The Find 17.

Autumn.

Morning. The giant hole in the ground that's the City of Ruins.
Almard ducks down, barely able to fit into the tunnel that's in the east wall of the pit.
As usual in some of the tunnels here in the giant hole in the ground, he regrets his more than six foot in height.
"Get that moving, we don't want to be caught down here" quietly says Almard the mercenary, who though one of the newer hires in Maygam's company.
He's already been given a position of responsibility. As he's a helper of Uren, who is the second in command of the company.
Almard, who hails from the unruled lands near the city-state of Kuradum.
Waves some of the others on, who are carrying the pilfered loot they took from the mercenary band they ambushed a little while ago at dawn.
He lets them by, and heads back to where Uren is waiting with some of the others.
When he joins her, she nods for him to stand to one side, as she gives a few orders to some of those heading back to the neutral zone with the pilfered loot.
"Have a few of the newbies join us" quietly says Uren the mercenary when she walks over to Almard.
Uren is a woman in her late twenties, who one wouldn't call beautiful as she has a scar across her face.
But there is an attractive quality to her. Which more than a few of the company have fallen for, without luck.
"Three?" quietly asks Almard, Uren nods, then tells him "Ones who at least know what they're doing".
Nodding his head as he thinks about the newer hires like himself, the mercenary from near Kuradum says "That experienced archer from Nastell, Farnill" followed by "That young dwarf, and probably that teenager from Kuradum who has become friends with him".
The second in command of the company thinks about it for a few moments, then she quietly says "Those three then" followed by "They'll be coming north with us and some of the others".
Almard nods in understanding, then he moves off to get the trio he's picked.
He finds them with some of the others who participated in the ambush at dawn.
"Farnill, Hilmik and Zam isn't it?" says the mercenary from the unruled lands near the city-state of Kuradum as he picks out the trio from the others.
"You three with me" continues Almard who then adds "The rest of you follow the others back south to the neutral area".
The merc who has only been with the company a short time, then says "It should be clear, but you never know if any of those damn goblins don't blunder into the tunnel".
Those heading south nod in understanding, then they move off through the tunnel.
While Almard leads the trio of Zam, Hilmik and Farnill to where Uren is waiting with a few of the others, near the entrance to the tunnel.
Once they're altogether, the second in command of Maygam's mercenary company.
Nods for Almard to lead the way out. He exits the tunnel, taking the young dwarf Hilmik with him.
Almard wants every advantage he can get. And he knows the hearing and eyesight of the young dwarven warrior from the Colevar Mountains, is definitely an advantage.
They quickly make their way around the ancient roadway where the ambush took place.
And enter the ruins that Hilmik and Zam were on top of when the ambush took place.
Inside are the rest of those who Uren brought along with her. They're pulled inside the carts, as well as dead bodies of the mercenaries they ambushed.
As you don't really want to leave anything out that can be seen from the air.
As more than just sightseeing flights from the city-state of Eweteets is in the air above the City of Ruins on any given day.
"Good" says Uren when she enters the ruins, and sees what's been done.
"No one will know what's been done for at least a little while" adds the second in command of the company who continues with "That's all we can ask for".
As she, and the others. All know that eventually word will spread throughout the ancient city of Dalphene at what's happened here this morning.
With a group of those in Maygam's company, taking out a rival mercenary band.
Taking from them, more than a few precious items. Infact Uren is certain it's one of the better hauls they've taken so far this autumn.
Then the second in command of the company says "Phellan, lead the way with Almard and Hilmik" followed by "We go north, you know where".
Almard nods in understanding, as he knows Phellan has been with the company for nearly as long as Uren.
And knows the northern half of the giant hole in the ground, just about as well as anyone in the company.
While Almard, who has only been in the company a short time. And only arrived in the City of Ruins in the summer to find fortune and fame like nearly everyone else who ends up here.
Isn't all that familiar with the northern section of the ancient city of Dalphene.
Phellan, Almard and the young dwarf Hilmik are the first out of the ancient dilapidated building.
With the experienced Phellan leading the way. As those with Uren, make their way northwards to join up with others in the company.
Uren had just thirty or so of the company with her. Not even a quarter of the strength of Maygam's company.
Now she heads north with just fourteen of them. As she has sent the rest back to the neutral zone with what they took from those they ambushed at dawn.
The second in command of the company, and those with her are heading north to join up with Maygam and the bulk of the company.
The captain of the mercenary company will want to know how things went this morning.
Not to mention what they were able to take off those who were ambushed.
Almard as he follows closely behind Phellan, knows that they're heading into more dangerous territory as they go north.
Not just because of how chaotic things are in the City of Ruins to the north of the neutral zone.
But because Maygam is waiting on the outcome of an ongoing battle between two of the largest mercenary companies in the pit.
Whose current battle has been going on for at least a week, as they fight over a newly dug out part of the ruins.
As they're about to drop down into an ancient stone culvert, the young dwarf Hilmik quickly says "Airship".
"There" says Phellan who points away to their right, at a partially standing ruins, that's half covered in a pile of sand.
The mercenary who has been longer in the company than the other two by at least a few years.
Looks back and signals to Uren and the others to remain in the building he, Hilmik and Almard have just made their way from.
The three of them hurry into the ancient ruins that's half covered in sand.
Inside, looking up through a large hole in the roof, Almard quietly asks the young dwarf from the Colevar Mountains "Where?".
"From the east" is the reply from Hilmik the dwarven warrior, who after a few moments as he listens carefully, points up before quietly adding "From there".
