The Journey 39.

Autumn. Throughout The Kingdom Of Terrindim.

"I hope this works" mutters lord Ganulf.
"Well, it's your damn plan" says crown prince Waniq, who then quietly adds "So if it goes wrong, it's your fault".
The crown prince of Terrindim looks at his advisor, then shakes his head before quietly telling the nobleman from the northern province of Hanamede "I don't know why you're going anyway".
"Like you said, it's my damn plan" says the advisor to the crown prince "Might as well see it through".
Prince Waniq grunts, then says "Fair enough" he tells his advisor in a quiet tone "Don't get yourself killed, i want you and others back alright".
"We'll come back highness" quietly says lord Ganulf, who then silently adds, i don't know what shape we'll be in, but we'll come back.
The crown prince nods, then says "I'll get going" followed by "And get back to the palace".
Prince Waniq who has given a quick speech for inspiration for those who are going, nods then shakes the hand of his advisor, before he makes his way outside with his guards, and a couple of the officers who are spellcasters.
It's nighttime, and they're in one of the barracks, here in the staging grounds of the Balford faction. Which is located on the northeast fringes of the city of Fanile, the capital of the kingdom of Terrindim.
Lord Ganulf looks at his offsider Cedric, and his aide Orvick, and quietly asks them "Ready?". They both reply with nods of their heads.
Then the lord of the city of Highsun, which is located up in the mountainous north of the kingdom.
Makes his way to one of the backdoors of the particular barracks they're in.
He's followed by his offsider and aide, who are his personal staff.
They head outside where a company of soldiers and others in the Balford faction are waiting this night.
Lord Ganulf joins the captain in command, and the dragon rider Solvik, whose dragon Sunflame lies nearby.
Listening to what the two are talking about, the advisor to the crown prince quietly says "It doesn't matter if they've got a dragon there or not".
He looks at the rider Solvik and asks him "If there is, they'll know we're coming anyway, right".
"Indeed my lord" says Solvik the dragon rider, who has been a messenger between the capital, and the first fleet of the Balford faction for the most part.
But now, tonight, he will do something completely different.
"Another dragon will sense us immediately" adds the rider Solvik, as they stand a little bit apart from the waiting company.
Lord Ganulf nods, as he figured as much, then he asks the dragon rider who is a commoner "How well do you know the place?".
"Quite well my lord" says the rider of the dragon Sunflame, who grins as he continues with "I was born there, and grew up there" followed by "And i return often as a lot of my family still live there".
The lord of Highsun nods at hearing that, then he looks at the company who are patiently waiting, a fair number of them with barrels of various sizes.
Barrels containing pitch, and an accelerate known as mine, or swamp gas. Which is actually a liquid, not a gas.
"Ready when you are" says lord Ganulf with a nod to the dragon rider Solvik, who turns and looks at his dragon Sunflame.
There's a few spellcasters with the company in the Balford faction. But what they're about to do this night. Needs a dragon, as the spellcasters can't cast a spell powerful enough to get them where they want to go.
A few moments later, and a fairly large rift appears. And without a command from the captain.
The first of the company rush through it, followed by the others.
Lord Ganulf, along with his offsider Cedric, and his aide Orvick are the last to go through.
With the exception of the dragon Sunflame and his rider Solvik.
Cimvac, is a city in the eastern province of Dolparn. In a region that's abundant with forests.
Infact Cimvac is basically surrounded by forest. As the city is predominantly known for it's shipbuilding yards.
And one of the yards, the largest one in Cimvac to be exact. Has the exclusive rights to build airships, and warships here in the province of Dolparn, for the Golmard faction.
A shipbuilding yard that the otherside of the large rift is, which the company in the Balford faction who have just left the capital city Fanile have run out through. Followed by the dragon Sunflame who is airborne.
Meanwhile, back in the capital city. Prince Waniq has quickly returned to the Royal Palace of Terrindim.
