TYOFT - Authors Note.

Happy Birthday! You're eight years old now!!!

18/5/09 -

Wonderful 74.

The Principality Of Maladimbáh...

Lord Farque looks away to the left, to the east. Where a couple of miles south he can see the smaller maroon coloured wyvern that Mira Reinholt the mage is on.
The undead warlord senses in all directions, and again he can't find the rest of the group that they're searching for.
"Probably just a bit further away knowing them" mutters lord Farque in the ancient language of command, the language along with the language of the Greater Dragons, he tends to use when he's talking to himself.
"Huh?" says Dorc da Orc who then adds "What you fucken say?" as he sits at the back of the saddle on the large glossy green, black wyvern that he and the heavily armoured deathlord are flying on.
"Nothing cunt" says lord Farque in the ork language, which he and Dorkindle converse in when it's just the two of them around.
"Didn't sound like fucken nothing" mutters the ork warleader, who then falls silent when the lord and ruler of the lands Farque glances back at him. The large ork shrugs his massive shoulders, and then as usual as they're flying, he starts grinning again as he looks all around. Though not particularly looking down at the ground below, nor looking for who they're searching for.
The ork weaponsmith just enjoys the sensation of flying, and looking at the world from the perspective of being over five thousand feet up in the air.
Though he's irritated by the afternoon sunshine on what's a warm late summers day, Dorc da Orc couldn't care too much about that, as he's flying. Which not so secretly, is one of his favourite things to do.
Draugadrottin as he's known by the people of his lands, is just glad the large ork is pretty quiet whenever they're in the air upon the wyvern. For the most part the warleader of the ork race is pretty quiet enjoying the flight, apart from when he starts complaining that he's too hot.
The deathlord of Farque with his unique ultra vision looks far and wide, and as usual at not finding the rest of the group they've been searching for since they left the city of Falnic on the coast of Belinswae.
He also doesn't see any griffons in the air here in the north, of what is now the lands of lord Haldéilv that they've crossed into.
Des'tier as he's known by to an older generation of elven kind that may know who he is, isn't all that surprised. As he figures the local elven lord, and those of his extended family who are griffon riders, are probably in the skies, when they are up, are in the south of his lands, where his seat of power is located, and where more of the population is.
Lord Farque looks once more to where the mage Reinholt on the other wyvern is, and he sees the Vexilian mage in exile who is now even further east, is waving for them to come over. With a command in the dragon language, the undead warlord sends the large glossy green, black wyvern to where the smaller maroon one is circling.
A little while later and the two wyverns land in a clearing in a forest, the deathlord of Farque can already sense why the mage Reinholt beckoned him to land here.
As Dorc da Orc hurries to get in the shade beneath the trees at the edge of the clearing, the lord and ruler of the lands Farque and the once powerful mage walk towards the trees the large ork is now beneath, taking shelter from the afternoon sunshine.
"I know" says the lord of the death realm as he interrupts Mira Reinholt the mage who is saying "Just up ahead, there's a number" the exiled Vexilian mage dryly adds, of course you know.
The two of them make their way into the trees, and after a moments contemplation, Dorc da Orc after sniffing a few times, decides to follow them, though the ork warleader does keep beneath the branches of the taller trees, so that he's in as much shade as possible.
"There's a forest road or wagon track just up ahead" says the mage Reinholt in the elven language, the heavily armoured deathlord nods his full helmed head, as he caught sight of the road in question from the air "They're next to it" adds the spellcaster who is also a highly skilled swordmaster.
They keep walking amongst the trees for a little while, with Dorkindle following behind them, going from tall tree to tall tree, as he tries to keep beneath the canopy of the forest as much as possible.
They soon see the forest road, and walk out onto it, they turn left, and start walking south. The deathlord of Farque points at the ground, and the Vexilian mage in exile sees the indentation of horse shoes on the forest road, also heading south.
"Just up ahead" quietly says lord Farque, who a few moments later points to a fallen tree further along the road, behind the undead warlord and the once powerful mage, Dorkindle is slightly drooling as he has already caught wind of what's just ahead.
They stop at the fallen tree, and with a hand covering his nose after he takes a few steps off the road, the swordmaster Reinholt as he looks down, asks "How long ago?" the lord of the death realm who walks up beside the exiled Vexilian mage replies with "A day or so".
Draugadrottin gestures to further in amongst the trees, and he says "More of them there" the lord and ruler of the lands Farque turns and points to the trees on the opposite side of the forest road, and he adds "Four more that way".
"Ooohhh getting ripey" says Dorc da Orc when he walks up and looks down at the dead body that the other two are looking at. The large ork then spots another dead body a bit further away behind a tree, and after glancing at lord Farque and Mira Reinholt, he goes and checks out that dead body.
The spellcaster from south of the equator rolls his eyes as he knows what the warleader of the ork race is up to, then the swordmaster Reinholt follows the undead warlord who nods his full helmed head for him to follow him.
The two of them cross the forest road, and make their way amongst the trees there, they walk about thirty five yards or so, where they find the first body on this side of the road that winds through the forest.
As he looks down at the dead body, the mage Reinholt says "Mercenary by the looks of it" he spots another dead body lying on the forest floor, next to a bush, the spellcaster who was once the most powerful mage of his generation to be found anywhere in the Southlands, then asks "They all human?".
"Yes" replies lord Farque, who crouches down and looks closely at the dead mercenary infront of them, and he sees the dried blood in the ears, and in the nostrils in the man, who can't be much older than eighteen or nineteen.
"His mind was blasted" says the heavily armoured deathlord as he stands back up "Helbe?" asks the highly skilled swordmaster, as he knows the mind blast spell is a particular favourite of Helbe the elven thief "Probably" is the reply of the undead warlord, who then adds "Let's find out".
Mira Reinholt steps quickly back and out of the way as he slightly grimaces as he feels the intense coldness emanating from the lord of the death realm. Then slight tendrils of mist or fog roll off the heavily armoured deathlord, then a few moments later from the ground beneath the dead body, then from the dead mercenary too.
There's a momentary pause, then all of a sudden the dead mercenary stands bolt upright, lifting up off the ground in one unnatural movement, like a plank of wood being lifted up off the ground from one end, while the other end remains on the ground.
The head of the dead mercenary which is tilted to one side, straightens up, and a moment later the eyes that are closed, open up. Mira Reinholt glances away as the dead mercenary just stares at the lord of the death realm, who the once powerful mage figures is communicating with the dead mercenary, well that's undead mercenary now, telepathically.
After a little while, lord Farque slightly gestures with his right gauntleted hand, and the body of the mercenary drops to the ground, and the slight tendrils of fog disappear from it, as well as from the undead warlord.
Draugadrottin turns to the mage Reinholt and tells him "Helbe alright" the heavily armoured deathlord continues with "He caught sight of the thief" he then adds "He was the last to die, and the royal clepto appeared as he was dying".
The exiled Vexilian mage nods his hooded head, then asks "They just road bandits, or something else?". "Something else" says the lord and ruler of the lands Farque who continues with "She hired them, hoping to kill someone in the group, anyone really". "Bitch" mutters Mira Reinholt as the two of them walk back to the forest road, as they do, the once powerful mage quietly says "Pretty basic, and not to mention not a very inventive tactic form her" the swordmaster Reinholt who was a prisoner of Kaldeàlil Haldéilv the elven magic user for quite sometime, adds "I expected more from her".
"As do i" says the undead warlord as they stop at the edge of the forest road, Des'tier looks south for a little bit, then he adds "She's up to fucking something more, she's been after Helbe for three years, no way would she just hire mercs, and not very good one's at that, to ambush them, hoping just to kill one of them".
"Hopefully the thief and Zubutai, i mean Riley figure that out" quietly says the mage Reinholt, who after all these years that Zubutai Timaginson has been in different bodies, the last four and half of which have been in the mercenary ranger Riley Hait, he still thinks of him as the hordes outrider Zubutai.
Lord Farque nods his full helmed head in agreement with what the spellcaster from the city-state of Vexil just said, then with a gesture around them in the general area, he says "This happened yesterday around midday". "We're still a day or so behind them" murmurs the swordmaster Reinholt, the lord of the death realm nods in agreement again, then he quietly says "We'll keep flying late into the night" then after a brief pause, he adds "She's up to something, and these mercenaries here don't know what it is either".
"Probably hasn't told anyone" says the once powerful mage, who then adds "Or at anyone she doesn't trust, as she knows Helbe can find things out pretty easily" Draugadrottin says "More than likely" then he gets adds "Let's get going".
They start walking back north along the forest road, as they do, lord Farque glances back to the trees on the east side of the forest road, and he calls out in the common language "We're going cunt" he follows that up with "Don't bring any of that fucking body with you, eat what you're going to eat there" as Mira Reinholt rolls his eyes, the undead warlord mutters "It'll distract the stupid fucking wyvern".
Behind a tree, with a mouthful of thigh meat he's chewing as he sits on the ground, Dorc da Orc grunts when he hears what lord Farque just called out, the large ork gobbles up the meat in his mouth.
Then he takes the hand axe he's holding, and hacks into the other leg of the dead mercenary he's eating "Mmmmmm long pig" murmurs Dorkindle with a grin, who then adds "Get some!" . . . . . .

