The Journey 50.

Autumn. The Kingdom Of Terrindim.

It's late in the afternoon when the dragon formerly named Sunbeam, circles around and lands near the dragon Firelight.
Daeliss Komav the dragon rider, who thought she'd never ride upon her dragon again.
Quickly gets out of the saddle, and slides down the left flank of the large, burnt orange coloured dragon.
And once on the ground, she hurries over to where her fellow dragon rider, sir Malfane is standing.
"Wonder who did that?" asks Daeliss Komav the dragon rider.
"No idea" replies sir Malfane the dragon rider, who then points as he adds "It got it in the eye, that's for sure".
The lean, blonde, attractive young dragon rider from the western province of Halvarc nods in agreement.
Then she asks the nobleborn dragon rider "Where's the rider?" followed by "I don't see them".
"This way" says the nobleman, who is also from the province of Halvarc, which is further west in the kingdom.
He leads the way around the dead dragon, then points and dryly says "There".
Daeliss Komav, or Dae as she's more commonly called by family and friends, winces as she sees an arm and shoulder sticking out from underneath the left side of the large, red dragon.
"Well, that's at least one less of their's" quietly says the commonborn dragon rider from the west of the kingdom of Terrindim.
"At least that's something" says sir Malfane, who glances behind them, then says "Light has no idea how it died" followed by "Apart from the obvious, that something got it in the eye".
The rider Daeliss nods, then looks back at her dragon, and being careful not to call him by the name she's known him by all her life, she calls out "Kov come over here, and have a look at this!" followed by "What did you think happened".
The first wing of the Balford faction's second fleet finally got underway in the middle of the afternoon.
When the thick fog that's blanketed much of this part of the province of Ordem, finally thinned out enough. That captain Jarmic Komav who is the temporary commander of their wing, deemed it safe enough for them to resume their patrols.
Looking out for both of their enemies, the Golmard faction, and the Salmain faction, who they find themselves at war with.
Now this region in the east of the province of Ordem is clear of fog in the late afternoon.
And just a short time ago, sir Malfane and his dragon Firelight, found a dead dragon in the middle of the countryside.
Far from any inhabited place, with the nearest farm at least ten miles to the south. And the nearest village a few miles further south than that.
After waddling over to where the two dragon riders from the western province of Halvarc are standing next to the large dead dragon.
Kov the dragon rumbles, then says "Something got it fairly good in the eye there" as he looks closely at the dragon in the Golmard faction "Right into the brain i say" adds Kov who continues with "It was probably dead before it hit the ground".
After looking up at the clear and sunny, late afternoon sky on what's a cool autumn day.
The large, burnt orange coloured dragon muses "Hmmmmm where's it's rider?".
He lifts his head and neck up, and snakes it over the body of the dead Golmard dragon, and murmurs "Eeewww" as he spots what remains of the rider of the dead dragon.
After pulling his head back, and hunkering down behind the two dragon riders in the Balford faction.
Kov the dragon rumbles as he thinks about things. The largest dragon in the Balford faction thinks about the strange human he and the rider Daeliss encountered yesterday morning. When they stopped, and searched a foreign vessel that was traveling westwards across the kingdom of Terrindim.
Recalling the conversation in his native language he had with the large, heavily armoured human.
The dragon formerly known as Sunbeam, who has been in the Komav family since the egg.
Clearly remembers the strange human, who smelled of the cold of all things. Telling Kov he could easily kill him if he wanted to.
Then looking at the dead Golmard dragon just a dozen yards away again. And remembering that the strange human he spoke to while Daeliss Komav searched the foreign vessel they had stopped.
Had an extremely large, not to mention long sword strapped to his back.
The large, burnt orange coloured dragon, who at about eighty years out of the egg, is still fairly young for a dragon. Infact if he was a human, he'd be considered an infant.
Grunts as he comes to a conclusion as to what happened to the Golmard dragon, that lies nearby, dead.
He looks up into the sky, looking to the west, sensing as far in that direction as he can.
And he senses a number of airships, predominantly warships in that direction, twenty to twenty five miles away.
Trying to identify the one he's thinking of, is all but impossible. But he reasons, the foreign vessel that he's thinking about, might be in that direction.
