The Find 34.

Autumn.

North, central region of the Southlands. In the giant hole in the ground. In which is the City of Ruins.
"Just up ahead and to the left" says Saanea the witch as she looks back at who is following behind her, and her lover, Tamric Drubine the field commander.
A bit behind the young couple, walks Mira Reinholt the mage and Jarjin Littlefoot the hobbit.
The once powerful mage nods his hooded head in reply to Saanea saying that the rest of the group aren't all that far away now.
"Think they had any luck?" quietly asks Jarjin Littlefoot the hobbit.
"I doubt it" is the reply from Mira Reinholt the mage, who after a brief pause, continues with "Though they might know where they actually are now".
"Up further north?" asks the halfling who isn't what he appears to be.
"Up further north" says the Vexilian mage in exile who nods in agreement with his fellow member of the personal council to lord Farque.
The four of them round a corner, not all that far from the massive, free standing portal. That the mage Reinholt put out of action nearly two decades ago.
First Tamric Drubine and Saanea the witch, then Mira Reinholt and Jarjin Littlefoot spot the rest of the group in and infront of a small building, one of the ancient ruins.
Which looks like the base of a round guard tower more than anything else.
And since the person they're searching for isn't with the rest of the group.
They know the others were unsuccessful in finding the person they traveled here to find.
The spellcaster from the city-state of Vexil, and the halfling who is originally from the far east coast of the continent, the Sultanate of Dreese to be exact.
Enter the base of the ancient round tower, in which is their fellow council member, Helbe the elven thief. Along with lord Farque himself.
While field commander Drubine, and his lover, the pretty looking hillwoman from the Maldin Hills. Remain outside with the rest of the group.
"Anything?" asks the mage Reinholt, who already figures the others didn't locate the person they've all been searching for.
"We didn't find them" says Helbe the elven thief, who then continues with "But we did find out they went north with the bulk of their company".
The spellcaster who is in exile from his homeland of Vexil, nods his hooded head, then looks over at the large, heavily armoured figure of the lord of the lands Farque, and asks him "North?".
"North" says lord Farque, who just grunts when the mage who is also a highly skilled swordmaster, says "And if they happen to come back to the neutral zone while we head north?".
"That's the risk we take" says the young elven noble from the island principality of Laerel, who just shrugs his shoulders.
"We'll have to try and keep an eye on those coming back this way to the neutral zone" says 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.
"We've already seen quite a few of them come back this way from that battle" adds the Vexilian mage in exile.
Jarjin Littlefoot, who is a former air sailor in the Sultan of Dreese's fleet, nods his head in agreement with the mage Reinholt.
For this morning they saw a number of mercenaries, adventurers and treasure seekers.
Who had fled the battle that's taking place up towards the northern end of the pit.
"We will" says lord Farque, who continues with "As much as we're able to".
The undead being, who is also known by the name of Draugadrottin to the people of his lands, slightly nods his full helmed head, then says "Yes" followed by "Though not just yet".
In response to Helbe the elven thief asking him "You want me to go on ahead?".
The large, heavily armoured deathlord looks out the open doorway of the ancient tower base.
Before he continues with "First thing first, where we're actually going".
The lord of the death realm, who has the elven name of Des'tier, which translates as, The Destroyer then says in a slightly dry tone of voice "We're going into the middle of a battle".
The other three, members of lord Farque's personal council, nod in agreement with the undead warlord.
"Stay here with the others" says Draugadrottin to Jarjin Littlefoot.
The hobbit, 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 the halfling, who hails from the far east coast of the continent.
Nods his head, and says "I will" as they make their way out of the ancient ruins of a tower base, they've just been in.
"Beldane with us" says the large, heavily armoured deathlord to the fighting cleric in the church of Glaine.
The undead warlord, and two of his councilors, Mira Reinholt the mage, and Helbe the elven thief.
Are joined by the powerful spellcaster from the kingdom of Nastell.
And as they walk away from the others, the lord and ruler of the lands Farque looks back and says in the ork language "Behave" followed by "I'll be watching you cunt".
Dorc da Orc sourly smiles after hearing that, but he does grunt in the affirmative when he catches a glimpse of blue light flash from the eyes of lord Farque.
"Up there" says the large, heavily armoured deathlord to the fighting cleric beside him.
The two councilors, the Vexilian mage in exile, and the young elven noble from the island principality of Laerel have already disappeared.
Then Draugadrottin and Beldane the cleric vanish when the powerful spellcaster originally from the kingdom of Nastell teleports the two of them.
"Well this is familiar" dryly says Mira Reinholt the mage, which causes Helbe the elven thief to laugh, just as lord Farque and Beldane the cleric appear on top of the massive, free standing portal that the two councilors are already on.
"Least this time we're not trying to avoid that battlemage who was killing everyone" says the highly talented elven magic user.
"Thanks" sourly says the once powerful mage who is in exile from his homeland of Vexil, who then adds "I've been trying to forget about him for nearly twenty years".
