain's cabin that he's taken over for their journey westwards across the continent back to the Southlands.
The heavily armoured deathlord, looks at the maps on the table as the Vexilian mage in exile casts a soft glowing ball of light. Which gives off just a little light for him to see by. As he can't see in the dark unlike the undead warlord and the elven masterthief.
Pointing at one of the maps, that shows the kingdom of Terrindim in pretty good detail. The lord and ruler of the lands Farque quietly says "Hell, we might have to go as far south as the capital just to get out of the way of all this fucking lot in the central provinces".
"How far is that?" asks the mage who is in exile from his homeland, the city-state of Vexil "About two hundred miles or so?" adds the Vexilian spellcaster who is also a highly skilled swordmaster.
"Looks like it" says Helbe the elven thief who also happens to be a member of the royal family that rules the island principality of Laerel.
"Hopefully we can continue westwards well before then" adds the grandson of the ruling prince of Laerel.
"Hopefully" wryly says the lord and ruler of the lands Farque, who wanted to avoid turning away to either the south or north as they crossed the kingdom of Terrindim.
But he's been forced to due to the war between the Balford and Golmard factions.
A war that looks like it's been expanded, as the Salmain faction seem to have entered it. Or at least they're at war against the Balford faction now.
"Hopefully we don't run into anymore fucking battles" sourly says lord Farque, who after a pause adds "And these lot aren't the only ones at war at the moment".
From when they've stopped at towns and villages in the east, and now central provinces of Terrindim.
They've learnt that there's quite a few faction wars going on throughout the kingdom. Which is apparently a pretty common occurrence.
It's just that the two largest factions in Terrindim are at war with one another. The Balford faction, which is led by the crown prince, prince Waniq.
And the Golmard faction. Which is led by someone almost equally as important.
Lord Kinvar, the lord of the exchequer. Who just happens to be brother of queen Pania. Lord Kinvar, prince Waniq's uncle.
And if the rumours in the towns and villages they've stopped at is to believed.
If one thought that the queen would favour her son in this war between the two largest factions in the kingdom. You would be sadly mistaken.
For though the king of Terrindim is above the factions of his kingdom. His twin dragons Blackflame and Whitefire put him above everyone else.
Not so his wife, queen Pania. Who is deeply involved in the various factions throughout the kingdom.
And though by extension to her marriage to king Crassil. She is apparently above the excesses of faction life and wars.
That would be far from the truth. And it's no real surprise that she favours the Golmard faction. Even though she has never joined a faction at all in her lifetime.
She has close ties to the faction led by her brother, the lord of the exchequer. Who essentially holds the kingdom's finances in his hands.
Outside of the immediate royal family. He is considered the most important figure in the entire kingdom.
And some say that only the crown prince and the king himself are more important than lord Kinvar.
And now the leader of the Golmard faction wants to put himself just one step below that of the king.
Something that could be fairly reasonable if he and the Golmard faction are victorious against the Balford faction.
And they gain for themselves, the family of wild dragon hunters, who have so recently acquired a wild dragon egg.
Something that has sent the two largest factions in the kingdom of Terrindim into war with one another.
They feel the Quick Gull slightly taking a turn to port, heading directly south now.
Draugadrottin slightly nods his full helmed head as he senses a pair of a warships approaching from the north.
Though their path will take those warships more than few miles away to the west of the small, sleek looking airship that was previously in the fleet of the Sultan of Dreese.
"We'll have to keep clear of any other factions who might be at war with one another too" says lord Farque "As well as this one between the Golmard and Balford, and now Salmain factions" adds Helbe the elven thief.
Both the undead warlord and the once powerful mage nod in agreement.
Then as the spellcaster from the city-state of Vexil uses a finger to trace down the map from here in the province of Smalsare to further south in the kingdom. The heavily armoured deathlord falls silent.
Noticing the silence from Des'tier after a few moments, the elven princeling from Laerel asks him "What is it?".
The swordmaster Reinholt looks up from the map, and looks at the large figure in the suit of dark blue, black full plate armour.
"Something about the pair of ships to the north of us" quietly says the lord of the death realm, who continues with "They shouldn't be able to sense us, or see us" he then adds "They should pass to the west of us by at least a few miles, but they've both turned to port and are heading this way".