Wonderful 73.

The Principality Of Maladimbáh...

Tamric Drubine lifts his saddle bags onto his horse, then once they're strapped down behind his saddle, he leads his mount out of the stables into the early morning sunshine. The sun is rising a little later each morning as it gets closer and closer to the end of summer, though the morning is still warm, even up in the mountain village the group stopped in for the night.
The nobleborn youngster from the kingdom of Sarcrin in the Southlands gets up into the saddle. And for once he's not the last to get ready to ride out. It's Riley Hait the mercenary ranger this morning who is last to mount up after bringing his horse out of the inn's stables.
Though the mercenary ranger who was raised and trained in the elven principality of Alínlae in the Southlands, had an excuse.
He was discussing something with Helbe the elven thief, who as usual has gone on ahead, unseen and unheard by anyone.
Tam rolls his eyes after the ranger Hait tosses him the reins to prince Helbenthril Raendril's horse, the son of the former knight of castle Drubine in the Southlands kingdom of Sarcrin, finds himself riding just infront of Shur Kee the monk, who is at the rear of the group leading the two pack horses.
Infront of the nobleborn youngster rides Lisell Maera who is next to Riley Hait, while out front rides Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy and sir Percavelle Lé Dic.
The group from south of the equator leave the village they've spent the night in, and make their way down a wide track, that heads down the fairly wide based mountain they're on.
The ride downhill is fairly benign, with the track that's wide enough for a heavy wagon, quite smooth, especially since there hasn't been rain lately here in this part of the north of lord Haldéilv's lands.
With the morning sunshine warming him up, Tamric Drubine yawns, the youngster who is of noble birth, then stretches in the saddle, wishing that they had more time for a longer breakfast this morning, for it doesn't feel like he's had enough to eat this morning when they woke up well before dawn.
Tam yawns again, loudly too, and Lisell Maera turns around in the saddle and says to him "Do you mind" as she refrains from yawning herself, by covering her mouth with a raised hand.
"No i don't mind" says Tamric Drubine, who grins at the disgusted look directed at him by the teenage orphan from the city-state of Brattonbury in the Southlands as she rides infront of him.
Tam shrugs, then goes back to looking at everything around them, while listening to Shur Kee behind him, quietly chanting in his language which no one else in the group riding down the mountainside understands.
The nobleborn youngster from the kingdom of Sarcrin rather enjoys the melodic chant of the monk in the order of Bru Li. True, he can't understand a single word, but all the same he enjoys the rhythm and tone of the chants, which Shur Kee has told him are devotions to the monks spiritual guide, and founder of his order, the Jade Warrior Bru Li.
The son of the former knight of castle Drubine in the north of the kingdom of Sarcrin, glances back at the acolyte in the order of Bru Li and finds the physical adept riding with his eyes closed as he chants.
Tam shakes his head and faintly smiles as he watches the most enigmatic, and to him, quite frankly the strangest member of the group. And that includes those who are missing at the moment. And that's saying a lot, as the group has more than a few strange members.
Half of them are fucking nuts, Tamric Drubine thinks to himself, who as he goes back to looking down the track infront of them, then he silently adds, and the other half are fucking crazy!
The nobleborn youngster from south of the equator who is pretty sure most of the group are both crazy and nuts, stretches again, and starts softly humming to himself, matching the tone of the chants of devotion coming from behind him by the short statured monk.
Tam along with the others, with the exception of Shur Kee who still has his eyes closed, spot Helbe the elven thief standing near a boulder on the side of the wide wagon track, a hundred yards or so further downhill.
When they reach him, Helbe the elven thief says "Pretty easy going once we're off the mountain" he points southwards at the hills in the distance, and he adds "By the looks of it, once we get beyond those hills, the land looks pretty cultivated" the young elven noble continues with "A lot of farmland that way".
Then after looking at Riley Hait, where a message is sent to the mercenary ranger via mindspeech by the elven princeling from Laerel, the elven masterthief disappears as he shifts away.
"Rather hop around like Helbe with his spells, than ride day after day" Tamric Drubine murmurs to himself, the nobleborn youngster who though an accomplished rider, would rather not spend so many days in the saddle as they've done recently. It gets a bit monotonous, even with the constant change in scenery here in the predominantly mountainous principality of Maladimbáh.
Tam goes back to humming, to match the quiet chants coming from Shur Kee riding behind him. The short statured monk has resumed his chanting after briefly stopping when prince Helbenthril Raendril spoke to them.
The nobleborn youngster from the kingdom of Sarcrin ignores the sour look directed at him by Lisell Maera, who looks back at him, and who apparently finds his humming more annoying than his yawning from earlier.
They're soon down off the mountain, well before midday. And onto a road that they see leads to another village, well it's a hamlet really, as it's a bit too small to be called a village.
They pass through the hamlet which is next to a stream, just before mid morning, and they continue along the road that heads into a forest. The first thick forest they've encountered since coming over the mountains into lord Haldéilv's lands, as the mountains here in the south of Maladimbáh, tend not to be too heavily covered in trees. Probably having to do with being in proximity to the Nomads Plains to the south.
As they continue to ride along the road, which they've only seen a few people on, all heading to the hamlet they went through earlier. Dalinvardél Tanith looks for a glade to stop in as it nears midday, somewhere for them to have a meal, for eating while riding is inconvenient, not to mention annoying.
