The Find 18.

Autumn.

In the north of the pit. That's the ancient city of Dalphene. More widely known as the City of Ruins.
Melmear glances around the corner, and seeing that it's all clear, she hurries across the ancient roadway, and enters one of the ruins.
She nods in greeting to a number of the others in the company, already in here.
Before she heads to some steps, still fairly intact, that leads up to the roof of the ruin.
Like a lot of the ancient ruins, it's missing a fair bit of the roof. But also like a lot of them, the roof is flat, with a low wall around the edge of it.
A testament to where the ancient city originally came from. A desert region on the otherside of the world.
Melmear drops down below one of the low walls still intact, next to another in the company.
Imraness, another fairly new hire like herself. But unlike her, he's been a mercenary for a number of years.
While she's fairly new to the life of a mercenary, having only becoming one recently, when she decided to leave the tavern she was working at in the Last Village, and join Maygam's company.
"They still at it?" quietly asks Melmear, an orphan from here in the City of Ruins, just sixteen years old.
"They are" replies Imraness who though a teenager himself, he's been a mercenary for three years now.
After being kicked out of the guards of one of the churches in Eweteets, when he was fifteen years old.
"Across the way" continues Imraness, who follows that with "Away to the right of the site".
The site is an ancient ruin that's been recently dug up, which two of the largest mercenary companies down here in the City of Ruins, are fighting over.
Melmear pops her head up and looks in that direction. And sure enough, she sees a running skirmish between the two opposing mercenary companies.
There must be a good fifty or so in the fight, across open ground, and amongst some of the other ruins, quite close to the site.
The teenage girl, who in the summertime was serving drinks in one of the taverns in the Last Village.
Also notices that Imraness is looking sideways at her, admiring her.
Melmear knows she's not one you would call a classical beauty. But she is fuller figured, who many would call comely. That may men, and women for that matter, find attractive.
She learnt this during her time as a serving maid in one of the taverns in the Last Village.
Melmear knows that Maygam doesn't mind relationships amongst the company. But he preferred there wasn't.
And for the most part, those in the company adhere to that. Including Imraness, who she knows is attracted to her.
Besides, the two of them, are the only new hires with the group, that Maygam himself has with him.
As the mercenary captain is on the roof of the ancient building, right next to the one that Melmear and Imraness are on top of right now.
The teenage girl, who got hired for the simple reason she's quite handy with a dagger.
A skill she learnt working as a server in a tavern. Where more than a few of the customers. Mostly mercenaries and adventurers. Would put their hands on her, when she didn't want it.
Looks up and over Imraness beside her, to the roof of the ancient building to their right.
Trying to spot the mercenary captain, Maygam. Who has a fair bulk of his company with him at the moment.
As he, and most of them, observe the fight between two of the largest mercenary companies here in the City of Ruins.
A fight that's gone on for the better part of a week now, as they try to take possession of the recently dug up ruins.
Ruins that were dug up by some of the wild goblins in the area, who were trying to enlarge their home cavern.
They were ran off, when one of the two large mercenary companies found out about the site.
Now they're in a battle with one of their rival companies, who want the site for themselves.
Melmear can't see Maygam at the moment, but she does spot Lolmildíll, one of elven twins in the company.
The comely looking teenage girl from down here in the City of Ruins quickly drops her head back down.
When Lolmildíll turns his head and looks in her direction.
"What is it?" quietly asks Imraness "Lolm" is the reply from Melmear.
The older teenager originally from the city-state of Eweteets grimaces. As he, along with Melmear, and just about everyone else in the company.
Find the elven magic user to be more than a little creepy. And he's the nicer of the twins.
For the other, Gilvanéllé is a straight out nightmare to deal with, and be around.
Even those who have been in the company for a number of years. Wonders why Maygam continues to keep the elven twins around.
True, they're innovative and destructive with their magic when they want to be. Much to the benefit of the company as a whole.
But some of their behaviour one wouldn't normally tolerate in any other endeavour.
To say they're miscreants, and a little bent in their thinking. Is an understatement in the extreme.
The elven twins, who if rumours are true, are nobleborn. Have a number of unsavoury habits and behaviours.
Some of which, Melmear along with Imraness, don't want to see in person anytime soon.
The teenage girl from the Last Village. Knows that there's thieves, rapists and murderers amongst the company.
Hell, Imraness has admitted to her, he got kicked out of the church guards he was in for stealing.
But what she and the others have heard about the twins from the elven principality of Alínlae is anything to go by.
Murder, rape and theft, are some of the less depraved things the twins have got up during their lifetimes.
Melmear, who knows she was brought along with Maygam and the others.
So the mercenary captain can keep an eye on her, so as not to fall prey to any of the unscrupulous fellows in the company.
Knows that Imraness, is the only other new hire brought along with this group.
For the simple reason, that for an eighteen year old. He's a more than an accomplished swordsman.
Perhaps one of the best in the company, which he joined at the end of summer, start of autumn, just like Melmear.
And that if there was a master in the pit who could test and rank him, he could possibly be a blademaster, or even a swordmaster by now.
"Damn, they're desperate to get in there" quietly says Imraness, interrupting the thoughts of the comely looking teenager lying beside him on the flat rooftop.
Melmear pops her head up, and looks over the low wall infront of them, to where the two mercenary companies are fighting to take claim of the site.
She flinches as an explosion comes from somewhere near the fighting, sending sand and debris up into the late morning sky.
On what's a cool autumn day here in the giant hole in the ground. Within which is the ancient city of Dalphene. Or as it's more widely known as, the City of Ruins.
