The Journey 58.

Autumn. Western Terrindim.

They set down late in the afternoon and make camp. And while the dragon Sunbeam, or Kov as he's rightfully called now.
Tramples down the ground after ripping out some bushes so he's got a comfortable spot to lie on.
Daeliss Komav the dragon rider starts making her way to where her cousin Jarmic's battlecruiser, the Dragon Flame has set down.
The lean, attractive, blonde dragon rider from the western province of Halvarc doesn't go far.
When behind her, Kov the dragon says "There's a messenger coming in" followed by "He's flying in straight as he doesn't know the area that well".
The large, burnt orange coloured dragon in the Balford faction, who has a curious look upon his face, continues with "He's ever so excited about something".
"You know what it is?" asks Daeliss Komav the dragon rider, whose family found Kov's egg about a century ago in the far northwest of the province of Halvarc.
"No idea" says the dragon who was given the name Sunbeam after he was hatched.
"Whatever it is, we'll find out soon enough when they fly in" adds the largest dragon in the Balford faction.
Who shrugs his shoulders as dragons tend to do, then goes back to trampling the ground to make himself a comfortable spot.
The rider Daeliss, or Dae as she's commonly called by those who know her well, nods.
Then continues on her way to the Dragon Flame, wondering what message is coming into camp. Like Kov said, they'll find out soon enough.
Not all that long later, at dusk, the messenger dragon comes in. And from the roars of excitement from the dragons on the ground when they can finally understand what he's been going on about. Those in camp realise that something momentous has occurred.
Daeliss Komav is onboard her cousin Jarmic's battlecruiser the Dragon Flame, when the dragon rider who has just arrived.
Suddenly appears on deck as his dragon teleports him to the warship that's the acting flagship of the Balford faction's second fleet.
Daeliss, the commonborn dragon rider from the western province of Halvarc blinks in surprise as in her mind, Kov tells her what's happened today in the capital city Fanile.
At the same time, the rider who has just arrived, excitedly tells captain Jarmic Komav and the other senior officers of the fleet and accompanying army what's happened.
Specifically what took place in the inner sanctums of the Royal Palace of Terrindim this morning.
It's captain Jarmic Komav who voices what they're all thinking "Holy shit we've won".
After the messenger tells them that with queen Pania dead, the Golmard faction. Well, what's left of their commanders, as a number of them were also killed this morning.
Have pulled out of their war with the Balford faction, over the right to have a family of wild dragon egg hunters join either faction.
The commonborn battlecruiser captain looks at his cousin the dragon rider, and grins and says "We've done it Dae".
With that, she couldn't agree more. As it looks like their short war against the Golmard faction, which has lasted barely a month, has come to an end.
That's not the only thing the messenger has to report. And he yells out to those cheering and shouting in excitement to quiet down.
And when there's some semblance of order, he continues on. And tells those on the deck of the Dragon Flame. That there's also a truce with the Salmain faction, who just last week, declared war upon the Balford faction.
It seems they've got terms they couldn't refuse. For lord Ganulf, the advisor to the crown prince of Terrindim. Has given up the title and position of the lord of Highsun.
So that another member of his family can become the lord or lady of the city of Highsun. The largest and most important city in northern Terrindim.
Those things are momentous enough, after all, it involves their faction, and the recent war they've been in.
But something actually more important came out of the events that took place within the walled off section of the royal palace complex this morning.
On what's been a cold autumn day right across the kingdom of Terrindim.
For king Crassil has formally named his heir. She being princess Sarsha. The young daughter of crown prince Waniq, and princess Kelriss.
There had been rumours, especially within the Balford faction. As prince Waniq more or less leads their faction.
That his four year old daughter had been picked by the royal dragons Blackflame and Whitefire to be their next rider.
Now with the king naming her his heir, that rumour is well and truly confirmed.
Cheers go up from those on the deck of the battlecruiser the Dragon Flame.
For though it's great that they've got a victory in their war against the Golmard faction.
It's even better to hear that the kingdom will have a clear line of succession when king Crassil finally passes away.
For faction wars happen all the time. And though not that often like the recent one between the Balford and Golmard factions, as it was over the right to have a family of wild dragon egg hunters to join either one.
The naming of an heir to the throne of Terrindim, only happens once in a generation.
No doubt the celebrations throughout the fleet and army will go on till late tonight.
When the messenger can finally break free of those questioning him, he's able to give the rider Daeliss a rolled up parchment, that has the wax seal of both crown prince Waniq, and lord Ganulf upon it.
The commonborn dragon rider goes below deck, and heads to her cousin Jarmic's cabin.
There, she cracks the seals, unrolls the parchment, and quickly reads the messages written to her.
Daeliss silently asks Kov to have Jarmic, along with the dragon rider sir Malfane join her in the captain's cabin as soon as possible.
It's not long before the warship captain, and the nobleborn dragon rider.
Both from the western province of Halvarc, join the rider Daeliss in the large captain's cabin of the Dragon Flame.
"Here, read this" says the lean, blonde, attractive dragon rider from western Terrindim.
Her cousin Jarmic holds it as he and the rider Malfane read it.
The nobleborn dragon rider from the west of the kingdom nods his head, then looks over at his fellow rider.
