The Find 26.

Autumn.

Early morning. In the north of the giant hole in the ground. That's The City of Ruins.
"Think we can make a run across to there?" quietly asks Imraness the mercenary.
"I'm not sure" is the quiet reply of Almard the mercenary as they look out of the crumbling ruins they've spent the night in.
They pause as they hear another explosion somewhere away to the south of them.
A clear indication that the battle they got mixed up in yesterday. Is well and truly still going.
"What say you Hilmik?" quietly asks Zam the mercenary as he looks down at the dwarf beside him.
"Hmmmm" is all that Hilmik the dwarven mercenary says as he looks out into the predawn darkness.
Here in the north of the giant hole in the ground. Within which is the ancient city of Dalphene.
Or as it's more commonly called throughout the Southlands, The City of Ruins.
"Not much to go on dwarf" quietly says Farnill the mercenary.
Melmear the mercenary nods her head in agreement with the mercenary from the kingdom of Nastell.
Gesturing ahead of them, at the buildings, in various states of ruin. The dwarven warrior from the Colevar Mountains, quietly says to the rest of the small group "There's others hiding out amongst some of these ancient buildings".
"Ours?" quietly asks Almard, who as the helper of Uren, the second in command of the company.
He's taken command of the small group of six, who have been separated from the rest of Maygam's mercenary company.
Not that they know it, but most of their company. At least those who are here in the north of the pit.
Have scattered, as they fled the battle between three of the largest mercenary companies found down here in the City of Ruins.
As Jorkamin's mercenary company who entered the battle yesterday. Is trying to wipe out both Jarnok's and Hamblett's companies.
Who were already into a week long battle, here in the north of the ancient city of Dalphene.
"Who knows?" is the reply of the young dwarven warrior to Almard's question.
"Some of them could be" continues Hilmik the dwarf, who like the other five. Are fairly recent recruits to Maygam's mercenary company.
Having joined during the summer, or at the start of Autumn.
"But I'm guessing a lot of them aren't" quietly adds the dwarven warrior who hails from the northern side of the Colevar Mountains.
Next to Hilmik the dwarf, the young mercenary originally from the city-state Kuradum.
Zam nods his head in agreement with the young dwarven warrior, who finds himself as a recent hire, or newbie. Here in the mercenary company of Maygam. One of the companies of middling size to be found 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.
"Don't want to antagonize them even more than they already are" quietly says Almard the mercenary.
"That's for sure" murmurs Melmear the mercenary who nods her head in agreement with the experienced merc, who is the small group's defacto leader.
Nodding his head more or less in the direction they've been heading since late yesterday afternoon.
Almard quietly asks the young dwarven warrior from the Colevar Mountains "Still that way?".
"Still that way" is the reply of Hilmik the dwarven mercenary, who follows on from that with "Not much in the way of cover about forty, fifty yards north of here".
He briefly pauses before continuing with "Lots of piles of dirt and rubble though" Hilmik then adds "Probably the best cover between here, and the northern edge of the pit".
The young dwarven mercenary then holds up a hand for silence, then he crouches down.
The others do likewise, taking cover here in the ancient building that's crumbling.
Where they took shelter for the night, as the battle continues here in the north of the giant hole in the ground, within which is The City of Ruins.
"Goblins" murmurs Hilmik the dwarven warrior, who briefly pauses before he continues on with "A lot of them too".
The young dwarf, whose clan hold is on the northern side of the Colevar Mountains.
Can see away to the north, to where in the distance the pit comes to an end.
And though for a fair bit of the north wall of the giant hole in the ground, is impossible to pass.
Not so in other places, as the north end of The City of Ruins, the wall at that end, has collapsed.
Mainly due to slippage, and that the ancient city of Dalphene hasn't been extensively dug up at the very northern end of the pit.
There's spots where you can actually walk up and out of the giant hole in the ground.
It's to here, that Almard the mercenary has had Hilmik lead the group.
For both Maygam himself, and Uren informed Almard. That if you got into a situation at the very northern end of the pit.
That you should get out of it, as soon as you can. Then work your way back south up in the countryside surrounding the giant hole in the ground.
Then come back down at the southern end of the pit, and make your way to the Last Village.
The village, that is predominantly used by Maygam's company. And though the company isn't one of the larger mercenary companies in the giant hole in the ground.
Maygam's mercenary company is one of the more successful mercenary companies in The City of Ruins.
And no doubt, the mercenary captain will want his company to reform down in the village that they use as their base.
"There" quietly says Hilmik who points away to their left, to the west.
"I'll take your word for it" murmurs Almard as he looks that way, and is unable to see any of the goblins that the dwarven warrior says is near.
After they hear the low thud of another explosion away somewhere to the south of them.
Hilmik quietly says "They're going south" followed by "Probably to see what they can scavenge from the battle".
The others are in agreement with that. For though the three large mercenary companies are battling it out for supremacy.
Others, including Maygam's. Are up here in the north of the pit. Watching what's probably the largest battle here in the City of Ruins in a number of years.
Almard looks at the others, who like him are ready to move out, on what's a cold autumn morning, just before dawn.
"When you're ready dwarf" quietly says the mercenary, who is from the unruled lands near the city-state of Kuradum.
The young dwarven warrior from the Colevar Mountains nods, then as the darkness starts to lighten, he moves out.
He's quickly followed by the young mercenary from Kuradum, Zam. Who is followed by Melmear, who is from down here in the City of Ruins.
She's followed by Farnill, the experienced mercenary from the kingdom of Nastell.