"Definitely desperate to get in there" quietly says Melmear, who after a brief pause, asks her fellow newbie "Who you got?" followed by "Hamblett's or Jarnok's?".
"Earlier in the week i would of said Jarnok" is the reply from the young swordsman from the city-state of Eweteets, who continues on with "But now I'm leaning towards Hamblett's bunch".
"Same" quietly says the full figured, attractive teenager from the Last Village, down here in the City of Ruins.
"I'm surprised one of the other large companies like Jorkamin's hasn't joined in the fight" adds Melmear.
Who though only sixteen, has lived all her life down here in the pit. Infact she's only been up out of the giant hole in the ground a handful of times.
And then only to the towns and villages up on the south edge of the pit.
And she knows a lot about the various mercenary companies down here in the ancient city of Dalphene.
And that the only real competition to the companies of Jarnok and Hamblett. Is another large one, like captain Jorkamin's.
Maygam's mercenary company can't compete against one of those big ones.
True, his mercenary company is one of the more successful to be found down here in the pit.
But when it comes to military strength, his company just can't take on one of the large mercenary companies making a living down here in the giant hole in the ground.
So that's why Maygam is doing what he does best. Waiting for the two larger companies to annihilate one another.
So that he can move in, and take from the site, any of the hidden treasures to be found inside, and underneath the freshly dug out ruins.
Unfortunately, as is always the case. His isn't the only mid sized mercenary company, or for that matter, a small mercenary company.
Observing the running battle between the mercenary companies captained by Jarnok and Hamblett.
There's quite a few of them up here, in the north of the pit, closely watching the battle between Hamblett's and Jarnok's mercenaries.
Infact one of the smaller companies in the area has already tried to sneak into the site, while the two battling companies were too busy to notice.
They were eventually noticed by first Jarnok's company, and then Hamblett's.
And the two rival mercenary companies had a brief truce as they both turned on the small mercenary company, that tried to sneak into the site, and try and locate any of the hidden treasure within.
They didn't last long, as that small company was absolutely annihilated by the two larger mercenary companies.
Who after they wiped out that small company to a man, they went back to trying to destroy one another as they continue to fight over the freshly uncovered ruins.
And with there being a number of other companies watching what's going on between Jarnok's and Hamblett's companies.
Conflict has occurred between some of them. And Maygam's company hasn't been immune from that.
As they've had a few quick skirmishes against other mercenary companies over the last week or so, since they've been up here in the northern part of the ancient city of Dalphene.
Or as it's more commonly called, the City of Ruins.
"You didn't see anyone sneaking around did you?" asks Imraness with a glance sideways at the younger teen lying beside him.
"No one" is the reply from Melmear, who continues with "That doesn't mean no one's about".
The young swordsman from the city-state of Eweteets, where he previously served as a guard to one of the many churches there.
Nods in agreement with the orphan teenager who is from here in the pit.
Then the two of them look away to the left along the roof, to where another of the company is the lookout at the corner of the rooftop.
"Movement" says the lookout, followed by "Away to the southeast, heading our way".
Imraness nods, and repeats that to the next mercenary along to his and Melmear's right.
Eventually word gets to those on the roof of the ancient building to the right. Where Maygam, the captain of the company is.
The two newbies to the company look that way, and see that the elven magic user Lolmildíll has got into a crouch and is looking that way.
A short time later after the elven spellcaster has dropped back down to lie flat on that roof.
Word gets to the rooftop that Melmear and Imraness are on. That Lolmildíll has identified who it is that's approaching from the southeast.
"Wonder if they were successful?" quietly says Melmear after hearing it's Uren, and some of the others with the second in command, who are heading this way from the southeast.
"I'd guess so" says Imraness, as they like the others know. That Uren and those of the company with her, were to ambush another lot of mercenaries this morning.
Who if rumours were correct, had found some fairly decent treasure somewhere just to the north of the neutral zone.
Here in the giant hole in the ground, within which is the City of Ruins, or as it was once called, Dalphene.
Melmear nods in agreement with what the young swordsman from the city-state of Eweteets just said.
As everyone in the company, from new hires like the two of them. To those who have been with it, ever since Maygam created the company.
Know that Uren gets things done, for she is one the reasons why their company.
Which isn't one of the biggest down here in the pit, nor is it amongst the smallest.
Is so successful in what they do. Which is taking the treasure and valuables, off others.
After they've done all the hard work, and dug it up out of the ground. Or found it within one of the ruins.
Melmear who realises that things will soon intensity for Maygam's mercenary company.
Now that Uren and those with her, rejoin the bulk of the mercenary company. Who are up here in the north of the pit, with their captain, Maygam.
"With more of us up here" quietly says Imraness, who after a brief pause, continues with "I've got a feeling Maygam is going to do something".
Looking to where members of Jarnok's and Hamblett's companies are still fighting against one another near the site.
Melmear quietly says "What?" followed by "Against all of them?".
Imraness shakes his head no, then quietly says "Not them" he briefly pauses before adding "But against someone, that will effect what that lot are doing".
The comely looking young woman, from here in the City of Ruins can't fault that logic from the skilled swordsman from the city-state of Eweteets.
Because they all know, that Maygam is a bit of a genius when it comes to the conflicts between mercenary companies down here in the pit.
It's why he and his company are so successful in scrounging off what they can take from others.
"Let us hope so" murmurs Melmear the mercenary, as they continue to watch the running battle between the mercenary companies led by Hamblett and Jarnok.
Whilst waiting for the second in command of their own company, Uren to show up with the others with her . . . . . .