The two spellcasters from the Southlands share a look across the table as the undead warlord falls silent again.
The lord and ruler of the lands Farque senses carefully again, then after a few moments he mutters "Fuck" followed by "They've got dwarves onboard".
Both Mira Reinholt the mage and Helbe the elven thief wince as they realise they've been spotted. As dwarves can see clearly at night, and long distances, just like elves and halflings.
The heavily armoured deathlord hurries out of the cabin, followed by the Vexilian mage in exile, and the highly talented elven magic user.
Up on deck, lord Farque calls for the captain to put on more sail, and increase the speed of the Quick Gull as they fly low over the farmland here in the central districts of the province of Smalsare.
Heading aft, Draugadrottin looks up into the night sky, and spots the pair of warships flying in formation, heading this way.
Once on the slightly raised stern deck of the Quick Gull, he points out the pair of pursuing airships, and says "Salman faction vessels".
"They're from the north in the mountains" says prince Helbenthril Raendril who continues with "So they're the ones likely to have dwarves onboard".
"You take the one to port, I'll take the starboard ship" says the lord of the death realm, the elven master assassin nods his hooded head in understanding.
The heavily armoured deathlord then says "We have to destroy them before one of the spellcasters gets in contact with one of their pet dragons" lord Farque then sourly adds "That'll be fucking annoying if we continuously chased south by dragons".
"That's for damn sure" mutters Mira Reinholt from where he stands behind the heavily armoured deathlord and the young elven noble.
The lord and ruler of the lands Farque orders the Quick Gull to rise in altitude, which slows down the small, sleek looking airship that was previously in the Sultan of Dreese's fleet.
"Teleport us as far as you can, and as close to them as you're able" says the undead being to the mage who is also a highly skilled swordmaster.
After the mage Reinholt nods, the deathlord of Farque says in the royal elven language to prince Helbenthril Raendril "Catch me when you're done" followed by in a dry tone of voice with "I don't fancy hitting the fucking ground from a thousand feet up". "I will" says the elven masterthief in the same language.
Then lord Farque allows himself to be briefly effected by magic, and he says to the once powerful mage in the regular elven language "Now".
Mira Reinholt who is looking back north and further up in the night sky at the pair of pursuing airships, which he can easily see thanks to their running lights. Teleports the undead warlord and the elven magic user.
The two of them reappear in midair, where Helbe the elven thief briefly floats the two of them. The blurred and shielded elven magic user then shifts himself and lord Farque. Once, twice, then a third time in rapid succession through the night sky.
The third time, he shifts the two of them in slightly different directions.
Himself to the Salmain faction warship to port. And the undead warlord to the one to starboard. As the two airships from the mountainous northern provinces of the kingdom of Terrindim fly after the Quick Gull.
The young elven noble form the island principality of Laerel reappears, if you could actually see him. Standing upside down on the underside of the frigate he's shifted to.
While the heavily armoured deathlord appears in midair just twenty feet above the deck of the second frigate.
And as the elven master assassin walks quickly along the bottom of the hull he's standing on. And reaches down at touches the magical keel of the warship, and casts a shatter spell upon the keel.
Lord Farque simply drops to the deck of the second warship, grabs a sorcerer, snaps his neck. Then sees a dwarven crew member, and kicks him overboard.
Before leaping to aft, and landing forty feet away onto the stern deck. Where he grabs the helmsman, throws him overboard. Punches the captain in the face. Hitting the man so hard his head explodes in a spray of bone and brain matter.
Draugadrottin then grabs the wheel of the frigate, and rips it, and the plinth it's on, out of the decking. And throws it a wizard who has just tried to cast a hold spell upon him.
The wizard is killed from the impact of the wheel and plinth hitting him.
Then the heavily armoured deathlord runs to port, and leaps overboard. As the frigate suddenly starts to drop out of the night sky. As is the other frigate it's flying in formation with.
Lord Farque freefalls for just a few moments, then all of a sudden Helbe the elven thief is right beside him.
The highly talented elven magic user then shifts them away, heading back to the Quick Gull.
While behind them, the pair of frigates in the Salmain faction start to break apart as they plummet down through the night sky, here above the rich farmland in the central districts of the province of Smalsare . . . . . .