Just as the spy Tanith spots a glade off to the right of the road where they can stop, much to the relief of Tamric Drubine, who is hungry, he's been hungry since they had breakfast at the mountain village they spent the night at. Helbe the elven thief appears on the road, and says "We might have a bit of a problem".
"Oh?" says Riley Hait the mercenary ranger as he and the others rein up "What is it?" asks Riley aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman. "There's some road bandits a couple of miles further along the road" says the young elven noble, the ranger Hait frowns as they haven't heard anything about bandits from the locals they've spoken to. Infact, the principality of Maladimbáh, even without a royal family, is a fairly settled nation, where road bandits and the like are highly uncommon. And where what local petty crime there is, not to mention the more deliberate and violent crime that is also fairly rare, is usually dealt to swiftly and strongly by the local lord or lady of the lands the crime has been committed in.
"The problem is" says the elven princeling, who after a brief pause adds "They're looking for us specifically" the eyebrows of a few of them go up in surprise at that.
Ignoring sir Percavelle Lé Dic who says to the young elven noble "Lead on my fine pointy eared prince of thievery, and I'll shall vanquish these criminal upstarts who wish to delay us on our journey". The ranger Hait says to the elven magic user "Her?".
"Her" says Helbenthril Raendril who continues with "She's hired them" the mercenary ranger who is in actual fact a hordes outrider from the southern tundra, asks "Many of them?". "Just eight" says the elven master assassin who continues with "Mercs, the cheaper kind who'll do anything for coin" the ranger Hait doesn't have to ask if they're all human, for it's fairly obvious that they will be.
"You want to take care of it?" asks the human ranger who was raised and trained by the elven warders in the principality of Envadarlen in the Southlands, Helbe the elven thief nods his hooded head that he will. Much to the disappointment of sir Percavelle, who let's out an overly dramatic sigh, followed by a murmured, it's a very loud murmur which everyone can hear "That's not very sporting wot".
"You'll know when to come along" says the elven masterthief to the mercenary ranger, who nods in understanding, then after the elven prince disappears, Riley Hait gestures to the nearby glade, and says "Might as well stop for something to eat while he deals to things".
They ride to the glade and dismount, much to the relief of Tamric Drubine who is famished, the nobleborn youngster from the kingdom of Sarcrin ties the reins of his horse, and Helbenthril Raendril's that he's been leading all morning, to a low branch, allowing the two mounts to crop at the green grass at the edge of the glade.
Then he sits down and leans back against a tree trunk after taking some food from his saddle bags, and enjoys his midday meal.
The small loaf of bread, the slices of cheese, the dried fruit, along with the fresh apple and pear, he's had, don't last that long. And after taking a drink from his water bottle, Tam contemplates what else he could have to eat, when Riley Hait says "Finish up" followed by "He's waiting for us".
The mercenary ranger who has just seen Narladene the ground pixie wave at him, and beckoned him and the others to come along, is up in the saddle first. The ranger Hait faintly smiles as he sees the slightly despondent look on the face of Tamric Drubine, who is no doubt still hungry, the youngster is growing quickly, and is eating a lot of late.
The group continues southwards along the forest road, and nearly two miles south of the glade they stopped at for lunch, they find Helbe the elven thief sitting upon a fallen tree to one side of the road.
"Four over there" says the elven magic user who points to the trees across from where he's sitting, then he hikes a thumb behind him, and adds "And four here" not too far behind the fallen tree the young elven noble from the principality of Laerel is sitting on, lies a man.
A mercenary in a rough looking set of leather armour, who is face down, either unconscious or dead.
After discounting, Riley Hait slightly frowns, then says "A little odd don't you think?" the elven masterthief nods his hooded head, then the mercenary ranger continues with "Percy could deal to this lot by himself" a loud disappointed sigh comes from the heavily armoured knight at hearing that.
"What's she thinking?" murmurs the ranger Hait as he takes a few steps off the road, and spots another body lying behind a nearby tree, Riley aka Zubutai Timaginson looks at the elven princeling, then quietly asks him "What did you find out from them?".
The mercenary ranger who grew up in the elven principality of Envadarlen in the Southlands listens in silence as the elven princeling via mindspeech, explains to him what he found out from the roughshod mercenaries who were posing as road bandits.
Then once Helbe the elven thief explains things, the ranger Hait quietly says "Probably hoping to get lucky, and knock one of us off before we find her". "More than likely" quietly says the elven prince who then says to the others "Keep vigilant, there's going to be a fair few like these so called bandits as we head south through these lands of lord Haldéilv" he continues with "They're a distraction most likely, though that still doesn't mean they won't be dangerous if I'm unable to find them first".
After the elven magic user disappears, the ranger Hait says to the others "You heard Helbe, all of you keep an eye out for trouble" then as Riley aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman gets back on his horse, and they get underway again.
Tamric Drubine who is still feeling peekish, even though he ate fairly recently, looks carefully around, hoping that they do run into some mercenaries posing as road bandits hired by Kaldeàlil Haldéilv that Helbe the elven thief misses.
For he could do with a little bit of action and liven things up as they ride, for he briefly enjoyed the confrontation they got into with a number of elven guards and trio of elven nobles they had a couple of evenings ago at a lake side village, even though he didn't do that much then.
A good fight, beats riding any day, Tamric Drubine thinks to himself, who also wonders if they'll stop in a village or town tonight with a tavern or an inn, hopefully one serving a decent meal . . . . . .

