The Find - Prologue 3.

Autumn.

The city-state of Brattonbury. Near the ports of the Inner Harbour. And Beldane the cleric frowns then says "Time?" followed by "No i haven't seen any".
In response to a question from Mira Reinholt the mage who is a scriviners shop with him.
The powerful cleric who is originally from the kingdom of Nastell, then says "Shouldn't you be looking for some of the histories of the Southlands?" he briefly pauses then adds "And ancient maps too?".
"I am" says Mira Reinholt the mage who is in the next aisle over from the spellcaster who is in the church of Glaine.
The once powerful mage who is looking through a gap in one of the bookcase come shelves, continues with "I'm keeping an eye out for something for myself as well".
The powerful cleric nods, then tells his fellow spellcaster "I'll keep an eye out for anything that deals with time".
Beldane then looks up and down the row of bookcases and shelves he's between, and he murmurs "That's if i can find anything of worth in here".
As the books, scrolls, letters and other documents. Are in a haphazard fashion throughout the shelves and cases.
With no index. At least not one of sense. In evidence, anywhere in the shop.
A shop that's just up from the main bazaar in this part of the city of Brattonbury. By size, the largest city in the entire Southlands.
As it has a trio of harbours, and a fourth one, to the south. The New Harbour, that's still being built. And has been for the last twenty or so years.
Beldane, who is in the aisle the scriviner who owns the shop, said all the ancient maps are in.
Finds the shelf that's piled with scrolls, and loose leaf maps. Those that are brand new, and recently copied. Mixed with other, older maps.
"Found them" says the fighting cleric in the halfplate armour, who follows that with "The maps".
A couple of moments later, and the mage Reinholt comes around from the aisle he's in, and joins his fellow practitioner of magic.
"By Glaine" mutters the powerful cleric who hails from the kingdom of Nastell.
As he looks at one map, and compares it to another. The cleric in the church of Glaine, a god predominantly worshiped in the north of Nastell, just shakes his head, in response to the mage from the city-state of Vexil, who asks him "Well?".
The spellcaster, who is in exile from his homeland Vexil, looks at one of the maps Beldane is holding.
Then takes one of the newer looking scrolls from the shelf, and unrolls it, and compares the two maps.
The mage, who is also a highly skilled swordmaster, winces as he immediately recognises the problem.
"Oh hell" mutters the Vexilian mage in exile, who sighs before adding in a mutter "By the shape of fire".
As the new scroll he's just unrolled, is actually an old map, that's been recently copied.
While the quite old looking map that Beldane is holding, is actually quite recent. A little over fifty years old. And from what the two of them can see, is fairly accurate.
Looking at the shelf with all the maps, the spellcaster who was once the most powerful mage of his generation, to be found anywhere in the Southlands.
Until he was stripped of most of his powers, when he went offworld through a rift/void spell he accidentally cast a number of years ago.
Sourly smiles, then shakes his head and says "What a mess" followed by "Fuck if I'm sorting through all of that".
The highly skilled swordmaster originally from the city-state of Vexil, who is a member of the personal council to lord Farque, says "I'll leave that up to you" he then adds "I'll search for the histories instead".
"Thanks" sourly says the powerful cleric from the kingdom of Nastell, who then looks in disgust at the shelf full of maps.
While the once powerful mage wanders away, saying "Best of luck" briefly pausing before adding "And keep an eye out for any tomes dealing with time".
Beldane continues to sourly smile as he takes another scroll map from the shelf.
Then unrolls it, to see if it's actually an original ancient map. Or just a map, that was copied a long time ago. Or one that's been copied more recently, though ancient.
Leaving Beldane behind in the aisle with the maps, Mira Reinholt goes around into the next aisle.
Looking for more books on the histories of the Southlands. While keeping an eye out for any books that pertain to magic. In particular, time when it concerns magic.
The scriviner, who is the back of the shop, working with his two apprentice copyists.
Informed the two spellcasters that books and scrolls on magic are scattered throughout the shop.
The exiled Vexilian mage can well believe it, as the shop is a mess. With books, scrolls and letters. Of all different subjects, piled up on the shelves.
It was lucky Beldane found an entire shelf full of maps. Mira Reinholt knows he won't be so lucky finding books on the histories of the Southlands.
As he already spotted a few of them he knows, scattered throughout the shop.
The spellcaster who is also a highly skilled swordmaster, who is sensing for any magical tome or scroll.
Which is fairly difficult to do. As most magical books and scrolls, aren't actually magical.
Stops at a shelf, and looks at the books. He takes an old green dyed leather tome out, and reads the title.
And sees that on the cover, it says in both elven and common. Histories of the North, Pertaining to The Southlands.
"Might be useful" murmurs the once powerful mage, who decides he'll buy this book.
The spellcaster who is a member of the personal council to the lord and ruler of the lands Farque.
Continues to search for other books with the subject matter of the histories of the Southlands.
Also looking out for any books and scrolls on magic. Especially time magic.
As the exiled Vexilian mage has had idea for the last few years he's been working on. If it will amount to anything, he's not too sure. But all the same, he's willing to try.
A bit inland in the city, and further north along the inner harbour.
Tamric Drubine the field commander looks in the direction of the famous arenas of Brattonbury.
"I understand some of them are still open during the autumn" says Tamric Drubine the field commander, who then adds "Think they're worth a visit tonight, maybe?".
