The Find 21.

Autumn.

Early Morning. In the City Of Ruins. Just north of the Last Village.
Tamric Drubine the field commander yawns after checking his pack one last time.
The young noble originally from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin looks over to where Dorc da Orc is standing, scowling as he scratches his balls in the early morning gloom of just before dawn.
The senior officer in the armies of Farque shakes his head. Then looks to his left as his lover Saanea the witch walks up to him, and comes and stands beside him.
The young field commander briefly clasps the witch's hand, then he nods to where the others are.
The couple head that way, eventually followed by Dorc da Orc, after Tamric Drubine looks back at him, and nods for the large ork to follow him.
As Beldane the cleric looks through the leather wrapped, brass cylindrical eyepiece that belongs to Mira Reinholt the mage.
Jarjin Littlefoot the hobbit asks "What's the best way?" the halfling from the far east coast if the continent, then adds "Teleport or one of your gateways Beldane?".
It's Mira Reinholt the mage who answers for the fighting cleric, and says "Gateway" followed by "There's too many of us to teleport far".
The once powerful mage continues on with "Even for someone as powerful as Beldane here".
The powerful spellcaster from the kingdom of Nastell nods his head in agreement with his fellow practitioner of magic.
As he continues to look northwards through the eyepiece, as Tamric Drubine, Saanea the witch and Dorc da Orc join them and the rest of the group.
Here in the City of Ruins, just north of what's called the Last Village. On what feels like it's going to be another cool autumn day down here in the pit.
Standing off to one side is lord Farque, who is also looking northwards while the rest of the group waits as dawn approaches, here in the giant hole in the ground, within which is the ancient city of Dalphene.
As the first rays of light come down over the pit, the undead warlord makes his way over to where the others are waiting.
"Anywhere?" asks lord Farque as he looks at the fighting cleric who hails from the kingdom of Nastell.
"There and there" is the reply of Beldane the cleric who points away to the north as he says that.
The member of the church of Glaine, a god which is predominantly worshiped in the north of Nastell, then adds "They look to be better places".
The heavily armoured deathlord looks to where Beldane has pointed, sensing as he does so.
Lord Farque, or Draugadrottin as he's also known by to the people of his lands, nods his full helmed head.
"Not the one to the left, the west" says the lord of the death realm who continues with "Quite a lot of people in and around there".
The undead warlord briefly pauses, before he says "The one on the right instead" he then adds "See that ruins, with the broken above ground aqueduct running next to it?".
As he looks through the eyepiece, Beldane the cleric nods, then says "I do".
"Keep clear of that" says the lord and ruler of the lands Farque, who continues with "There's a bunch of fucking mercs or others in there, no doubt waiting for someone to go by first thing in the morning, so they can attack them".
The powerful cleric nods his head, then says "Will do" he then adds "I've got a spot, about fifty yards to the right, near where there's the foundations of some ruins sticking out of the sandy ground".
Draugadrottin nods his full helmed head, then says "Good enough" followed by "Might as well get going".
As the fighting cleric in the halfplate armour hands the leather wrapped, cylindrical eyepiece back to his fellow spellcaster, the mage Reinholt.
Lord Farque says to the group "Not too busy there" followed by "Just some goblins heading between there and the east wall of the pit".
As the powerful cleric starts casting, the deathlord of Farque looks at Dalinvardèl Tanith the elven spy and Lisell Maera the scout and tells them "You two first". Both nod, then he says "Dorc, Percy with me".
Though the large ork and the former paladin scowl at one another, the ork warleader grunts in reply to the undead warlord, while the large, heavily armoured knight nods his full helmed head that he will.
"Follow us Shur Kee" says the lord and ruler of the lands Farque.
"I will lord Farque" says Shur Kee the monk who knows that Des'tier as he's called in elven, likes to keep him around Dorc da Orc and sir Percavelle Lé Dic.
So that he can keep an eye on the big, burly ork from the southern polar region of the world, and the nobleman from the kingdom of Druvic, who are bitter rivals.
Looking at the others in the group, the large undead being says to them "The rest of you follow quickly".
They all nod that they will, then the gateway cast by Beldane the cleric forms about five yards infront of the spellcaster who is a member of the church of Glaine.
It's barely formed when first Dalinvardèl Tanith runs quickly through it, followed closely by Lisell Maera the scout.
Lord Farque walks forward, and slightly ducks to go through the magical doorway that's all black in colour.
He's followed closely by Dorc da Orc, who has to duck down to go through it.
The ork weaponsmith is followed by his bitter rival, the Druvician nobleman who is a member of the Order of The Knights of Saint Mar-che.
Who is closely followed by the short, statured monk, Shur Kee. Who hurries to keep up with the large, heavily armoured knight.
Then one by one, the others in the group go through the gateway cast by the fighting cleric who hails from the kingdom of Nastell.
Last through the gateway and out the otherside, is Beldane the cleric himself.
The churchman who is a follower of the god Glaine. Spots Tovis the war engineer hurrying around a half torn down ruins.
After quickly dropping his gateway spell behind him, the powerful Nastellian spellcaster heads after the young engineer, who like sir Percavelle Lé Dic, is from the kingdom of Druvic.
Once Beldane comes around the corner, the lord and ruler of the lands Farque says "We're about half a mile from that neutral area".
Des'tier as he's called in elven, which translates to, The Destroyer continues with "Shouldn't run into too much trouble between here and there, especially at this time of the morning".
The lord of the death realm then adds "All the same, keep your fucking wits about you".
The large, heavily armoured deathlord looks at the Dalinvardèl Tanith, and nods for the elven spy to the lead the way.
The elf who is originally from the principality of Alínlae, moves off, heading through the half tumbled downed ruins they're behind.