Wonderful 72.

The Principality Of Maladimbáh...

Over the last few days, Kaldeàlil Haldéilv along with her hired guards from southern Belinswae, Harrick and Linden. Have hired mercenaries and others, and sent them into the lands of lord Haldéilv, to undertake a number of tasks for the illegitimate daughter of the head of the Haldéilv family.
The elven magic user, who for the most part, has kept in the lands of the Walashàele family to the east of her father's lands. Makes her way across the river that separates much of the lands between the two noble family's who are neighbours and rivals.
The attractive elven maid, who because of her illegitimacy, is not a noble. Crosses one of the bridges over the river, whilst in disguise.
Kaldeàlil Haldéilv has no fear at getting caught, the charm or talisman she wears on a thin silver chain around her neck. Blocks spellcasters from sensing that she too is a practitioner of magic.
The attractive elven maid as she walks in the morning sunshine, goes through the river side village across the bridge. Once through it, she walks along the road that heads westwards to her father's seat of power, which is only six or so miles away at the other end of the mountain valley they're in.
Kaldeàlil walks for a few hundred yards, before she takes to a trail off the road, a trail that heads north. After making sure that she hasn't been followed, the elven magic user looks northwards through the trees, and teleports away.
The attractive elven maid reappears up the side of a mountain, over five miles from where she was previously. The illegitimate daughter of lord Haldéilv looks back from where she came from. She looks down into the valley, and for a few moments she looks at the palatial like tower upon the tor, that is her father's seat of power.
She finally looks away from it, and looks further to the south, where in the distance she can see the vast, dry, arid plains that are home to the human nomads. Kaldeàlil Haldéilv slightly shakes her head, then she continues up the mountain pass that she's teleported up to.
The pass is a trail, that in places has steps that have been built, for further along the pass is a grove of trees, that is sacred to elven kind in this part of the principality of Maladimbáh.
Kaldeàlil passes a couple of other elves on the pass who are making their way down it, after visiting and spending the night in the sacred grove. They don't recognise the illegitimate daughter of lord Haldéilv due to the spell she has cast upon herself, though she recognises them. For they live in the village at the base of the tor which her father's tower is on top of.
The elven magic user passes the grove of pine trees that are sacred, and she continues up the pass, and over a saddle between this peak and the next. Once she's heading downhill again, Kaldeàlil Haldéilv drops the illusion spell she's used to disguise herself, then she teleports down the mountainside.
There's a wagon track amongst the trees below, that the attractive elven maid appears on. Somewhere away to her right she hears foresters and others collecting dead wood for firewood and other uses.
The elven magic user continues along the forest track, until she gets to a trail that goes off it to the left, to the west. She walks quickly along it, until she sees a hut, outside of which stands the younger of the two guards from southern Belinswae, Linden. With him are a pair of elven mercenaries who were hired in the east of the Walashàele family lands.
"Anything?" asks Kaldeàlil Haldéilv in the common language to the three outside the hut, which belongs to a human forester, who has been hired by the illegitimate daughter of the local elven lord.
"Nothing here" replies Linden the mercenary guard who continues with "Or in the surrounding area" the attractive elven maid nods her head, as she wasn't expecting anything here, as it's still pretty close to her father's seat of power.
"Harrick go north, after he checked things out to the west?" asks Kaldeàlil Haldéilv, the human mercenary from the coast in southern Belinswae nods his head yes, then says "He did" Linden continues with "Took some more of the newer one's with him".
"Good" quietly says the elven magic user, who doesn't expect her enemy to come straight at her father's palatial like tower to find her, for he isn't so direct.
Unlike that undead bastard who came and got the mage, Kaldeàlil Haldéilv sourly thinks to herself, the attractive elven maid, who is expecting the elven prince Helbenthril Raendril to head this way, from an unexpected direction, not from the south or west, the direction of the Nomads Plains, quietly says "Let's get going".
There's four horses tied up around one side of the hut, and they mount up, they turn back onto the track, with Linden in the lead, and the elven magic user at the rear. The human mercenary glances back at Kaldeàlil Haldéilv, who nods, the guard from the region of Belinswae stops, and a few moments later sparkling coloured lights appear a dozen yards infront of his horse, quickly the lights turn into a rift, which Linden then the others ride through.
They ride out onto a road in the northern region of lord Haldéilv's lands, Kaldeàlil drops her rift spell behind her, and she moves her horse up to next to Linden, the two elven mercenaries have already ridden away.
One is crossing some fields away to the west, fields with long yellow wheat stalks growing in the late summer sunshine. While the other mercenary is heading north along the road, before he turns off after a bridge, and heads along a track that goes into some woods to the northeast.
"Hopefully they get word from the others" says Linden as he and Kaldeàlil Haldéilv ride along the road northwards, heading towards the stone bridge that crosses a river "Hopefully" says the attractive elven maid who looks away to the west, for in that direction here in the north of her father's lands, is where she grew up with her mother's extended family.
The two of them cross the bridge, once they do, they pick up the pace, as the land for the most part is pretty flat, with few hills, and the only mountains in the area, are far in the distance to the north, and the east.
To the west is predominantly flat, with farmland, where a lot of the wheat and grain in the south of Maladimbáh is grown, it's a valuable source of income for lord Haldéilv, making him one of the more powerful lords, not just in the south of the principality, but in all of Maladimbáh.
