The Find 36.

Autumn.

The afternoon. The giant hole in the ground. Within which is the ancient city of Dalphene. Also more commonly called, the City Of Ruins.
Zam the mercenary grimaces after he drops to the ground and the fiery looking energyball passes over him.
Behind him he hears Hilmik the dwarven warrior yelp, then mutter something in the dwarven language that the young mercenary from the city-state of Kuradum doesn't understand.
Zam breathes a sigh of relief as he lies there on the ground and the energyball passes over him.
The young merc who only recently joined Maygam's company, hears a low thud of an explosion, followed by a high pitched scream that's abruptly cut off short.
He rolls over, and sits up and looks back in the direction they've come from.
Zam grimaces as he sees the remains of the giant ant like creature, that was pursuing the group.
The only thing recognisable about it, is the back segment. As most of the head down one side, and nearly all of the midsection is gone, as is one of the long claws that come out from near the shoulder joints.
Zam looks away to the east, when out of the corner of his eye, he spots another fiery looking energyball hurtling in that direction.
And he watches as the giant ant like creature coming from that way, rears back on it's back two set of legs, to try and avoid the oncoming energyball.
No such luck, for when it tries to twist on it's back two set of legs. The energyball hits it. Not full on, but that's not necessary.
As the ball of magical energy explodes with a low sounding thud.
Blasting apart half of the ten foot long creature's head. As well one shoulder segment and the attached claw, and a fair bit of it's midsection, or thorax.
Zam as he sits there, grimaces at the sight of the destroyed creature that was hunting them, and anyone else in the vicinity.
The young mercenary who hails from the city-state of Kuradum, where he couldn't cut it in both his homeland's army, and city guard.
Hears one of the others in the group throwing up. It's Melmear, who's vomiting when Zam looks back at the others who were closely following him.
Then Zam blinks as he realises that he can't see Imraness. Then the young merc spots why Melmear is throwing up.
"He should of ducked down quicker" says a hollow sounding voice from behind Zam.
The Kuradumian mercenary looks back to find the elven spellcaster Gilvanéllé standing just a couple of yards away.
The elven mercenary who hails from the principality of Alínlae then dryly adds in his hollow, ruinous sounding voice "He won't be doing that again, now will he".
Zam winces as he looks at the elven magic user who has blood around his mouth, and on his chin.
Then he looks to where what remains of Imraness is. The mercenary from the city-state of Eweteets, who is a former church guard.
The only thing that remains of him, is his legs, just above the knees, which are lying on the ground.
The rest of him is gone, as he was hit head on by the first energyball cast by Gilvanéllé the elven magic user.
Getting up off the ground, Almard the mercenary says "Gilvanéllé".
He's interrupted by the elven noble from the principality of Alínlae, who says in a scathing tone "Don't thank me all at once".
The elven spellcaster then looks at the five remaining members of the group with a sneer upon his face, and says "And if any of you call me by brothers name again, I'll kill you where you stand".
The elven mercenary who has a deserved reputation, continues with "Now get up, and get moving" followed by "There's a couple more of them in the area, and they might chase after you lot instead of the others who are dumb enough to come all the way up here".
Gilvanéllé or Gil as he's more commonly called by the others in Maygam's mercenary company.
Gestures in the direction the group were fleeing, and he says "Get going" followed by "They're not the only dangerous things up here" he then adds "There's much more dangerous things".
The elven magic user, who like his twin brother Lolmildíll. Are amongst the most powerful of the spellcasters to be found down here in the pit.
Suddenly grins, a wicked looking expression with his mouth and chin dripping with blood, then he says "Like me".
The elven noble from Alínlae who is part of Maygam's mercenary company, then disappears infront of the eyes of the small group, who now number five.
They all look at one another, then Almard the mercenary who is their defacto leader, says "Let's get going".
The five of them move off, heading north, to the end of the giant hole in the ground. Barely giving the remains of Imraness a second glance.
Though all of them look at the body that Gilvanéllé the elven mercenary was standing over when they first spotted him.
And they see chunks have been bitten out of the face of the half naked body, that's been mutilated in other ways too.
Seems the rumours they've all heard about Gilvanéllé since joining Maygam's company, are true after all.
Gil, or Gilvan as he's called by his brother. Hasn't gone far. Infact he's just away to the right of the group.
Standing upon one of the piles of dirt, sand and debris. The one beside the second subterranean ant like creature he killed.
The elven magic user from the principality of Alínlae is completely still. Just incase the dwarven mercenary in the group hears him.
The elven spellcaster recognised the small group of mercenaries. Well, some of them.
The dwarf called Hilmik, and the one called Almard, who has quickly become Uren's helper since joining the company.
The others he vaguely recalls, but like a lot of the mercenaries in Maygam's company.
In the opinion of Gilvanéllé they all kind of blend in. It doesn't help that most of the company are human.
And Gil has always found it difficult to differentiate humans unless they have completely different skin colours.
The elven noble from the principality of Alínlae who is invisible, watches the group.
Going from pile of debris to pile of debris, up here at the very northern end of 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.
And wonders if they'll make it out of the pit, here on what's a cold autumn day in the northern part of the central region of the Southlands.
Gilvanéllé shrugs his shoulders, as he couldn't care less if the group of five escape the pit.
As he's read their minds, and knows that they intend to make their way out of the northern end of the giant hole in the ground.
Then make their way southwards across the open countryside to either the west, or east of the pit.
Making their way to the Last Village, at the southern end of the pit. Where Maygam's company are based here in the City of Ruins.