He's quickly followed by the attractive young scout originally from the city-state of Brattonbury, Lisell Maera.
Then after a brief pause, the others in the group, one by one follow after the young human scout, and the elven spy.
They know that the mercenary company they're after, well some of them at least, are somewhere in what's called the neutral zone, down here in the giant hole in the ground.
Within which is the ancient city of Dalphene, or as it's more commonly called, the City of Ruins.
The lord and ruler of the lands Farque was informed by Narladene the ground pixie during the night.
That she and Helbe the elven thief found out by snooping around the neutral area.
That some of those in Maygam's mercenary company, are in the neutral zone.
While rumour has it, that the rest of the company, including captain Maygam himself.
Are somewhere up in the very north of the City of Ruins. Where a week long battle between two of the largest mercenary companies down here in the pit, is taking place.
The lord and ruler of the lands Farque has voiced his opinion that the person they're searching for here in the giant hole in the ground.
Is probably up in the north of the ancient city of Dalphene with Maygam, knowing their luck.
But they can't rule out that they could be in the so called neutral zone. As the ancient map they have from a book the mage Reinholt purchased recently.
Has what's now known as the neutral zone, being in the northern half of the City of Ruins.
And that the ancient kingdom of Gilbanath, which consisted of at least the northern half of the giant hole in the ground.
Is where they'll find the person they're searching for, the one that Helbe the elven thief's power of foresight, says will be the newest member of the group.
As they head northwards, Saanea the witch who has sent her familiar out infront of the group.
Briefly closes her eyes as she walks alongside her lover Tamric Drubine, or Tam as he's more commonly called by the others in the group.
"We're being watched" says Saanea the witch after she opens her eyes.
The pretty looking spellcaster who hails from the Maldin Hills, continues with "Up ahead, away to the right" followed by "Can't actually see who, as they're in a tunnel".
"Goblins" says lord Farque from where he's walking infront of the young couple.
Dorc da Orc grunts in agreement with the undead warlord, as the ork warleader can smell the nearby goblins.
"Probably deciding if it's worth attacking us" adds the large, heavily armoured deathlord.
The word is passed forward to Lisell Maera and Dalinvardèl Tanith to look out for goblins up ahead.
The two of them, the attractive looking young woman who hails from the coastal city-state of Brattonbury.
And the spy originally from the elven principality of Alínlae.
Pass by the tunnel entrance, spotting a number of wild goblins looking out at them.
After Beldane the cleric and Jarjin Littlefoot the hobbit, as well as Mira Reinholt the mage, then Tovis the war engineer walk by.
The goblins, those at the tunnel entrance at the least, get a bit more bold. Probably more to the fact that there's a large number of their fellow goblins in the tunnel, pushing forward, trying to see who it is that's going by, this early in the morning.
On what's the start of another cool autumn day, down here in the pit.
Within which is the ancient city of Dalphene, or as it's more commonly called, the City of Ruins.
A few of the goblins step out of the tunnel mouth, intent to at least follow, then maybe attack those who are walking by.
Until the large figure in the dark blue, black heavy plate armour walks by, and looks in their direction.
"Fuck off" says lord Farque in the goblin language as he sees some of the goblins have come out of the nearby tunnel that the group are walking by.
The goblins, who are considered wild, and live and work as a tribe. Go completely still, as they've never heard anyone apart from other goblins speak their language.
Then because the large figure in the dark plate armour told them to fuck off, that's exactly what they do.
The fact that there was a flash of blue light coming from the eyes through the eyeslot in the full helm, of the large, heavily armoured figure also has a lot to do with them turning around, and hurrying back into the tunnel.
The others at the mouth of the tunnel, saw and heard what happened too.
They've also turned, and headed back through the tunnel. With the inevitable results.
With scuffles breaking out, as goblins push and shove each other, to head back to their nearby cavern.
And goblins being goblins, especially wild goblins. The quickly forget about what they were intending to do.
And resort to what they do a lot of. And that's fight over who gets to be the king. And since they're in a tunnel, a lot of them who have started fighting. Are fighting over who is going to be the king of the tunnel.
"Fucken gob-a-lins" mutters Dorc da Orc as he watches the goblins scramble back into the tunnel, and disappear from sight.
To one side of the large ork, his bitter rival sir Percavelle Lé Dic frowns as the goblins disappear from view.
Then the nobleborn knight originally from the kingdom of Druvic, scowls at the weaponsmith from the wolf tribe of orks.
Infront of the bitter rivals, lord Farque is saying to the mage Reinholt who has dropped back to walk beside him "We'll have to thoroughly search throughout the neutral zone" followed by "Helbe has found some of that company, and a couple of them know of the one we're looking for".
"At least we know they're here in the pit" says the once powerful mage who is from the city-state of Vexil.
"Somewhere" adds Mira Reinholt after a brief pause.
The unread warlord nods his full helmed head in agreement, then up ahead, Beldane the cleric points away to the east, and says "Airship approaching".
"Warship" says lord Farque, who after he senses again adds "There's another one about four miles to the southeast of the pit heading this way".
A few moments later, and the airship Beldane sensed, comes into view over the giant hole in the ground.
And it heads northwards, heading over the neutral zone at a height of about six hundred feet.
Passing over the pyramid that dominates much of the view in this part of the City of Ruins.
"Looks like it's going further north" quietly says Mira Reinholt the mage as the twin masted airship continues on it's way in the early morning sunshine on this cool autumn day.
"Probably to that battle up there" says Draugadrottin, who then shares a look with the once powerful mage walking beside him.
As they both have the same thought. Hoping that the person they're searching for is actually in the neutral zone. And not in the very north of the pit, where there's an ongoing battle taking place.
A battle not just between two of the largest companies down here in the City of Ruins. But now three of them. With other smaller companies, caught up in the battle . . . . . .