Then looking at the two dragon riders who like him, are in the Balford faction.
The dragon formerly named Sunbeam, who had an epiphany yesterday. And realised who, and what he truly is.
Wonders if he should tell them what he thinks happened to the Golmard faction's dragon.
Kov shrugs his massive shoulders, then says "I've got an idea as to what happened to it" as he nods his head at the dead dragon.
From nearby, Firelight lifts her head up, to listen to her fellow dragon in the Balford faction.
"It probably ran into someone it should of kept away from" adds the large, burnt orange coloured dragon.
Who has a feeling the large red dragon in the Golmard faction probably tried to attack the small, single masted foreign vessel.
Instead of stopping it, and inspecting it, like he and the rider Daeliss did early yesterday morning.
"Well, that's fairly obvious" dryly says sir Malfane the dragon rider as he looks at the dead dragon, whose left eye looks like it has exploded.
The rest of it's body doesn't look much better, as a lot of it has splattered when it hit the ground.
With the wings shattered and splayed. And the tail bent up underneath it's torso.
Looking at Daeliss Komav, who he still considers his rider, though not in the traditional sense.
Kov the dragon says into her mind, what he thinks happened to the enemy dragon.
After he tells her, the teenage dragon rider from the western province of Halvarc, slowly nods her head. As that's a fairly distinct possibility.
Even more so, when outloud, Kov the dragon says "There's enemy warships about twenty five miles away to the west" followed by "Golmard vessels, that this dead fellow belonged with most like".
The largest of all the Balford dragons silently informs his rider Daeliss. That the foreign vessel they stopped yesterday morning. Is probably out in that direction too.
And if any of the Golmard vessels, or dragons who might be with them. Were to attack them. They might end up like this dead dragon infront of them.
Who are that lot? Daeliss Komav silently muses to herself as she thinks about the small foreign airship she searched yesterday morning, and those traveling onboard it.
"Twenty five miles you say" muses sir Malfane who looks westwards, before looking at his fellow dragon rider, and saying to her "You thinking what I'm thinking?".
"If you mean we should attack them" says the rider Daeliss, who grins as she continues with "Then I'm thinking what you're thinking".
The nobleborn dragon rider grins too, but just before he goes to say something.
Kov the dragon gets in first with "You know what would be better than attacking them now?".
"What's that?" asks Daeliss Komav, who is still getting accustomed to not calling her dragon Sunbeam, or Beam as she would more likely than not, call him.
"Attacking them later" says the largest of the Balford dragons, who continues with "A night attack".
The two dragon riders from the western province of Halvarc. One commonborn, the other nobleborn. Share a look. For though fighting at night with a dragon isn't unheard of. It's not exactly common either.
Daeliss Komav who has been told by her dragon that she won't ride with him again in battle.
Is silent for a few moments. As she thinks about how easily he killed that Salmain dragon yesterday morning.
And would of done so, even quicker and more efficiently without her in the saddle on his back.
The teenager, who is still the youngest dragon rider in the kingdom of Terrindim, slowly nods her head.
"You think that's best Kov?" asks Daeliss Komav, who at the last moment said her dragon's new name. Or that should be, his real name. And not the one her family just over eighty years ago, gave him.
"I do" says the large, burnt orange coloured dragon who has been in the Komav family since the egg.
"They will not expect a night attack" adds the dragon who was formerly named Sunbeam.
Both dragon riders share a look again, then sir Malfane says "They definitely won't expect a night attack, that's for sure".
The rider Daeliss nods her head in agreement, then does so again, when the nobleborn dragon rider tells her "We better inform your cousin".
A little bit later, as it gets later in the afternoon, and it approaches dusk, as the sun starts to go down in the west.
On what started off being a foggy autumn day, here in this part of the western province of Ordem.
Captain Jarmic Komav on the deck of his battlecruiser, the Dragon Flame, slightly shakes his head, and murmurs "Damn".
As he looks at the dead Golmard dragon down on the ground, as his warship lowers down to land not far from the dead enemy dragon.
After his cousin, Daeliss Komav the dragon rider, along with her fellow dragon rider, sir Malfane come onboard.
The commonborn airship captain who finds himself in command of the first wing of the Balford faction's second fleet.