He's crossing the large courtyard within the inner sanctum of the palace, where he's met by sir Gilbane. A member of the Balford faction, who happens to be a sorcerer.
Though like any spellcaster who happens to be inside the so called real palace. He doesn't cast a thing. Unless he wants to risk the ire of the twin dragons, Blackflame and Whitefire. Who watch the crown prince and the sorcerer walking towards the main keep.
After prince Waniq waves to the twins, he quietly says "They've gone" in reply to sir Gilbane asking him "They get going?".
The sorcerer, who is of a similar age to the crown prince, who is one of his closest friends, as they grew up together here in the Royal Palace of Terrindim, then quietly says "You're brother is here".
Prince Waniq slightly frowns as he looks at the main keep, the front of which is lit up this night, by the numerous lamps on stands, that run along the front of it.
"Dalvin?" asks the crown prince, as he knows his youngest sibling likes to keep away from the inner sanctum of the palace, for the simple reason their mother the queen, disapproves of his recent marriage.
"You're other brother" sourly says sir Gilbane the sorcerer.
Prince Waniq can't help but grin at hearing that tone from his friend the spellcaster.
Who has never liked prince Sormis. And for good reason, as they both courted the same woman a number of years ago. Who ended up marrying the lady Kerra over sir Gilbane.
The crown prince is of the opinion the sorcerer got the better of that deal, says "His wife too?".
The spellcaster from here in the capital city just grunts for an answer, which prince Waniq takes for a yes.
They enter the main keep, and the crown prince quietly says to his good friend "You Gilbane, don't know how lucky you are" followed by "You know how their marriage is" he continues with "And he just got lucky my parents choose her for him to marry".
Prince Waniq flashes a grin, before he adds "And look how that marriage has turned out".
The sorcerer just gives a tight lipped smile to that as they head to set of stairs.
Sir Gilbane then says "Well, be that as it may" followed by "He still hates you".
"Half of my family hates me" dryly says the crown prince of Terrindim, who continues on with "My mother, and Sormis, as well as Chrisabol".
The prince, who essentially leads the Balford faction then quietly says "And one of them wants me dead" he briefly pauses, before continuing with "Maybe two of them actually" he pauses again, before adding in a dry tone "Well, probably all three of them".
"Probably" sourly says sir Gilbane as they make their way up the stairs, who then quietly adds "I overheard something interesting a little earlier" followed by "From some of the servants".
"Oh?" says prince Waniq, who then asks "What was that?".
The sorcerer tells the crown prince how his mother, queen Pania. Wasn't seen wearing a mourning cloth for the death of princess Laenna the dragon rider.
The crown prince who hasn't seen his mother since the family meal back on the seventh day.
Bristles that she didn't show any mourning for her sister inlaw, the rider Laenna.
Sir Gilbane then tells his good friend, prince Waniq, that the queen was seen in her quarters, wearing a black cloth of mourning, just after word got here, about the death of lord Kinvar, the lord of the exchequer this morning, at the hands of the king's youngest brother, prince Fallins.
"Just like her eh" mutters the crown prince of Terrindim, who then says "She won't step out of the main keep i bet" followed by "Definitely not out out of the inner palace here, too scared my uncle Fallins will kill her".
Sir Gilbane nods in agreement, then quietly says "That he definitely will". For they both know, that prince Fallins, who has returned to the capital city for the first time in years. Has always hated queen Pania, and has wanted her dead for years. Even more so now, as it's pretty obvious she had something to do with the death of princess Laenna the dragon rider, who was the wife of prince Fallins.
They head down a hallway, halfway down which is the suite of crown prince Waniq.
Sir Gilbane has the smaller quarters next to where prince Waniq lives with his wife and daughter.
As they approach the prince's suite, his good friend the sorcerer Gilbane slips a small rolled up parchment into his left hand.
"Night" says sir Gilbane "Night" replies the crown prince, and his friend the spellcaster continues onto his own suite.
