The Journey 41.

Autumn. The Province Of Wilshaw.

Daeliss the dragon rider yawns as some of the men strike her tent, then pack it up to carry it to her cousin Jarmic's battlecruiser, the Dragon Flame which is nearby.
The commonborn dragon rider from the western province of Halvarc. Who this morning is wearing her cloak over her riding leathers, because it's cold.
Watches the crew members walk off, back towards their warship, as they carry away her tent.
Daeliss or Dae as she's called by those close to her. Could of spent the night onboard the Dragon Flame. .
But when they're on campaign, she prefers to sleep right next to her dragon Sunbeam. Just as the other riders do with their dragons.
One of whom is sir Malfane, the rider of the dragon Firelight, who is making his way towards her, as he chews on a small round loaf of bread.
After greeting her fellow dragon rider in the Balford faction, Daeliss Komav the dragon rider says in a slightly dry tone of voice "I guess it would be asking too much for the twins to show up again, and kill a bunch of their dragons once more".
With a bark of laughter, sir Malfane the dragon rider says "That would be asking a lot".
The nobleborn dragon rider who is also from the western province of Halvarc continues with "Though with what's happened of late, who knows what the hell could happen".
The rider Daeliss nods her head in agreement, as she still can't get over the fact that princess Laenna the dragon rider in the Welmid faction is dead.
And that prince Fallins her husband has started taking revenge for her death. Including having the royal twin dragons, Blackflame and Whitefire. Killing those dragons and riders in the Golmard faction yesterday morning, who actually killed her.
"Did his highness come back last night?" asks Daeliss referring to the fleet admiral, prince Craefar.
"He didn't" says sir Malfane, who nods at the nearby Dragon Flame as he continues with "Your cousin Jarmic will continue to lead our wing of the fleet".
The commonborn dragon rider who is starting to get a bit of a reputation in the war against the Golmard faction, nods her head.
For their wing, like all of the second fleet in the Balford faction here in the province of Wilshaw, the first of the western provinces of the kingdom of Terrindim.
Aren't engaged with the enemy at the moment, like they were at this time yesterday morning.
As there was a long battlefront across the province of Wilshaw, where both ground and air forces, were engaged in skirmishes with the enemy.
Until that was broken off due to the sudden arrival of the royal twin dragons, who quickly killed four of the Golmard dragons.
Now the second fleet of the Balford faction, and it's accompanying ground forces.
Are patrolling a large swath of the province, only occasionally encountering the enemy here in Wilshaw, who retreated after they lost a fair chunk of their dragons yesterday morning.
The two dragon riders, one commonborn the other nobleborn, both from the province of Halvarc turn and look up into the morning sky to the south, after their dragons inform them of an arrival.
A rift appears in the sky, and out it flies a yellow, orange coloured dragon. A messenger from the capital.
The two dragon riders from the province of Halvarc share a look, then sir Malfane quietly says "I wonder what's happened now?".
They find out a short time later, when they and a few of the other dragon riders in their wing.
Along with warship captains and officers, as well as senior army officers, meet onboard the Dragon Flame.
After the dragon rider from the city of Fanile, informed captain Jarmic Komav of the latest information to come from the Balford headquarters in the capital.
Before carrying on to the next wing of the second fleet of the Balford faction, that's spread out here in the province of Wilshaw.
"Well, seems we're in a major offensive across the kingdom" says captain Jarmic Komav to those who have assembled on the aft deck of his battlecruiser, the Dragon Flame.
The warship captain who has been thrust into position of commander of this particular wing of their second fleet. Now that prince Craefar is back in the capital Fanile.
Informs the others as to what's happened overnight, and earlier this morning.
The most important of which is the destruction of one of the main shipbuilding yards in the city of Cimvac, in the eastern province of Dolparn.
A shipbuilding yard that had the exclusive rights to build warships and other vessels for the Golmard faction in that major shipbuilding hub in the kingdom.
There was a number of other attacks across the kingdom during the night. Enemy barracks, noble's manses, warehouses, and a number of other places.
Either belonging to the Golmard faction, or strongly linked to them, were attacked by the Balford faction.