Kaldeàlil Haldéilv who knows her father definitely doesn't want a noble family to take the vacant throne of Maladimbáh, rides beside the human guard from southern Belinswae as the road curves to the northwest, they pass a farm wagon heading northwest too.
The attractive elven maid doesn't recognise the elven farmer, and he likewise. The elven magic user wouldn't care if he did, for she has found out that here in the north of her father's lands, the local populace for the most part hasn't heard about the attack on her father's seat of power, which resulted in the escape of Kaldeàlil's prisoner, the mage Reinholt.
Nor have they heard about her being shunned again, and how she's not allowed to be in her father's lands again, nor her two hired guards from southern Belinswae, Linden and Harrick, who were escorted out of lord Haldéilv's lands.
"Nice place up here" quietly says the human mercenary, who continues with "Much more fertile than most of Belinswae" the elven magic user nods her head, then says "It is" she then adds "Though winters here can get a little tough" the illegitimate daughter of the local elven lord continues with "Least in Belinswae it's fairly warm all year round, apart from up in the north along the coast in the Stone Hills".
"Only dwarves and idiots live up there" dryly says Linden who continues with "You won't catch me up there" as he looks around as they ride deeper into the farmlands.
The mercenary guard Harrick nods his head, then asks "You sure?" the elven mercenary who has just rode in from the north, nods his head, then says "He's positive" the mercenary, who is from the east of the principality continues with "They all match the description of them".
Harrick nods his head again, then recalls the map of the north of lord Haldéilv's lands, then he says "What's that, about half a day's ride north?". "A little bit longer, maybe closer to a day" replies the elven mercenary as they stand behind the stables of the inn Harrick is staying at "Blew a horse out riding here, had to change to another in one of the villages further north".
"Hell, they could be here tonight" quietly says the human mercenary from the southern coast of the region of Belinswae, who then adds "Or at least tomorrow morning, especially if they come down the main road" the elven mercenary nods his head in agreement, then he quietly asks "When do you expect her?".
"Today, around midday" replies Harrick who looks up at the clear mid morning sky of the late summer's day, and he murmurs "Which is a good thing" the elven mercenary nods his head to that, then Harrick says "Come on, we'll tell the others" the two of them head to the inn.
Later in the day, and Harrick stands at the open window of his second storey room in the inn, it gives him a clear view of the road that heads southeast through the surrounding farmland, the human mercenary is looking down the road when he spots a couple of riders in the distance.
There's a knock at his door, and Harrick says "Yeah" the door to the room opens, and another of the elven mercenaries pops his head into the room, and quietly says "That's them on the road to the south".
The human mercenary nods his head, then says to the elf "Have the others get ready, then ride out and gather the rest in" Harrick continues with "We could be leaving in a hurry" the elven mercenary nods his head in understanding, then he hurries away.
Harrick puts on his sword belt, and exits his room, he makes his way downstairs, and through the common room, and out of the inn, he heads through the village, to the road to the southeast. He waits at the corner of a house on the edge of the village for the two approaching riders.
"They're here" quietly says Harrick when the two riders stop and look at him "Where?" asks Kaldeàlil Haldéilv as she and Linden dismount "About a day's ride north, they were spotted in a village". "You absolutely sure?" asks the attractive elven maid "The informant who told Jarmahílth is" replies Harrick who continues with "He described all of them, and we didn't inform him of any of the others apart from the elf in the white hooded cloak, just that he was in a group".
"Definitely them" says Linden, Kaldeàlil Haldéilv nods her head in agreement as they walk to the nearby inn, the attractive elven maid then asks the older of the two human mercenaries she hired in southern Belinswae "How many have we got here?". "A dozen or so" says Harrick in response to the elven magic users question, he continues with "There's others in the surrounding area, I've sent Farlithané to get them, and to get them ready".
Things couldn't proceed better, Kaldeàlil Haldéilv thinks to herself, though she knows what she plans, will depend a lot on luck, and good timing, for she knows to either capture or kill her quarry, a lot of things will have to go her way.
"Any of my father's guards in the area?" quietly asks the illegitimate daughter of lord Haldéilv "Apart from a small squad of four who rode through yesterday, i haven't seen any" replies Harrick, who continues with "I'll have to ask the others when they come in if they have".
"Do so" says the attractive elven maid, who hopes to use her father's guards unwittingly in her attempt to capture and kill the elven noble who killed her lover Xanderlith Karlavilt three years ago in the elven principality of Alínlae in the Southlands.
"All of them eh?" quietly says Kaldeàlil Haldéilv as they head around the inn to the stables "All of them" says Harrick who continues with "The ranger, the little preacher in the funny hat, the big knight, the elf in the greys, the two youngsters, as well as him". "At least that big guy, and the mage aren't with them" dryly says Linden, which earns him a couple of stares from Kaldeàlil and Harrick "Well, it's true" says the younger of the two human mercenary guards from the south coast of Belinswae.
"I know, but you don't have to bring it up" says the attractive elven maid as they enter the stables "I've been trying to forget all about it" sourly says Kaldeàlil Haldéilv as she leads her mount into a stall, she silently adds in a dry tone, and that bloody maniac of an ork isn't around too, at least that's something.
Once Kaldeàlil and Linden have stabled their horses, the elven magic user who is the illegitimate daughter of the local lord says "Once the others are all here, we're leaving by rift" as they cross to the inn, she adds "North to get them once and for all" Kaldeàlil Haldéilv pauses for a moment, before she continues with "To finally kill him".
Behind her the two mercenaries from southern Belinswae glance at one another, for they clearly heard the driven, and slightly unhinged tone in her voice when she said that . . . . . .

