The Journey 28.

Autumn. The City Of Fanile.

Tovis the war engineer looks over at Mira Reinholt the mage and shrugs, the once powerful mage looks out the open door, and spots two of the crew from the Quick Gull, who have followed them from the airdocks.
The spellcaster who is from the city-state of Vexil in the Southlands, waves at them to come into the shop.
"We'll take all you've got" says Mira Reinholt the mage to the shopkeeper.
"All of it?" says the shopkeeper behind the counter, who like a lot of Terrindiams, is short compared to the two men from the Southlands.
"Yep all of it" says the spellcaster who is also a highly skilled swordmaster, who takes out a coin pouch, and starts counting out gold coins.
After he does, the mage Reinholt turns to the crew members, one the first mate, the other the senior bosun, who more or less is the Quick Gull's cargo officer, and says to them "Get some of the crew to carry all this back to the ship".
The Vexilian mage in exile indicates himself and the young engineer from the kingdom of Druvic in the Southlands, as he continues with "We'll be down the street to see what else we can find" the once powerful mage then adds "Follow after us when you're finished here".
The war engineer and the mage exit the chandlers, and turn right down the street, here in the east of the city of Fanile. A street busy with commerce, where shops are selling, not to mention, buying. All manner of things. Everything they need as they continue traveling west, back to the Southlands.
"See Dalin anywhere?" quietly asks the spellcaster who was once the most powerful mage of his generation, to be found anywhere in the Southlands.
Until he was stripped of most of his powers when he accidentally cast a rift/void spell that sent him offworld.
"I don't" says the young engineer, who once served a baron Harkonin in the kingdom of Druvic.
Since the two of them are around six foot tall, they can see clearly over most of those on the busy street.
The mage Reinholt in his black hooded cloak, sticks out. Spots someone who sticks out even more than him.
It's Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy, who at a few inches over six foot, is the tallest person on the street. And the fact he wears a similar cloak as the once powerful mage's, though the elven spy wears a gray one.
"There he is" says the exiled Vexilian mage who spots the spy Tanith walking from an alley.
He sees them walking in this direction, so he waits for them near the mouth of the alley.
When the spellcaster, and the war engineer from the Southlands get there. They see that the alleyway is almost as busy as the street.
There's stalls of all kind down the wide alleyway, selling everything from trinkets, pots and pans, to various food stalls.
"Anything?" quietly asks Mira Reinholt in the elven language.
"A bit" replies Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy in the same language.
He's been searching more for useful information, than things to buy for their journey westwards, back to the Southlands.
"A lot of the talk is of course about the big faction war going on at the moment" quietly says the spy Tanith as he points to a fairly quiet square between two buildings.
"The one we got caught up in" adds the elf from the principality of Alínlae, where he served in one of the more prominent noble houses in his homeland.
When they get to the square, which they see leads to a small temple to one of the gods.
The elven spy, who is an officer in the scouts and rangers division in the armies of Farque, then says "Even more of the gossip has to do with a lord Ganulf, killing another nobleman in a duel a couple of nights ago".
From Dalinvardél Tanith or Dalin as he's more commonly called by the others in the group, explains that this lord Ganulf is the advisor to the crown prince, prince Waniq who effectively leads the Balford faction.
And that this lord Ganulf, who has got a bit of a reputation as a duelist, having killed more nobles in duels than anyone else in recent memory.
Has apparently called out two more nobles, challenging them to a duel. The chat that Dalin heard from a couple of conversations, was that people were wondering if these nobles were brave enough to accept the challenge from the crown prince's advisor.
Most people are of the opinion that they won't. And if they do accept the challenge to duel from lord Ganulf, then they're idiots.
"They've been fighting out west too" quietly says the spy Tanith, as he and the war engineer Tovis sit on the edge of a fountain, while the mage Reinholt stands infront of them.
"The Balford and Golmard factions" adds Dalinvardél Tanith, who continues with "I guess that new lot, the Salmain faction will end up fighting out there too".
The spellcaster, who is also a highly skilled swordmaster, grunts when he hears that, then he says "Hopefully they don't fight too often out that way" followed by "It would be annoying if we have to keep turning off in another direction, to avoid their damn battles".