A short time later, a small airship comes into view above the giant hole in the ground.
After slightly grunting, Almard says "Looks like one of those sightseeing ships from Eweteets".
"It is" says Phellan, who continues on with "Probably left during the night to get here early".
The more experienced of the mercenaries after briefly pausing then quietly adds "Though there was those fake ones during the summertime".
Looking at Hilmik, Phellan asks him "Can you see or hear any passengers onboard?".
The three of them hurry over to where a window once was, that outside now has sand piled up to the bottom of it.
As the small airship comes into view again above the giant hole in the ground.
The young dwarf from the Colevar Mountains looks closely at it, then says "Hmmm I'm not sure".
After muttering to himself in his own language, Hilmik reverts back to the common language and says "There are people on the deck, more than the crew by the sounds of it".
"Could be passengers from Eweteets" says Phellan, who then tells the other two "Or maybe not".
He then tells them at the start of the summer, a few of the larger mercenary companies living and working down here in the pit.
Had small airships, disguised like the sightseeing ones from the city-state of Eweteets.
Which they flew over the ancient city of Dalphene, before attacking rival mercenary companies, and bands of adventurers.
"Someone's taking no chances" says Almard the mercenary who points away to the left, the northwest, and he adds "Look there".
As a bright green energyball streaks up through the sky, on this cool autumn morning. Heading towards the small airship, that's lowering in altitude.
The vessel abruptly turns to starboard as those onboard spot the threat coming up towards them.
"Well if it is from Eweteets, or mercs trying to get close to the battle up here" says Phellan who follows that with "They're getting going now, that's for sure".
The other two, Almard and Hilmik, both fairly new to the company. Nod in agreement with their fellow mercenary.
Then Phellan heads back to the way they came in, out the side of the wall, he signals for Uren and the rest, it's clear to come out, and continue.
Phellan does so, along with Almard and Hilmik, who follow closely behind him.
As they head northwards to meet up with Maygam and the bulk of the mercenary captain's company.
"Well we're not going that way now" quietly says Phellan gesturing away to the northwest, the direction the energyball came from.
As they don't have one of the company's spellcasters with them at the moment.
And avoiding any other practitioner of magic down here in the City of Ruins, is the prudent thing to do.
As he follows closely behind Phellan, Almard looks up and spots the small airship circling away, heading up and away from the giant hole in the ground.
Then remembering what he heard some of the others mention a little earlier.
The mercenary from unruled lands near the city-state of Kuradum asks the young dwarf beside him "That wyvern that was up in the air earlier, isn't around anywhere is it?".
They stop at the corner of an ancient building that's fairly intact, and the dwarven warrior whose clan's mountain hold, is on the north side of the Colevar Mountain range.
Looks around, scanning the morning sky here in the giant hole in the ground.
Within which is the ancient city of Dalphene, which is more commonly called, the City of Ruins.
"Can't see it up at the moment" replies Hilmik, followed by "It must be down, or flown off somewhere".
"It's still here" says Phellan, who continues with "Jorkamin always keeps one of those damn things here".
The mercenary who has been with the company longer than the other two, then says "It'll be down somewhere" followed by "Those stupid things are lazy first thing in the morning, the patrols later in the morning are longer, and more thorough".
Phellan briefly pauses before continuing with "Those are the ones you've got keep a look out for".
He's about to signal back to Uren and the others to come forward, and set off again.
When suddenly Hilmik reaches out and grabs his right arm, and shakes his head.
The young dwarf looks at both Almard and Phellan, then puts a finger up to his lips, and motions them to be silent.
He then points to the ground about a dozen feet infront of the corner of the building where they're standing.
Hilmik then mouths the word tunnel, followed by, goblins.
Both Almard and Phellan wince, then Phellan looks back, and signals to Uren and the others to wait.
Then the two human mercenaries, one from the unruled lands near the city-state of Kuradum.
And the other from within the city-state of Eweteets, where he was formerly a church guard.
Look at the young dwarf from the Colevar Mountains, who gestures to show which way the close by, underground tunnel goes.
As he stands completely still, Almard hopes to hell there's no tunnel exit nearby.
For who knows how many wild goblins are passing underfoot at this moment.
It could be a small handful, or hundreds. As there's thousands and thousands of wild goblins. Living under the City of Ruins. And in the walls of the giant hole in the ground.
"They've moved off" quietly says Hilmik the dwarf.
Almard the mercenary breathes a sigh of relief at that. For wild goblins are a whole lot more volatile, not to mention violent, compared to goblins who live in civilized society.
"How many?" quietly asks Phellan as he looks at the young dwarf from the Colevar Mountains.
"Not sure" is the reply from Hilmik, who continues with "At least thirty or forty from what i could hear".
Almard grunts at hearing that, as that many wild goblins would pose a threat to the fifteen of them.
Then Phellan looks back in the direction Uren and the others are waiting.
And signals for them to move forward, before he sets off again, with Almard and Hilmik following closely behind him.
For the mercenary from the unruled lands near the city-state of Kuradum, Almard.
Who only recently joined the mercenary company captained by Maygam.
Knows that their journey north this morning, to meet up with some of the others in their company.
Is going to be wrought with danger most of the way. As here, in the northern half of the giant hole in the ground.
Is the most dangerous part, of an already dangerous place, that is the ancient city of Dalphene, or as it's more commonly known as, the City of Ruins.
With the young dwarf Hilmik beside him, Almard the mercenary sticks close to Phellan who is guiding the way northwards, on this cool autumn morning down here in the pit . . . . . .