"His highness, and his advisor thought it best to go on a major offensive after they suffered a large loss yesterday, with the death of four of their dragons" explains captain Jarmic Komav, who briefly pauses before he continues with "Prince Craefar, along with his father, prince Paldim are with his highness, and his advisor lord Ganulf, helping with this new plan of attack".
The gathered officers, and dragon riders share looks. As this is the first time in years, that the king's brother, prince Paldim. The former leader of the Balford faction, has been involved with the daily operations of the faction, that's at war with the Golmard faction.
"In addition to our new attacks against the enemy across the kingdom" says the commonborn warship captain who is the temporary leader of this particular wing of the Balford faction's second fleet.
"His majesty's youngest brother, prince Fallins, is continuing to exact revenge for the death of his wife, the dragon rider princess Laenna" says captain Jarmic, who continues with "After he killed the queen's brother lord Kinvar, and after the Lombac faction which the lord of the exchequer belonged to, declared war on the Welmid faction which prince Fallins is a member of".
The captain of the battlecruiser the Dragon Flame briefly pauses, before he adds "He's gone and killed a few others who were involved in the death of princess Laenna" followed by "Chief of which, was sir Porscin the duelist".
Jarmic Komav continues on with "Like he did with lord Kinvar, he walked into the grounds, and manse of sir Porscin by himself, killed any of his guards who got in his way, then killed the Golmard faction's most famous duelist".
"Hell" mutters Daeliss Komav, while next to her, sir Malfane winces, as do a number of others.
"I think the Lombac faction should of just declared war upon prince Fallins" dryly says captain Jarmic, who follows that with "The Golmard faction should of too" he continues with "He's a one man army at the moment".
"You ever meet the king's youngest brother?" quietly asks the rider Daeliss to sir Malfane.
"Once about fifteen years ago when i visited the capital" quietly says the nobleborn dragon rider, who though is land poor, is considered extremely rich in other ways, for the simple reason he's a dragon rider.
"He was already a legendary figure then" quietly adds sir Malfane, who continues on with "The most famous swordsman in the kingdom, who even then was starting to stay away from the capital for stretches at a time" followed by "Sounds like he's just a deadly now, than he was back then, even more so by the sounds of things".
The nobleman from the western province of Halvarc falls silent as captain Jarmic Komav says "Word is if the queen steps outside of the inner sanctum of the Royal Palace, she's will be killed, as prince Fallins wants her dead more than ever".
There's nods all around at that, as it's no secret that the king's youngest brother, and the queen of Terrindim, absolutely hate one another.
And that prince Fallins wants queen Pania dead more than ever is no surprise. As it's fairly obvious that the queen had something to do with the death of princess Laenna.
Infact it's more than likely that the queen ordered the death of the only dragon rider in the royal family with the exception of the king himself.
"Rumours abound that prince Fallins might want to kill his niece Chrisabol too" says the warship captain who leads this particular wing of the second fleet in the Balford faction.
"Seems she might of had something to do with the death of princess Laenna too" continues captain Jarmic, who follows that up with "Seems his majesty's only daughter, and her undue influence in the church of Torros, the church seems to be getting involved in the politics of the factions, especially in the war between us and the Golmard's" he then adds "It's well known she favours her mother the queen over anyone else".
There's a number of frowns, and even scowls when they hear that.
As those in the Balford faction tend to forget that the church of Torros, one of the three gods worshipped and honoured by the Balford faction.
Is also one of the three gods, also worshipped and honoured by the Golmard faction.
Those in the Balford faction like to think that this doesn't exist. But reminders like this, tell them. That indeed their enemy, the Golmard faction worship one of the same gods that they do.
"That's not good" murmurs sir Malfane to the rider Daeliss.
"That's one of our own churches that could be actively working against us" adds the rider of the dragon Firelight.
Daeliss Komav nods in agreement, for if this is true. It will be a major setback in the relations between the Balford faction and church of Torros.
And though it's extremely rare, there has been a handful of times over the centuries. That a faction has disowned one of the gods they previously worshiped and honoured. And switch to another church instead.
If princess Chrisabol and the church of Torros is actively working against the Balford faction in the war against the Golmard faction.
Then in all likelihood, this will be another instance where a faction disowns a god and it's church.
"There's no solid proof of that yet" says captain Jarmic, who continues on with "But it's being looked into by those back at the headquarters".