The spellcaster, who if he hadn't of lost most of his vast amount of powers, would of more than likely been the next battlemage here in the Southlands.
Along with the young elven noble who is a member of the royal family that rules the island principality of Laerel.
Fall silent as lord Farque glances their way, before he points away to the north and starts discussing with Beldane the cleric where the group should go to.
As much of the northern part of the pit, from about a couple of miles to the north of the neutral zone.
Is a battlefield at the moment, one where there's a warship circling around up there.
Shooting it's magetubes down at targets, here in the giant hole in the ground, within which is the City of Ruins.
There's also a wyvern that's circling around up above the northern half of the giant hole in the ground.
Then just as lord Farque points to a couple of places away to the north, that Beldane can memorize so that he can either teleport, or create a gateway to them.
Helbe the elven thief speaks up, and says "Looks like that airship is coming around to land".
Next to the highly talented elven magic user, the once powerful mage nods his hooded head in agreement with the elven masterthief.
"Definitely landing" says the mage Reinholt, whose family owns one of the largest, and most influential trading companies, not just in their homeland of Vexil, but in all of the Southlands.
The spellcaster who is also a highly skilled swordmaster, knows a thing or two about airships, and he quietly says "That doesn't exactly look like a warship to me".
"That's because it isn't" says lord Farque as they watch the vessel about two and half miles or so away to the north, circling down towards the ground.
"It's a converted transporter" says the large, heavily armoured deathlord who knows more about airships than the rest of the group combined "A cargo ship converted to a fighting vessel" adds the undead warlord.
Then looking at the trio of spellcasters up here on the massive free standing portal with him, the lord and ruler of the lands Farque tells them "If that thing even gets close to shooting at us, i want it destroyed" followed by "Is that understood?".
The three practitioners of magic, the mage, the elven magic user and the cleric, all nod yes in reply to the lord of the death realm.
"Looks like they're using that wyvern as a spotter" muses the grandson of the ruling prince of Laerel.
"More than likely" says the exiled Vexilian mage.
Both lord Farque and Beldane the cleric nod to that, then the lord of the death realm says "Same goes for that wyvern, if they target anyone of us, i want it and it's rider taken out".
The four of them watch as the airship in the distance lands amongst some of the ancient ruins about two miles north of the neutral zone, down here in the ancient city of Dalphene.
Or as it's more commonly known as, the City of Ruins.
"Must be disembarking" quietly says Mira Reinholt who has taken out his leather wrapped, brass cylindrical eyepiece to look through.
While Beldane the cleric has cast a spell upon himself so he can see long distances.
Meanwhile Helbe the elven thief and lord Farque need no such things. As they look at where the airship has put down away to the north, down here in the pit.
They can't see too clearly what's happening, as there's quite a few ruins where the vessel has put down.
But it's obvious that a number of people have got off that airship.
"There's a wizard amongst them" says Draugadrottin, the three spellcasters can't sense so. But they take the undead warlord's word for it.
"Ah there's a sorcerer nearby to where they've put down" adds the lord and ruler of the lands Farque.
Again, the three practitioners of magic can't sense who the lord of the death realm is referring to. But he can sense any spellcaster, even when they're holding their power within themselves, so that they can hide themselves from other spellcasters who are able to sense them.,
The lord of the death realm points, and the others spot a large number of people moving through the ruins, heading west from where the airship landed.
"They're going there" says Des'tier, who points to further west, to more open ground where the view is unobstructed.
"There must be a hole or culvert running through there" continues lord Farque, who then adds "Because that's where that sorcerer and a bunch of others are hunkered down in".
The four of them watch as a small battle takes place. Suddenly both Beldane the cleric and Helbe the elven thief sense the wizard lord Farque mentioned. Mira Reinholt can't sense that far away.
Followed by an explosion, that they all see, then hear a couple of moments later.
The fighting cleric and the highly talented elven magic user then sense the sorcerer who is in hiding.
And they all see and hear another explosion, followed by what looks like an energyball shooting through the debris, dirt and sand that's blasted up into the air from the last explosion.
While mercenaries jump down into what's most likely an ancient culvert.
The battle is over quickly after that, and the grandson of Prince Raendril of Laerel says "Well that sorcerer is dead".
Then the three spellcasters nod when lord Farque says "That's what we're going into".
The undead warlord looks at the practitioners of magic, and tells them "I don't care who it is, but if anyone gets in our way while we look for the one we've come here for, i want them destroyed".
The large, heavily armoured deathlord continues on with "The only thing that matters is finding the one we're after".
Draugadrottin briefly pauses before adding "If anyone tries to stop us, or attack us, they're fucking dead" followed by "Is that understood?".
The trio of spellcasters nod to indicate they understand what's to be done, as the group prepares to go further north in the pit.
On this sunny but cold, autumn day here in the giant hole in the ground, within which is the City of Ruins . . . . . .