Who is in turn, followed by Imraness, a former church guard from the city-state of Eweteets.
Last out of the crumbling building they spent the night in, is Almard himself.
The mercenary from near Kuradum, hurries after the others in the murky light as dawn takes effect, down here in the giant hole in the ground.
Somewhere away to their right, and back away to the south. Almard is pretty sure he can hear the sound of combat.
There as one by one, they run into another shell of a building. They all hear the clear sound of a number of magetubes firing.
The deep thud of the powerful magical weapons firing, can be heard right across the ancient city of Dalphene.
Waking up many, who aren't all already awake down here in The City of Ruins.
Inside the ancient ruins, with it's floors with sand covering it. Zam looks back in the direction they've just run from, and nods when Hilmik quietly says "There it is" and points away to the south.
They all look that way, and are just able to see the outline of the airship in the distance to the south in the dawn sky.
They see, then hear the thud of one the magetubes firing onboard the warships, that belongs to the mercenary captain Jorkamin.
The airship is at an angle to the ground, and they watch the red ball of pure magical energy heading down towards a target, here in the north of the pit.
"Hope it wasn't any of ours" quietly says Imraness the mercenary, when they magetube shot disappears from view.
Then the next moment, they hear the explosion, and see burning debris flung up into the air, about three quarters of a mile to the south of where they are.
"They're playing for keeps, for sure" quietly says Hilmik the dwarven mercenary.
The others are all in agreement with that. As they wonder how the rest of their company is faring this cold, autumn morning.
Down here in the giant hole in the ground, within which is the ancient city of Dalphene. Or as it's more commonly known as, the City of Ruins.
They move through the ancient shell of a building. Which like everything else here in the very north of the pit, has been dug up fairly recently.
Fairly recently is a bit of a misnomer though, as the last decade is fairly recent for down here in the City of Ruins.
In the early morning light of the cold autumn day, the rest of the group sees to the north, what Hilmik has already seen.
"Fresh digs by the looks of it" murmurs Imraness the mercenary as they see piles of dirt for quite some distance.
Beyond that, is the very north of the ancient city of Dalphene, the northern wall of the pit.
Here the giant hole in the ground is at it's narrowest, being just over a mile in width. Where further to the south, it's well over five miles wide.
"If that isn't a spot for an ambush, i don't know what else is" quietly says Farnill.
The experienced mercenary from the kingdom of Nastell points to a spot in the distance, where you could easily walk up and out of the pit.
The dirt is like a ramp there, and it's only about forty feet up to the top of the giant hole in the ground, if that.
"It is" quietly says Hilmik the dwarven warrior, who points out to where he can see clothes, equipment, and a few bodies.
That his naturally enhanced eyesight can see, but the others, who are human, can't.
"Well, we won't be going up that bit then" quietly says Almard the mercenary.
"We'll look for another spot" adds the merc who since he joined Maygam's company, has been Uren's helper.
The mercenary from the unruled lands near the city-state of Kuradum, then says "First we got to get through all of this". As he gestures away to what's infront of them.
"Move back" quietly warns the dwarven mercenary from the Colevar Mountains.
They all duck down, crouch or move back. Then look to where Hilmik points.
And they spot a few figures, mercenaries like themselves, moving from another of the ancient ruins.
Heading north, through the piles and mounds of dirt and debris.
"Got the same idea as us" quietly says Melmear the mercenary, the others are in agreement with the teenager, who is a former serving maid in one of the taverns in the Last Village.
Looking around in the direction they're heading, Hilmik quietly tells the rest of the group "There's others as well".
The young dwarf from the northern end of the Colevar Mountains then says "Can't see them, but i definitely can hear them".
Almard the mercenary briefly winces, as this could complicate their exit out of the pit.
Then the mercenary from the unruled lands near the city-state of Kuradum thinks about it for a moment, and has a change of mind.
"If there's others trying to get out of the pit up here" quietly says Almard, who continues on with "We might take advantage of the situation".
"How exactly?" quietly asks Imraness the former church guard, who Almard has learnt is the most suspicious of those in the group.
And the least one to trust, after all he was a former church guard in the city-state of Eweteets, who was kicked out when he was caught stealing.
"These others will be targeted just as we probably will be if we try to get up out of the pit" says Almard the mercenary.
"You thinking the more targets, the less likely we'll be ambushed?" quietly asks the experienced mercenary Farnill.
"I do" is the reply of Almard as he looks to see if others are also heading towards the north wall of the pit.
He can't see any others, but Hilmik informs him and the rest of the group, that there is.
"Sounds like a plan" says Zam the mercenary, who along with Melmear, is the youngest in the small group of mercenaries who are part of Maygam's company.
Almard nods, then quietly says "Hilmik lead the way" followed by "Try and keep us away from any others who are out there".
The mercenary from the unruled lands near the city-state of Kuradum, continues with "Zam you follow, then Farnill, Melmear and Imraness".
Almard himself will bring up the rear, so that he can keep an eye on the others if they get into trouble.
Almard then nods for the dwarven warrior to move out. The young dwarf from the Colevar Mountains exits the ancient ruins.
He's followed by Zam, then Farnill. A moment later by Melmear and Imraness, and finally Almard.
They keep low, walking quickly in a crouch as they enter the part of the northern end of the pit, where there's piles of dirt and sand, and debris everywhere.
As they make their way northwards to the end of the City of Ruins, on what's dawned a cold, but clear and sunny autumn morning . . . . . .