Pretty much everyone knows what that means. Lord Ganulf's network of spies are most likely busy trying to find out if the king's daughter, Chrisabol along with the church of Torros, are working against the Balford faction in the war against the Golmard faction.
"There's a few other things going on" adds the commonborn warship captain who finds himself in command of this particular wing of the second fleet of their faction.
"Chief of which is the Salmain faction and their war against us".
The rider Daeliss looks around, and from the reactions she sees that a few who are gathered here on the aft deck of the Dragon Flame look like they had forgotten that the Salmain faction is also at war with them.
"We're to keep an eye out for them too" states Jarmic Komav, who continues with "This might be an opportune time for them to attack us" he follows that with "Though with lord Ganulf not being in the field at the moment, the possibility of this is deemed slight".
The captain of the Dragon Flame, details a few other things the messenger from the capital Fanile informed him of.
Then he starts issuing orders, to continue their grid patterns that he devised yesterday, when he found himself in command of their wing.
The goal of which, is find and eliminate any of the Golmard faction's forces they were previously engaged with. Who had yet to fully retreat from this part of the province of Wilshaw.
"Remember to keep an eye out for other ships as well, including trading vessels" says Jarmic Komav "You never know who might be snooping around" adds the captain of the battlecruiser the Dragon Flame.
The dragon riders with this wing of the Balford faction's second fleet. Have their own methods of searching for the enemy.
And though some of them fly with their wing of airships. The others fly further out to look for the enemy, and anyone else who might be a threat to their fleet and army.
"Which way do you want to go this morning?" asks the rider Daeliss as she and sir Malfane walk back to where the dragons are waiting.
"Same as yesterday?" adds the lean, blonde and beautiful looking dragon rider from the western province of Halvarc.
"Hmmmmm I'll go north this time" says the nobleborn dragon rider.
"Then I'll go east" says Daeliss Komav with a nod of her head, who then adds "I will" in response to sir Malfane saying "Keep in touch".
As dragons and their riders, along with airships lift off the ground, and head up into the sky, on this clear and sunny, though cold autumn morning here in this part of the province of Wilshaw.
The rider Daeliss and her dragon Sunbeam are soon airborne. And after they circle their wing, to watch the warships and other vessels get underway for the day.
They head back eastwards, as their wing is more or less continuing in a westwards direction.
Sunbeam and the rider Daeliss is one of the dragons searching for the enemy further out.
And though they could teleport, or even go through a rift. Both Daeliss and her dragon Sunbeam decide to fly straight, as it's termed.
Using only the power of the large dragon's wings to get where they want to go.
The commonborn dragon rider from the west of the kingdom, has Sunbeam fly more northeast that directly east.
So that they can eventually circle away to the south, before heading back in the direction of their wing in the second fleet of the Balford faction.
The rider Daeliss, whose eyesight has been in enhanced by a spell cast by her dragon, looks away in the distance in the direction they're heading, trying to see if she can spot any vessels in the morning sky, but more importantly any dragons who aren't in the Balford faction.
When they're a good fifteen miles from their wing, the rider Daeliss is just about to suggest to Sunbeam that they start to slowly circle to the south.
The large, burnt orange coloured dragon suddenly veers sharply in that direction anyway.
"What is it?" asks Daeliss Komav who figures her dragon has spotted or sensed something.
"Airship" says Sunbeam the dragon, who continues with "It's keeping low to the ground, try to go about undetected most like".
The large dragon, infact the largest in the Balford faction, and one of the largest in the entire kingdom, then grumbles "I almost missed it".
The commonborn dragon rider who did miss it, asks the dragon who has been in her family since the egg "Where is it?".
"About five miles further to the southeast" is the reply from Sunbeam who continues with "Low to the ground, it's just behind those hills in that direction" the large, burnt orange coloured dragon then adds "Dark it is, and a small thing, looks to be sharp and sleek, definitely built outside of the kingdom, and definitely built for speed and heading the same way as our fleet, west".
The rider Daeliss nods her head, then she finally spots the airship in question, away in the distance to the southeast.
"Let's go and see who they are" quietly says Daeliss Komav as her dragon Sunbeam wings his way towards the small, dark, sleek looking foreign airship that they've spotted . . . . . .