The Journey 49.

Autumn. Ordem. Terrindim.

"Any idea where we are?" quietly asks Beldane the cleric.
"Terrindim" is the quick reply from Tovis the war engineer.
Which earns him a sour look from the fighting cleric standing next to him on the bow deck of the Quick Gull.
"I know that" sourly says the cleric in the church of Glaine, who then quickly adds "And don't say, we're going west too".
Which gets a grin from the young engineer who was just about to say exactly that.
Then Tovis, who is originally from the kingdom of Druvic in the Southlands, gestures ahead of them, and says "Can't you cast something to look through all this?".
"Such spells aren't exactly my expertise" states the cleric who hails from the kingdom of Nastell in the Southlands.
As the two of them peer ahead, trying to see anything as the Quick Gull continues through the thick fog they've been traveling in throughout the morning so far.
The small, sleek looking, single masted airship, that's originally from the Sultanate of Dreese. Where it served in the Sultan's fleet.
Is somewhere in the province of Ordem in western Terrindim.
They've left behind the fleet they've been following the last few days.
Part of the second fleet in the Balford faction. One of whose dragons stopped them yesterday morning, and inspected the Quick Gull.
That fleet has been grounded for the morning, due to the thick fog that blankets a large area of the province of Ordem.
But the small vessel originally from the far east coast of the kingdom that's been following them. Has continued on, and are now a good twenty five miles further west and north of that grounded fleet.
In a midships, Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy looks down over the starboard rail, and quietly says "I can just see the ground" followed by "I think".
Next to him, Jarjin Littlefoot the hobbit grunts. As he finds the all encompassing fog to be quite oppressive.
Something he's not felt before when he's been in fog. Well, not felt before in the other bodies he's been in.
For the halfling, who isn't really what he appears to be. Can't ever recall feeling like this in his other bodies, or that should be lives. When he's been in the middle of thick fog.
The hobbit who is a former air sailor in the Sultan of Dreese's fleet. Though in actual fact, he's really a hordes barbarian from the southern tundra by the name of Zubutai Timaginson, who just happens to find himself inhabiting the body of Jarjin Littlefoot.
Walks close beside the spy Tanith as they head aft to the stern deck.
The spy originally from the elven principality of Alínlae. Has noticed the hobbit is a little jumpy in the fog they're flying through this morning.
Dalinvardél Tanith or Dalin as he's more commonly called by those who know him well. Wonders what's happened in the halfling's life. To get him all nervous within the thick fog they're flying through.
As they walk onto the slightly raised stern deck, the hobbit who is a former air sailor audibly sighs as they join the others. With the exception of Tovis the war engineer, and Beldane the cleric. Who are up on the bow deck of the small, sleek looking, single masted airship that was previously in the fleet of the Sultan of Dreese.
"A point to starboard" quietly says lord Farque to the captain of the Quick Gull who is at the helm himself.
The ship's captain nods, and slightly turns the airship in the direction ordered, as they fly through the fog this cool autumn morning in the west of the kingdom of Terrindim.
The undead warlord makes his way over to where the others are standing, then says in the elven language "Quite a few actually".
In response to Jarjin aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman asking him in the same language "Anyone about in all this damn fog?".
The heavily armoured deathlord who can see perfectly fine through the fog thanks to his unique abilities, gestures in the direction they're heading "Some the way we're going".
The lord and ruler of the lands Farque, continues with "The Golmard faction by the looks of things".
"How far?" asks Mira Reinholt the mage, who is leaning back against the starboard rail, as they stand upon the slightly raised stern deck of the Quick Gull.
"About a dozen miles" says lord Farque, who to the people of his nation, is also known by the name of Draugadrottin.
The lord of the death realm, slightly shrugs his broad, heavily armoured shoulders as he continues with "I'm surprised they haven't sent a dragon back towards us".
The undead being, who to an older generation of elven kind, is known as Des'tier, which translates to, The Destroyer, then adds "Any one of them should know where we are" followed by "It's not hard for one of them to sense you lot".
Indicating the spellcasters, Mira Reinholt the mage, Helbe the elven thief. As well as up on the bow deck, Beldane the cleric.
"Not to mention the ship itself" adds the undead warlord, as the Quick Gull, like all airships, is magical too. Due to the magical keel that allows it to fly.
"Their ships are grounded too" says the lord and ruler of the lands Farque who is able to sense life, and for that matter, death. From a long distance.
"Though there's ships in the air about twenty miles directly to the south" adds Draugadrottin who follows that with "The fog must be clearing out that way" he then adds in a slightly dry tone "A fucking pity we're not going that way".
The others, all of whom with the exception of the spy Tanith, are members of lord Farque's personal council. Nod in agreement with the heavily armoured deathlord.
As they continue heading west across the kingdom of Terrindim, as they travel back to the western half of the continent, where the Southlands is located.
They travel through much of the rest of the morning, until just before midday, as the fog is a little thinner in places.
When the undead warlord sourly grunts, then tells the others "Dragon heading this way".
"Hopefully it stops to see who we are first' says Helbe the elven thief.
As they've learnt that the dragons in the various factions they've come across. Won't attack a foreign vessel outright. Though in battle that's a different matter.
As both airships and dragons in various factions have tried to attack them if they've strayed to close to a battle.
But still, there's a risk of both a dragon or a warship from any faction, who might actually attack them for no good reason.
Especially if they don't stop to see who they are. Or if a dragon doesn't bother to find out who it is that's onboard.
And as Des'tier looks away to the west, the direction the dragon is coming from.