Wonderful 71.

The Principality Of Maladimbáh...

Mira Reinholt the mage yawns, then stretches as the maroon coloured wyvern he's on wings it's way south in the morning sunshine. The once powerful mage looks back, and is just able to see the other wyvern in the distance to the north.
It's a bit further behind because lord Farque had to go and get Dorc da Orc, as the large ork wandered off during the night. For when the undead warlord found the ork warleader, Dorkindle was busy raping a herd of wild mountain sheep that he had caught the scent of.
"Big fucking idiot" Mira Reinholt the mage dryly murmurs to himself with a shake of his hooded head, the Vexilian mage in exile, who doesn't fly as high up as lord Farque on the other wyvern, keeps an eye out for any griffons. As he knows that a griffon and it's nobleborn rider will almost certainly attack him, seeing as he has no legitimate business being here in Maladimbáh.
Wonder if i could pass myself off as a justifier from Belinswae? the mage Reinholt thinks to himself, it's not the first time the spellcaster from south of the equator has had this thought. Though he knows it would be hard to pull off, considering he doesn't have any guards with him, and that he's taller than average for someone from Belinswae, who are shorter in general compared to most other human populations.
The mage who was the youngest member of the mage council of the city-state of Vexil, stretches again, and as usual as he flies upon the wyvern, he looks down at the ground below as he flies above some hills, with peaks further back to either side of him.
The spellcaster who is also a highly skilled swordsmaster sees the road that goes south through this part of the principality, is away to his right.
As he looks off to one side of it, and further to the south, Mira Reinholt spots something.
"Slow down you ass" says the once powerful mage when the wyvern doesn't immediately respond to him pulling back on the reins, the large winged creature after a few moments does slow down, and the mage Reinholt takes out his leather wrapped, brass cylindrical eye piece and looks through it at something on the ground he's spotted.
"Hmmmmm what's going on here?" murmurs the swordmaster from the city-state of Vexil in the Southlands, he sees an elf in the distance running across a meadow, trying to keep as low as possible. Less than half a mile away from the elf, rides a small squad of elven guards, who are going over a hilltop after riding off the main road that goes south.
The swordmaster Reinholt frowns as he sees that the guards are familiar, they're wearing the same tabards as the ones from the other day. Those who are in service of the elven lord who is after sir Percavelle Lé Dic and the others.
Who the trio of Mira Reinholt, lord Farque and Dorc da Orc, know are somewhere to the south, most likely on their way to the lands of lord Haldéilv, which is the the south of the principality of Maladimbáh, not too far from the Nomads Plains.
The once powerful mage looks quickly back, and sees that still the other wyvern, the large glossy green, black one that the undead warlord and the ork warleader are on, is still quite a distance back.
"Might as well" the swordmaster Reinholt murmurs to himself with a shrug of his shoulders, as he looks down to the ground further to the south, the spellcaster who was once the most powerful mage of his generation to be found anywhere in the Southlands, has the wyvern circle, dropping in altitude too, quickly as they continue southwards.
The exile Vexilian mage in exile draws the long sword, with the black blade that's been hardened by dragon fire.
He knows the mounted elven guards would easily see him if they were looking this way, but they don't as they're busy concentrating on the elf fleeing from them on foot.
"They'll hear me soon enough" murmurs the spellcaster who is also a highly skilled swordmaster, and that proves to be true, as a short whie while later as the wyvern continues downwards at speed, he and the large winged creature he's on are discovered.
The once powerful mage creates a ball of light and sound when he sees some of the elven guards, turn in the saddle and point up to him and the diving wyvern. The mage Reinholt lets the ball of light and sound fly, and it shoots off down to the riders below.
It may only be a ball of light and sound, but the mounted elven guards don't know that, for it looks very much like an energyball which a lot of them have seen before.
The riders scatter, and the ball of light and sound explodes amongst a few of them. Horses rear and buck from the loud bang and the explosion of light, and guards are thrown from their saddles.
The maroon coloured wyvern swoops down to the ground screeching loudly, Mira Reinholt pulls back on the reins hoping they don't plow into the hillside directly below them.
The wyvern rises up, rather slowly, with a horse between it's front claws, the rider is on the ground with a broken arm and a slashed open back, while his mount is neighing in pain between the front claws of the wyvern.
"Let it go you fucking overgrown flying lizard!" shouts the mage Reinholt, who thumps the wyvern a couple of times with the flat of the sword, the large winged creature, lets out an indignant squawk, then it lets go of the horse as it tries to circle back to the right.
The horse lands right infront of another horse, that it's rider is trying to get back under control after it took off in fright. The mount plows head first into the ground as it tries to leap over the horse that slammed into the ground right infront of it. The rider is flung forward over the head of his mount, and he slams into the ground too, before finally coming to a stop after tumbling forward a few times.