While the crown prince of Terrindim, after quickly reading the missive the sorcerer gave him, he enters his rooms.
He finds his uncle Paldim and cousin Craefar at the table in the main room, with his wife Kelriss.
With a look towards his wife, she nods to the hallway that leads to the bedrooms.
The crown prince after a brief greeting to his uncle and cousin, makes his way to the hallway, and down it.
He looks in through the slightly ajar door to his daughter's room. And sees Sarsha is fast asleep on her bed.
Prince Waniq sighs as he realises his daughter is most likely asleep with exhaustion.
As it's been a trying day for her, ever since he and his wife informed her this afternoon of the death of princess Laenna.
The young girl's favourite person in the world, as she absolutely adored the dragon rider who was her great aunt.
The crown prince who is just glad that the twins didn't tell her. He asked them not to, and told them it was her parents duty to tell her something like that.
Which to his surprise, the royal dragons agreed to. Though this was after their sojourn in the morning, when they went off and killed the Golmard dragons and riders who were responsible for the death of princess Laenna and her dragon Greenfire.
And though they tried to hide it from him, prince Waniq had never seen the twin dragons look so smug, than they did this morning after the destruction they wrought in the province of Wilshaw.
The fact that the usually lazy, and undemonstrative Whitefire was so talkative to him when he chatted to them in the early afternoon when they had their play time with Sarsha, who he and his wife had yet to tell of the death of princess Laenna.
Was a dead giveaway that the twin dragons were reveling in what they did against the Golmard dragons. All due to a request from prince Fallins, one of the few people they consider a friend. And all without the permission of their rider, king Crassil of Terrindim.
After one last look at his sleeping daughter, the crown prince heads back to the main room here in his suite of rooms.
"They leave alright lad?" quietly asks prince Paldim.
"They did uncle" is the reply from prince Waniq, who as he sits at the table, sees that his uncle, is drinking a fruit punch, and not wine.
"I hope they burn them all" mutters prince Craefar.
The crown prince looks over at his wife Kelriss, who he sees slightly nods. Though he knows she, just like he does. That no matter what they do in their faction's war against the Golmard faction.
It will only truly be over when one side has been decimated, or if the leader of either faction is eliminated.
Prince Waniq knows that means his death, which he's doing his best to avoid.
Or the death of his mother, queen Pania of Terrindim, who is effectively the leader of the Golmard faction.
"Here" says the crown prince as he takes the small rolled parchment given to him by the sorcerer sir Gilbane, and hands it to his wife.
Who quickly reads it, and hands down to prince Craefar, who faintly grins after he reads it.
The young fleet admiral in the Balford fleet, then hands it across to his father.
"Hell" says prince Paldim with a shake of his head, who can't help but grin as he adds "My little brother eh".
The middle royal brother shakes his head again, as says in disbelief "Walked into his manse, killed his guards, then killed him, just like he did this morning to that prick Kinvar".
The crown prince nods in agreement, then he slightly smiles as he says "My advisor Ganulf is going to be disappointed when he finds out about this".
"Oh, why's that?" asks prince Craefar.
"Because he's challenged him a number of times to a duel, and he's always refused" replies prince Waniq.
"Well he can't refuse him now" dryly says prince Paldim who then adds "Because he's dead" before he chuckles.
The crown prince slightly smiles again, then he quietly says "Guess that steel breastplate he always wears was useless after all".
As he thinks of sir Porscin of the Golmard faction, a renowned duelist. Who was killed earlier this evening in his home by prince Fallins, who is still exacting revenge for the death of his wife, the princess Laenna.
"You think uncle will kill mother?" quietly asks prince Craefar as he looks at his father.
"Maybe" is the quiet reply from prince Paldim, who then looks across the table at his nephew the crown prince and tells him "He'll definitely kill your mother if he gets the chance lad".
"I know" says prince Waniq, who then silently adds, i hope he does . . . . . .