He slightly frowns as he yet to sense it cast anything to see who is onboard the small, sleek looking, single masted airship from the far eastern coastal nation of Dreese.
Also sensing the approaching dragon is Narladene the ground pixie, who frowns as she stands upon the right shoulder of Helbe the elven thief, who she whispers to "It doesn't know who we are".
The young elven noble from the island principality of Laerel, which lies off the coast of the Southlands, looks sharply at lord Farque.
Who after sensing if the dragon actually has a rider, which it does, he mutters "Fuck" followed by "We might have a problem here".
The undead warlord switches to the common language, and says to the captain of the Quick Gull "Head up" followed by "See if we can get above this fog".
"What is it?" asks Mira Reinholt the mage in the elven language as the captain at the wheel, starts issuing orders, and the small airship that was previously in the fleet of the Sultan of Dreese, starts to gain in altitude.
"That fucking wyrm isn't bothering to find out who we are" says lord Farque in the elven language.
The heavily armoured deathlord briefly reaches up and touches the hilt of his massive sword that's strapped to his back. Then he continues with "A good chance it will just attack us".
"Great" sourly says Jarjin Littlefoot the hobbit, as he looks around, and hopes they can get free of the fog before the dragon turns up.
No such luck, as just a few moments later, as the Quick Gull continues to ride, they all hear a roar through the fog from the approaching dragon.
"I'll need one of you to come and get me" says Des'tier as he looks at the two spellcasters, one elven and the other human.
"Tell Beldane too" adds the lord of the death realm, who continues in a mutter with "Fucking dragon".
Then the heavily armoured deathlord shouts to the captain of the Quick Gull "Hard to port!".
As the small, single masted airship turns sharply to port, a large fireball can be seen burning through the fog, heading in their direction.
As it comes towards them, Draugadrottin says to both the elven magic user and the once powerful mage "Get me to it when you're able to".
The young elven noble from the island principality of Laerel, and the mage who is in exile from his homeland, the city-state of Vexil, nod in understanding.
Then as the fireball, which is rather massive passes by to starboard from the Quick Gull.
The lord of the death realm points, and says "There" and says to the grandson of the ruling prince of Laerel "You should be able to see it soon".
As he peers through the fog for a few moments in the direction indicated, the highly talented elven spellcaster nods and says "Got it" as he spots the oncoming red coloured dragon. The elven princeling follows that with "When you're ready".
Draugadrottin nods his full helmed head as he draws his sword from the sling across his back, and goes to run by the highly talented elven spellcaster.
As he does so, prince Helbenthríl Raendril teleports him, sending him from the Quick Gull, away into the fog, straight at the oncoming dragon.
Which he, along with Dalinvardél Tanith and Jarjin Littlefoot, can now see through the fog due to their naturally enhanced eyesight.
Lord Farque appears in midair in the fog, in a running motion, sword in hand. Right infront of a large, red coloured dragon from the Golmard faction. It's colour gives it away to what faction it belongs to.
The undead warlord who was going to talk to the dragon, and explain a few things to it. If it and it's rider decided to stop the Quick Gull, and search it like a dragon and rider in the Balford faction did yesterday morning.
Crashes into the brow and along the top of the head of the dragon, that lets out a rather undignified sounding squawk at the sudden appearance of the heavily armoured deathlord.
The dragon which sensed Helbe the elven thief casting a teleport spell. Didn't actually think the highly talented elven spellcaster would actually teleport someone straight at it.
Shakes it's head from side to side, trying to dislodge the lord and ruler of the lands Farque, who has grabbed one of the horn like protrusions sticking out of the top of the dragon's head.
The lord of the death realm ignoring the surprised sounding shouting from the rider in the saddle at the base of the dragon's neck.
Gets his footing, then using the horn like protrusion to propel himself forward.
He leaps forward and down, somersaulting in midair as he does so, and lands upon the maw of the rather disgruntled looking dragon, which is just a few hundred feet from the Quick Gull.
The undead warlord draws back his family's sword, then thrust it forward as the dragon shakes it's head, in an attempt to dislodge him.
The heavily armoured deathlord's sword goes through the dragon's magical wards, which were pretty non existent, as they were just hastily put up.
And the more than six foot long blade goes into the left eye of the surprised looking dragon.
The dragon roars in pain and anger, and dives, completely forgetting about the airship which it was about to attack.
Des'tier drives his sword in further and deeper, so that his right hand holding the hilt punches into the ruined eye of the dragon.
And when he hears a satisfying crunch, of blade going through bone, and something softer beyond that.
The lord and ruler of the lands Farque rips his right hand and sword out of the dragon's brain, then eye. And leaps upwards off it's maw, .
Looking up as he does so, while the dragon drops away. With the rider in the saddle screaming in a panic as he realises something has gone terribly wrong.
"Come on" mutters Draugadrottin as he looks up through the fog to where the Quick Gull is.
Then once he gets to the top of his near sixty foot leap, and he too starts to fall through the fog towards the ground.
Helbe the elven thief suddenly appears beside him in midair. The two of them disappear as the highly talented elven magic user teleports them up to the the small, sleek looking airship that was previously in the fleet of the Sultan of Dreese.
A few moments after they reappear on the stern deck of the Quick Gull, it rises up through the top of the fog, where it's a rather sunny day.
While somewhere down below them in the fog, a dead dragon, with it's screaming and panicked rider, smashes into the countryside, here in the province of Ordem, on what's a cool autumn day in the kingdom of Terrindim . . . . . .