Asks the two dragon riders from his home province of Halvarc "So what happened here?" as he gestures to the nearby enemy dragon, that lies splattered across the ground.
Daeliss Komav informs her rakish cousin, the warship captain. What's happened here with the Golmard dragon.
But what also they have planned for later tonight. Well, the dragon Kov has planned for later in the night. To the northwest, where about twenty five miles away, and getting further away.
Are a number of the enemy Golmard airships, and accompanying dragons, as well as some of their army.
The commonborn airship captain lifts an eyebrow in surprise at the prospect of a night battle.
As he knows dragons don't usually go for battles at night. So this will be a definite advantage for them.
Especially for the dragon formerly known as Sunbeam. Who with his new found freedom during combat without a rider upon jus back.
Will be absolutely devastating fighting at night.
"What say you?" asks Daeliss Komav the dragon rider as she looks at her cousin the warship captain.
"Sounds like an excellent plan" says captain Jarmic Komav, who continues on with "We won't be involved though" as he gestures at his battlecruiser and the other airships that are coming in.
"We know" says the teenage dragon rider, who follows that with "But we'll be close".
As she will stay aboard the battlecruiser the Dragon Flame as Kov flies into battle.
"That would be best" says the commonborn warship captain from the western province of Halvarc, who looks at sir Malfane who nods in agreement at that suggestion.
"Kov plans to fly in first and do as much damage as possible, before the others follow him in" says the rider Daeliss.
"Whatever you guys think best" says captain Jarmic who looks over to where the dragon formerly known as Sunbeam, is with a couple of the other dragons in their wing.
The captain of the Dragon Flame looks at the two dragon riders, and quietly says to them "I think it would be best to do whatever Kov suggests in battle now".
He briefly pauses before he continues on with "I know I'm just a warship captain, and have no real say in how you riders go about things, even though I'm in temporary command of your wing".
The battlecruiser captain then adds "But from what you said he did yesterday morning Dae, then I'm inclined to believe he can wreck havoc upon the enemy if he gets the chance to do what he wants".
Daeliss Komav slowly nods her head in agreement, and after a moment, her fellow dragon rider, sir Malfane nods too.
"When exactly does he plan to attack?" asks the airship captain who has reputation of a womanizer, a deserved reputation at that.
"Later tonight" says the teenage dragon rider Daeliss Komav who continues on with "When their ships have stopped flying".
Captain Jarmic nods, as his younger cousin explains that the dragons of their wing, especially Kov and Firelight know this region fairly well. As they've often flown here as they travel from their homes in the western province of Halvarc, to the capital city Fanile and back.
And when dragons are still new out of the egg, they spend years flying what's called, straight. So they can learn the terrain, so in the future they're able to create rifts to wherever they wish to go.
For a spellcaster, even one as powerful as a dragon. Has to know where they're going when they cast a rift. A place they've seen before and been too.
Unlike a dangerous spell such as a rift/void which can take you just about anywhere without you having control over it.
"I'll have our ships continue westwards" says captain Jarmic Komav who then adds "So we're closer when Kov and the other dragons attack".
Daeliss Komav nods to that, then says "I'll just and go and speak to him about it".
After his younger cousin gets off his battlecruiser the Dragon Flame, and makes her way through the fading light of dusk to where her dragon Kov is.
Captain Jarmic quietly says the to the nobleborn dragon rider still standing next to him "Tell me sir Malfane, do you think you could do what my cousin has done?" followed by "Give up flying upon your dragon in battle?".
Looking over to where his dragon Firelight is lying stretched out near Kov and couple of the wing's other dragons who no doubt have been silently chatting with one another , sir Malfane quietly says "I don't know".
The commonborn warship captain is silent for a few moments, then he says to the nobleman from the west of the kingdom "You know, you might just have to if we want to win this war against the Golmard and Salmain factions".
Sir Malfane looks sharply at captain Jarmic Komav, then after a few moments he slowly nods.
While nearby, Kov the dragon stops listening to the private conversation between Jarmic Komav and sir Malfane on the deck of the battlecruiser the Dragon Flame.
As his rider Daeliss Komav walks over to him and the other dragons, to speak with them about what Kov has planned for later tonight . . . . . .