"When will you do it?" asks sir Malfane the dragon rider, who then adds "Tomorrow morning?".
"Probably" says Daeliss Komav, who then asks "You want to come along?".
"Might as well" says the nobleman from the western province of Halvarc, who pauses for a moment, before he continues with "Will you do what his highness suggests?".
The lean, blonde attractive teenager from Halvarc, doesn't say anything, but after a moment, she nods her head yes.
"Don't know how they'll take that" quietly says captain Jarmic Komav, both his cousin Daeliss, and sir Malfane nod in agreement with the captain of the battlecruiser, the Dragon Flame.
"They're taking a lot of our gold, so I'm sure they'll listen to the suggestion" says the rider Daeliss, who looks at her fellow dragon rider and asks him "Think they might?".
"Who knows?" says the nobleman who is the rider of the dragon Firelight.
"I don't know if Light will ever end up like Beam, i mean Kov" says sir Malfane who is still getting used to calling Daeliss Komav's dragon Kov, instead of Sunbeam.
"But this new one might when it hatches" adds the nobleborn dragon rider, who follows that with "If it knows it's real name from the get go, it could be an absolute terror in battle, just like Kov is now".
The commonborn dragon rider nods in agreement, then quietly says "Definitely worth a try then".
Daeliss Komav who has been told by his highness, crown prince Waniq. Who effectively leads the Balford faction.
That she is to negotiate with the wild dragon egg hunters in her home province of Halvarc.
To not just have them join the faction. But when their egg eventually hatches, they're not to give it a human name.
They're to let the hatchling try and remember it's real name. Something that all dragons know in the shell.
As many here in the kingdom of Terrindim, don't know. As their eggs are taken from the wild. And they just about instantly forget their dragon name, because of the descriptive human one that's given to them when they crack through the shell of their egg, and hatch.
"Let's hope it works out" says Daeliss the dragon rider, while her cousin shakes his head as he continues to read the message from prince Waniq and the crown prince's advisor, lord Ganulf.
"There's going to be a lot of changes in the kingdom now" says captain Jarmic Komav who continues with "The queen dead, and the Golmard's in disarray" followed by "Prince Sormis dead too, and that means the Grayvin faction will be in turmoil too".
"Definitely a lot of changes alright" says sir Malfane who nods his head in agreement with the commonborn battlecruiser captain.
Then the nobleborn dragon rider lifts an eyebrow in surprise when he gets to the end of the written message, and glances sideways at the warship captain standing beside him.
The airship captain blinks in surprise too when he reads the last of the message.
And as he stands there looking completely dumbfounded, his cousin Daeliss grins then says "Congratulations" she briefly pauses before adding "Admiral Jarmic".
Both dragon riders laugh as Jarmic Komav, who has just been made a fleet admiral in the Balford faction, by order of prince Waniq.
On a recommendation from both prince Craefar the fleet admiral, and lord Ganulf.
Shakes his head ruefully, and looks at his young cousin, and says "You could of bloody well told me" dryly followed in a mutter with "You know how damn long it takes me to read things".
The rider Daeliss chuckles, then says "Well, with your new rank comes new responsibilities" the teenage dragon rider continues with "You'll be mixing with the nobility at court now" followed by "And i guess your standing in the faction will have to fit that".
"I agree" says sir Malfane who has noticed the mischievous look in the eyes of his fellow dragon rider.
The nobleman from the western province of Halvarc, who avoids court like the plague, and has the excuse to keep away from it, as he's a dragon rider.
Says to his fellow dragon rider in the Balford faction "At court, whether you're noble or a visiting commoner, it's best that your standing in the kingdom is shall we say, stable".
"Yes exactly" says the rider Daeliss who grins as she sees that sir Malfane has also figured out how they can torment, and have fun with her cousin Jarmic.
"Shall we say, a settling down" says the lean, blonde, attractive teenager, who at nineteen, is still the youngest dragon rider in the kingdom of Terrindim.
"Settled?" says the warship captain who is now a fleet admiral, there's a frown upon his face as he looks at the two dragon riders, both of whom are grinning as they watch him.
To his mind, settled definitely sounds like something he doesn't want any part of.
For that sounds an awful lot like, Jarmic Komav thinks to himself, the captain of the Dragon Flame looks sharply at the two dragon riders then says "You mean settle down" followed by "As in marriage?".
As they both grin, Daeliss Komav and sir Malfane nod yes in reply to that.
The dragon riders, one commonborn and the other nobleborn burst out laughing when the newly named fleet admiral, a notorious womanizer, who has fathered a number of children with many women across the kingdom, loudly mutters "I don't know about that".
Shaking her head, the rider Daeliss says to her older cousin "I'm sure you'll manage Jar" followed in a dry tone with "It's not as though you've got a shortage of women to pick from".
"Thanks" sourly says the captain of the battlecruiser the Dragon Flame.
Who wanting to change the topic of conversation quickly, says "So first thing in the morning you'll head out west to Halvarc?".
Letting her cousin get away from the embarrassing conversation they were just having, the commonborn dragon rider nods her head yes, then says "We will".
Then after sharing a look with her fellow dragon rider sir Malfane, Daeliss Komav adds "Let's hope they agree with the terms to joining the faction" she briefly pauses, before continuing with "Especially with the latest directive coming from his highness" . . . . . .