Both the elven spy from the principality of Alínlae, and the young engineer from the kingdom of Druvic, nod in agreement with the mage who is a member of the personal council of lord Farque.
They're silent for a few moments, which is eventually broken by Tovis, who has the rank of captain in the armies of Farque, who nods his head to the temple at the other end of the quiet square, and he says "Wonder what god they worship?".
"I'll just go and see" says the spy Tanith, who makes his way down to the relatively small temple, and speaks to a neophyte sweeping the steps infront it.
The elven spy, who faintly grins as he walks back to the fountain, as everyone who he's spoken to here in the city of Fanile, in the short time they've been here. Have been shocked when they've seen his eyes.
Though he wouldn't be surprised if they were even more shocked if they saw his ears. But he has his hood up, and on his head. Covering his slightly furled, not to mention very pointed ears.
"The church of Torros" says Dalin when he rejoins Tovis and Mira.
The mage Reinholt slightly nods his head as he's heard of that particularly god.
While the young engineer originally from the kingdom of Druvic frowns, then says "Don't think I've heard of that god".
"I have" says the elven spy from the principality of Alínlae, who continues with "Get Beldane to tell you about it" followed by "As his god Glaine is widely worshiped in the north of his homeland Nastell, Torros is one of the gods widely worshiped in the south of that kingdom".
The young engineer nods, then he says to the Vexilian mage in exile "Should we get going?". As he gestures to the two crew members of the Quick Gull out on the street, who they previously spoke to, in the chandlers back down the street full of shops and businesses selling and buying all manner of things, here on this sunny, and relatively warm autumn afternoon here in the city of Fanile, the capital of the kingdom of Terrindim.
On a rooftop, still in the east of the city, though just a few hundred yards from the Royal Palace of Terrindim.
Helbe the elven thief watches a street that leads into the vast complex that makes up the palace.
From what the young elven noble from the island principality of Laerel can see of the palace, it resembles a small city onto itself, that's located here in the middle of the city of Fanile.
"Not that one" says Narladene the ground pixie from where she's standing on the right shoulder of the highly talented elven magic user.
"That's a dragon rider with them" adds the tiny winged creature who is originally from the Sunreach Mountains in the Southlands.
The elven masterthief, who is blurred and shielded as he stands upon the rooftop. Nods his hooded head, as one of the group he's watching, is wearing leathers.
"They keep in contact with their dragons?" quietly asks Helbe the elven thief.
"They do" replies the naturally magical creature, who continues with "Constantly".
The young elven noble who is a member of the royal family that rules the island principality of Laerel, grunts.
"Wait a moment" says the ground pixie as she holds up a hand, then she adds "Now, he's going to be teleported".
The elven master assassin who is a member of lord Farque's personal council. Who sees the group that's just walked from the Royal Palace of Terrindim.
Stop on the side of the street, then the dragon rider, a young man, wearing riding leathers, disappears.
Narladene with her hand still up, drops it after a few moments, then says "Now" followed by "You're fine".
The spellcaster from the Southlands reads the minds of the four others in the group, who resume walking along the street.
"Nothing really that interesting" says the grandson of the ruling prince of Laerel "A lot of what's on their minds is this lord Ganulf challenging a couple of other noblemen to a duel" adds the member of lord Farque's personal council.
Narladene nods her head, as that's quite often on the minds of those the elven princeling from Laerel has found out from those entering and exiting the Royal Palace of Terrindim, whose minds he's read so far.
"And that faction war between the Balford and Golmard factions has expanded now that the Salmain faction has got involved" continues the elven master archer.
"Probably be on most peoples minds throughout the city" says the ground pixie who is attached to prince Helbenthril Raendril of Laerel.
"No doubt" says the elven masterthief, who hopes to gain some useful information by reading the minds of those entering the exiting the palace by way of the street below.
Hopefully to do with how things fare to the west of the capital city Fanile, and even further west here in the kingdom of Terrindim.
As that's the way the Quick Gull is heading, as they continue their journey westwards to the Southlands, from here in the eastern half of the continent.