The reason Gil couldn't care less about what happens to them next.
Is because he basically doesn't care about anyone else in Maygam's mercenary company.
True, him and his twin brother Lolmildíll. Have their differences and arguments.
But they're still twins, and for all their differences. Each is the other's closest, and most important person in their life.
The only others that Gilvanéllé cares about in the company. Is Maygam himself.
For the mercenary captain has always treated Gilvan and his twin brother Lolmildíll fairly.
Who has always ignored the severe personality traits and behaviours the elven twins, especially Gilvan has.
Along with Maygam's second in command Uren. Who both elven twin brothers have a grudging respect for.
For it's pretty rare to have a woman be the second in command of any of the mercenary companies down here in the City of Ruins.
Especially a company as successful as Maygam's mercenary company. Which though is only a middling sized company here in the pit.
It's more than successful than other companies of similar size. Infact it's more successful than a lot of the larger companies to be found down here in the giant hole in the ground.
Within which is the ancient city of Dalphene, which is more commonly known as, the City of Ruins.
One of the reasons Maygam's company is so successful, is because of the elven twins Lolmildíll and Gilvanéllé.
Who when Gil bothers to get involved with things. Are willing to do anything, and everything to accomplish Maygam's plans.
As he stands upon one of the piles of dirt and debris. Gilvanéllé knows that Maygam doesn't have much in the way of plans at the moment. At least not successful ones anyway.
For the elven magic user from the principality of Alínlae has leant from the group he just helped out.
That Maygam and the bulk of the company he had with him up here to the north of the neutral zone of the City of Ruins.
Are doing all that they can to survive, after getting caught up in the battle between the three largest mercenary companies down here in the ancient city of Ruins.
Gilvan who wipes the blood off his chin, and from around his mouth. With the back of his right wrist and forearm.
Looks away from the group of five fellow mercenaries in Maygam's company.
And looks to the south, where the battle is still taking place a couple of miles away.
Between the mercenary company of Jorkamin, and anyone else's who are up here towards the northern end of the giant hole in the ground.
The elven noble whose meal was interrupted, scowls as he looks southwards trying to locate his twin brother Lolmildíll.
With his eyes closed, Gil nods his head after a few moments and he briefly locates his twin brother.
The elven magic user from the principality of Alínlae finds a number of other spellcasters to the north of the neutral zone where the battle is raging.
Chief amongst them being Darmos the wizard. The right hand man of the mercenary captain Jorkamin.
Gilvanéllé knows Darmos isn't the most powerful of the spellcasters to be found down here in the pit.
But he's probably the smartest, and definitely the most devious. The latter being something Gil wouldn't admit out loud to anyone.
With his eyes open again, the elven noble from Alínlae nods his head once more.
As he figures Jorkamin's company got the jump on Hamblett's and Jarnok's companies probably because of the plans devised between the Jorkamin and Darmos.
Gilvan who sees one of the wyverns in Jorkamin's company circling away to the south.
Not far from the airship that the elven magic user sensed down on the ground in that area of the pit.
Is just thinking of heading down that way, to find his brother Lolmildíll, Maygam and Uren. When he suddenly gets an urge to sense again.
Lucky he does, because he senses a gateway in that area of the City of Ruins.
A clerical spell, and a few moments later he briefly senses the cleric who must of cast it.
One of the thin eyebrows of the elven noble shoots up as he senses how powerful that cleric is.
More powerful than any other spellcaster down here in the ancient city of Dalphene.
With the exception of a mage who is part of a group of treasure seekers down at the southern end of the giant hole in the ground.
What's surprised Gilvan the most is that after the gateway disappears, he can no longer sense the powerful cleric.
As he knows most powerful human practitioners of magic find it difficult to hold their power within themselves, so that they can't be sensed by other spellcasters.
"Impressive" murmurs Gilvanéllé the elven mercenary, who then silently adds, now who are you, and what are you up to down here?
As he wonders who the cleric is that's suddenly turned up down where there's a battle raging a couple of miles to the north of the neutral zone.
Gil knows of no cleric, well a powerful one at least. In the three largest mercenary companies down here in the City of Ruins.
Or in any of the more prominent mercenary companies plying their trade down here in the giant hole in the ground.
There's some clerics down here in the pit, but none as powerful as the one the elven magic user just briefly sensed.
With his eyes narrowed, Gilvanéllé who looks almost exactly identical to his twin brother Lolmildíll.
The only exception being the way each of them holds themselves physically. Their stance and posture.
There's something physically menacing about Gilvan, even though he's lean, almost skinny, like his twin brother Lolmildíll.
Who has the slightly darker hair, even though they both have pale blond hair. And in the case of Gil, it's almost white in colour.
The elven mercenary from the principality of Alínlae, looks back at the group of five mercenaries, who like him, are part of Maygam's company.
And though he briefly gets an urge to feed on one of them. He's learnt over the years being in Maygam's mercenary company it's best not to feed on his fellow company members.
Killing them if they annoy him is fine, feeding on one of them while they're still alive, not so much.
Gilvanéllé looks around, then nods as he figures they'll probably make it out of the pit without too much trouble.
Then he looks southwards again, to where the battle is taking place to the north of the neutral zone down here in the ancient city of Dalphene.
The powerful elven magic user grins in anticipation, then the invisible spellcaster teleports away and heads into the raging battle.
On this sunny, but cold autumn day, here in the giant hole in giant hole in the ground, within which is the City of Ruins . . . . . .