"The autumn season there isn't that great compared to the height of summer" says Jarjin Littlefoot the hobbit, who switches to the elven language, and quietly adds "I should know, i did quite well there a number of years ago".
The halfling, who isn't what he appears to be, pauses for a moment, before saying "Though not as well as Shur Kee" followed by "He was the undefeated champion there one summer".
Field commander Drubine nods, as he's heard when he was young, when he first came to the city-state of Brattonbury.
How both Jarjin Littlefoot, or Zubutai the barbarian hordesman as he was at the time, and Shur Kee the monk, fought in the famous Brattonbury fighting arenas.
The young noble originally from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin, who recently turned twenty years old at the start of autumn.
Looks at the massive arenas in the distance, down near the water of the First Harbour of Brattonbury, at the northern end of the city.
Then the field commander in the armies of Farque, turns and looks further inland, as he and Jarjin aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman continue to wait for Lisell Maera the scout, and Saanea the witch to return.
"Think she's doing right thing in seeing her brother?" quietly asks the son of a previous Knight of Castle Drubine, a castle and it's surrounding lands, that can be found in the forested north of the kingdom of Sarcrin.
Shrugging his shoulders, the halfling, who is a former air sailor from the Sultanate of Dreese, which is on the far east coast of the continent, says "It will do her good".
The hobbit, who is one of the members of the personal council to lord Farque, continues with "Besides, it's best if she finds out if he's done well here growing up, after she left".
The young field commander nods his head, as the two of them stand beneath a tree at the edge of a small park.
Tamric Drubine, or Tam as he's more commonly called by those who know him well, looks further inland, up one of the nearby hills, that overlooks the harbours of the largest city in all the Southlands.
"I see that gnome built tower you lot attacked all those years ago is finally gone" quietly says field commander Drubine.
The halfling, who is really a hordes outrider from the southern tundra by the name of Zubutai Timaginson, who just happens to find himself inhabiting the body of Jarjin Littlefoot.
Looks the way Tam is looking, and nods his head, before saying "Finally" followed by "As is that warship that was stuck in the sky after it got hit by antimagic".
"How long ago was that now?" quietly asks the young noble originally from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin.
"Nearly eighteen years ago" replies Jarjin aka Zubutai the son of Timagin, who shakes his head as he remembers that summer all those years ago. When he and Shur Kee the monk were arena fighters.
And when the group as it was at the time, came into conflict with one of the assassin's guilds here in Brattonbury.
Destroying that guild, which would lead them to finding a fortune in antimagic out in the Hynralv Archipelago. Which is out in the Great Western Ocean.
After shaking his head, the halfling from the far east coast of the continent quietly says to the young field commander in the armies of Farque "Hopefully the others will be able to find something out about it".
Nodding in agreement with councilor Littlefoot, Tamric Drubine quietly says "Hopefully".
"He's doing well" quietly says Saanea the witch, who continues with "Temple life seems to agree with him".
With a faint smile upon her lips, Lisell Maera the scout nods in agreement with the pretty looking hillwoman.
They've just come from seeing Lisell's younger brother, who the scout in the armies of Farque.
Hasn't seen in over eight years, ever since she left Brattonbury when the group found her here.
The attractive young woman who grew up in the streets of the poorer districts of the port city, can't believe at how her baby brother, who is now thirteen. Has thrived in the temple he was placed in by the group.
"He's one of the lucky ones" quietly says Lisell Maera the scout, followed by "Not many from the streets of the poor districts get the chance he's had".
After a moment's silence, the spellcaster from the Maldin Hills says "Or the chance you've had".
Wryly smiling, the scout Maera says "That's a little different" she continues with "That crazy lot were actually looking for me" followed by "As we did looking for you".
Saanea the witch nods in agreement with the scout in the armies of Farque, then the hillwoman quietly says "Now we're looking for someone else".
Lisell Maera or Lis as she's more commonly called by those who know her well, quietly says in a dry tone "That's if we can find out where the hell they are".
"Hopefully the others have had some luck with that" says the witch from the Maldin Hills, who was the last to join the group.
The two of them are heading towards the First Harbour, to a park where Tamric Drubine the field commander and Jarjin Littlefoot the hobbit are waiting for them.
"Are those two still there?" quietly asks the scout Maera, who glances at the massive structures that are the fighting arenas of Brattonbury, which are just to the north of where they are.
Saanea closes her eyes as they briefly stop at the corner of a building, then after she opens her eyes, she says "They're still there".
Lis nods, then as they set off again, the scout in the armies of Farque, who grew up here in the city of Brattonbury quietly says "I wonder how Mira and Beldane's search is going?".
"We'll find out soon enough, when we meet up with them i guess" says the witch who hails from the Maldin Hills.
Then after they round a corner, and make their way through a lane, the spellcaster who is a witch, suddenly stops.
"What is it?" asks Lisell Maera the scout as she looks at the practitioner of magic, who stands there, with her head slightly tilted to one side, as if she's listening to something.
After a moment, Saanea the witch looks at Lis and says "It was his highness" followed by "The others are just flying into the city".
She briefly pauses before continuing with "Seems they've had a bit of luck, they might know where the person is".
"Finally" murmurs the scout Maera, as the two of them set off to join Tamric Drubine and Jarjin Littlefoot, to tell them that the rest of the group are about to arrive.
And that they've finally had a bit of luck, as they search for the person they're trying to find.