"Just as long as we don't find ourselves in the middle of another battle" says the highly talented elven magic user, who follows that with "I think our journey westwards across the kingdom shouldn't be too difficult".
The tiny winged creature nods her head in agreement, then she looks away to the wider street away to their right, which joins up with the street they've been watching, that goes into the Royal Palace of Terrindim.
"Who's this then?" quietly says Narladene the ground pixie.
Helbe the elven thief looks to where the naturally magical creature is pointing, and he spots a rather opulent looking covered carriage.. Which is escorted by a squad of eight mounted soldiers.
"Who indeed" says the elven princeling, who is slightly unusual for a royal elf, as he's not particularly powerful at magic, he's average at best.
But what he lacks in pure power, he makes up with outright skill and ability. Able to cast multiple spells at once, when most practitioners of magic struggle to cast two spells at once.
He also has the know how to create completely new spells, that have never been thought of before.
Where most spellcasters never create a new spell in their lifetime.
Prince Helbenthril Raendril of Laerel, who at just over two hundred and twenty years old, is very young for a royal elf. Has already created dozens of brand new spells. Something frankly unheard of, when master practitioners of magic would be hard pressed to create just a few spells in their lifetime. When pretty much nearly all spellcasters, never create a brand new spell.
As he watches the opulent looking horse drawn carriage, and it's mounted escort, the elven magic user decides to try out a new spell he's thought of.
"There isn't a dragon rider in that carriage is there?" asks Helbe the elven thief.
"I don't sense a dragon in contact with anyone in it" is the reply of Narladene the ground pixie, who then adds "Let me just check".
The tiny winged creature originally from the Sunreach Mountains in the Southlands disappears, then reappears a few moments later, and says "There isn't".
The young elven noble from the island principality of Laerel nods, then he casts his brand new spell that he's been thinking about over the last few months, ever since they ended up here in the eastern half of the continent, because of a miscast rift/void spell by Mira Reinholt the mage.
For a spellcaster to read someone's mind, you have to actually see the person you're trying to cast the mind read spell upon. But the spell prince Helbenthril Raendril casts now, is a little different.
Since he can't cast a normal mind read spell. As he can't clearly see whoever is in the covered carriage. As the angle he's at on the roof, doesn't allow him to see through the side windows.
So he casts the first stage of the spell upon one of the mounted guards riding alongside the carriage that's coming along the wider street, towards the street that heads into the Royal Palace of Terrindim.
The guard as he rides, turns his head, and looks at whoever it is that's in the carriage. Just a simple look as a guard would normally do.
The highly talented elven magic user faintly smiles, and casts the second stage of his new spell. As he looks through the eyes of the mounted guard, and gets a good look at who is in the covered carriage. He reads the mind of the man who is sitting by himself in the opulent looking carriage.
As the covered carriage turns onto the street below, and heads towards the vast complex that makes up the palace grounds, the elven masterthief after dropping his brand new spell that he successfully cast, quietly says "Now isn't that interesting".
"Who was it?" asks the naturally magical creature who is attached to the elven master assassin.
"A lord Kinvar" replies prince Helbenthril Raendril who continues with "The lord of the exchequer".
The ground pixie slightly frowns, and the young elven noble from the island principality of Laerel tells her "He's in charge of the kingdom's treasury". "Ah i see" says Narladene the ground pixie.
With a slight nod of his hooded head at the carriage and it's mounted escort that's just about to enter the Royal Palace of Terrindim, Helbe the elven thief says "He's the brother of the queen".
The elf who is a member of the personal council of lord Farque falls silent, and after a few moments, the tiny winged creature asks him "What was so interesting then?".
"He wants to kill his nephew the crown prince" says the elven princeling who continues with "As does his his sister the queen".
"Her own son?" asks the ground pixie in surprise.
The elven masterthief nods his hooded head yes, then he adds "Not only that, the lord of the exchequer and his sister the queen wouldn't mind if the king went and got himself killed too".
"Hell" mutters Narladene, who then says "What a fucked up family".
"That's for sure" says Helbe the elven thief as they watch the covered carriage of lord Kinvar, the lord of the exchequer, and his mounted escort enter the Royal Palace of Terrindim . . . . . .