Mira Reinholt lets out a heavy breath, more sigh than anything else as the wyvern is flying more smoothly again, he looks down and sees that those few riders still mounted, are either fleeing, or trying to turn their frightened horses around, to return to where their fallen comrades are.
After the wyvern circles back around so that they're heading south again, the spellcaster who is also a highly skilled swordmaster sees that the elf who is on foot, who was fleeing the mounted squad, has crossed the meadow, and is now heading up a hill, the Vexilian mage in exile heads to that hilltop.
The maroon coloured wyvern lands, and after returning the sword to the scabbard at his left hip, the once powerful mage gets down off the wyvern, and a few moments later he sees the elf come up over the brow of the hill, from between some trees.
"Greetings" calls out Mira Reinholt in the elven language "Greetings" calls out the elf a little warily as he looks at both the black cloaked and hooded figure of the exiled Vexilian mage, and the wyvern crouching behind him, which like all wyverns, has a rather distrustful look in it's eye. It isn't really distrustful, that's just it's natural look, they're more belligerent in reality than they ever are distrustful.
"You okay?" asks the swordmaster Reinholt who walks towards the elf, who he sees is pretty solid, or muscular for an elf, he can see how muscular his forearms are as he wears a short sleeve tunic, over which is a brown leather vest, that looks like it's been cut short from a longer smock.
A smith? the once powerful mage thinks to himself, as he adds "Don't think that lot will be bothering you anytime soon" and he gestures back to the hill to the north, where he and the wyvern dived at the mounted squad of guards.
"Thanks for that" says the elf as he briefly looks back to the north "No worries" says the spellcaster from the city-state of Vexil in the Southlands, then the highly skilled swordmaster asks "Any reason why that lot were chasing you?".
The elf pauses for a moment, then he decides to tell the mage Reinholt why he was being chased, the once powerful mage listens with interest, as it concerns the others who he along with lord Farque and Dorc da Orc are looking for here in the elven principality of Maladimbáh.
A little while later, and Harquínd, who is indeed a blacksmith, says "What's that?" after Mira Reinholt tells him "Don't worry they're friends, kind of". "What's what?" asks the Vexilian mage in exile "That big green thing on the back of that wyvern" says the elven blacksmith, the spellcaster from south of the equator dryly replies with "An idiot".
The large glossy green, black wyvern lands beside the smaller maroon one, and the heavily armoured deathlord and the ork weaponsmith get off it, and make their way over to where the mage Reinholt and the smith Harquínd stand.
"There's something you need to hear" says the swordmaster from the city-state of Vexil to the lord and ruler of the lands Farque after he introduces the elven blacksmith to the lord of the death realm and the large ork.
As Harquínd explains the reason why he was fleeing the guards of lord Parsenellé, the undead warlord slightly shakes his full helmed head.
Percy the fucking idiot, lord Farque sourly thinks to himself, after hearing what they've already heard rumour about, then after the smith Harquínd finishes explaining how sir Percavelle Lé Dic saved him from being pressed into the service of lord Parsenellé, the deathlord of Farque asks "They were definitely heading south then?".
"Yes sir, i mean my lord" says the elven blacksmith as he remembers that the human spellcaster told him not to call the large, heavily armoured human a sir "Well we're going the right way then" dryly says the lord and ruler of the lands Farque who is also known as Draugadrottin by the people of his lands.
Lord Farque looks around as he senses in all directions for as far as he can, then he says "We'll drop you off in the nearest decent sized village or town" the heavily armoured deathlord calls out to Dorc da Orc "We're going!" the large ork who has wandered down to the nearest trees to take shelter from the morning sunshine, grunts then makes his way back up to where the others, and the wyverns are.
They head south again, with the elven blacksmith on the maroon wyvern with Mira Reinholt, and later in the morning, they see a large village on the northern shores of a small lake, which Harquínd informs the exiled Vexilian mage, is in the lands of a lord Yardeníl.
They land just outside the lake side village where they see a couple of buildings in the north of it have been completely destroyed, and people are cleaning up the debris of them. The four of them enter the large village, with the swordmaster Reinholt and the lord and ruler of the lands Farque looking for information, while the ork warleader goes in search of some booze to buy.
It's fairly quickly that they find out what they're looking for, and as Dorkindle buys some barrels of ale from an inn, lord Farque and Mira Reinholt stand outside of it, with the Vexilian mage in exile saying "They left yesterday morning" he follows that up with "Still going south after they ran into some more of those guards, and the elven lord Parsenellé himself by the sounds of it"
"The north of lord Haldéilv's lands are little over a day's ride south through the peaks from here" continues the mage Reinholt "They'll be there by now" says the heavily armoured deathlord who then adds "And so will we tonight" lord Farque looks at the once powerful mage and tells him "If that bitch has returned, which in all likelihood she has, then she'll be waiting for them with a trap as they head down through her father's lands" Mira Reinholt nods his hooded head in agreement . . . . . .

Wonderful 70.

The Principality Of Maladimbàh...

Helbe the elven thief waits behind the barn, the young elven noble from the principality of Laerel in the Southlands senses the two nearby elven nobles. He waits for what they'll do, as he senses that they're at two different points, facing what seems to be the front of the barn on the northern outskirts of the large village on the shores of a lake.
The elven magic user frowns, then under his breath, Helbe the elven thief murmurs "Maybe" then he takes a few steps to the side, so that he's able to glance around a corner.
The elven masterthief who is blurred and shielded, slightly nods his hooded head, and thinking what he feels is the best thing to do, he shifts away.
Helbenthril Raendril is standing next a pile of building stones beside a half complemented building here in the north of the large village. The elven princeling who is completely still, faintly smiles as he senses the two elven nobles are now moving slowly and deliberately towards his last location, the barn.
Narladene, the elven master assassin thinks to himself with a shake of his hooded head, as he correctly guesses that the ground pixie who is attached to him, is taking care of the sprite that's attached to one of the elven spellcasters who is nearby.
The ground pixie is most likely distracting the sprite by attacking it, well that's what Helbe the elven thief figures she's doing.
Advantage to me, the grandson of Prince Raendril of Laerel thinks to himself, who then floats up onto the half completed building, the elven master archer stands upon a beam on the yet to be completed roof, and he looks away to the right.
The elven magic user can't see the individual at the moment, but he can sense them. Prince Helbenthril Raendril senses an elven noble crossing a nearby rooftop. He knows it's the one he hit earlier, who has teleported to the north of the large village, from down near the lake shore.
The elven master assassin who senses the elven spellcaster less than fifty yards away, has a barrier and protection spell up, that in all likelihood, he probably won't batter down quickly.
Decides another approach is needed, the young elven noble from the Southlands flicks both of his hands, and the two spike punchers come out from the mechanisms strapped to the lower arms and wrists of the elven princeling.
With both six inch long steel spikes sticking out from his sleeves, the blurred and shielded elven magic user shifts. Helbe the elven thief who is highly skilled at spellcraft, and can cast multiple spells at the same time, casts another spell when he reappears, so to speak.
The elven masterthief punches with a left and a right, followed by another quick left, then a final right, all quickly, and all hitting the mark, thanks to the slip spell he has cast.
The steel spike punchers go through the barrier and protection spells, and slam into the gut, then chest, and finally the face and throat of the elven noble from Maladimbáh who was crossing a rooftop.
As the elven lord appears, with blood sputtering from the fatal wounds, and he falls to the roof, with the unseen Helbenthril Raendril standing over him, whose spike punchers are slightly bloody.
The elven master archer who was able to get through the elven noble's barrier and protection spells thanks to his spell that made him slip through them.
Then looks around to where he can sense the last, and final of the three elven nobles who are all cousins, two of whom are now dead.
The elven princeling from Laerel watches where the other elven lord is, though he can't see who it is, he can sense them. It's the most powerful of the three elven nobles who are cousins. Helbe the elven thief figures it's lord Parsenellé, whose guards were attacked by sir Percavelle Lé Dic a few nights ago.
After wiping the spike punchers clean on the cloak of the dead elf at his feet, they shoot back up into their holders that are strapped to the forearms of the young elven noble from south of the equator.
Then he crouches down on the roof he's on as he senses the remaining elven noble casting, then a few moments later, casting again.
Lord Parsenellé frowns as he can no longer sense his cousin Galithellé, and he can't get into contact with him via mindspeech too. Figuring that his slightly older cousin is holding his power within himself, the head of the extended Parsenellé family, who also worries where Dolmanad the sprite is, looks at the barn that's close by, and casts an explosion spell, a fairly powerful one too.
The night erupts with the sound of a loud explosion that rocks the ground, the large barn on the northern outskirts of the large village, erupts with wood and stone, and pieces of a couple of horses, and a bunch of chickens, flying in all directions.
Some of which bounce off the front of lord Parsenellé's barrier and protection spells, where he stands at the corner of a house, that gets peppered with debris.
The explosion is loud enough to send the trio of griffons to the east of the large village, up into the night sky squawking in annoyance. The elven lord knows it'll be a hassle to get them back down, especially the two that aren't actually his.
That got whoever it is, lord Parsenellé thinks to himself, as Dolmanad mentioned to him earlier that the unknown elven spellcaster wasn't particularly powerful when it came to magic. Little does the elven noble know, that the unknown elven magic user who might not be all that powerful, he is extremely skillful.
Still keeping his invisibility spell up, as well as his barrier and protection spells around him, the elven noble whose lands are to the north, in the central region of the principality of Maladimbáh, walks towards the remains of the large barn.
Parsenellé who once again senses for his cousin Galithellé, and tries to get in contact with him by way of a mindspeech spell, and is unable to. Takes just a few steps away from the corner of the house he's been next to, when suddenly something whacks him in the back, he hits the ground with a thud, and he groans as he rolls over.
Something whacks into his face, it feels like he's just been punched, and he drops his invisibility spell as he lies there dazed. Though he does have the wherewithal to keep up his barrier and protection spell, not that they do anything, as he gets whacked in the face again by what feels like a punch from a fist.
"What?" mumbles lord Parsenellé from between bloody lips when he suddenly sees a cloaked and hooded figure standing over him, the fairly young elven magic user tries to cast, but he's unable to, it feels like he's been cut off from his magic.
"Please don't" murmurs the head of the extended Parsenellé family when he sees a metal spike shoot out from the right wrist of the unknown elven noble whose face is shrouded by the hood he wears.
"Don't?" says the unknown elven magic user in the language of the elven nobility, he quietly continues with "As if you weren't going to kill the knight if you got a hold of him".
Lord Parsenellé can't deny that, for that's exactly what he was going to do, he grimaces as the unknown elven noble quietly tells him "If you're going to deal out justice, expect in return".
Then the cloaked and hooded figure blurs and disappears from sight, lord Parsenellé goes to scoot backwards and sit up, then suddenly something slams into his throat, it's cold and lifeless, just like he soon will be as he feels warmth flow from his throat, and he blacks out to never wake again.
Helbe the elven thief wipes the bloody spike puncher on the bottom of the dying elven noble's cloak. Then the elven princeling after bringing the steel spike back up into it's hidden mechanism, turns and walks away from lord Parsenellé as blood continues to flow from the lethal wound in his neck.
The elven masterthief is about to shift away when Narladene the ground pixie appears on his right shoulder "What happened to that sprite?" quietly asks the young elven noble who is the grandson of the ruling prince of Laerel.
"Much like him" replies Narladene the ground pixie who nods back at the now dead lord Parsenellé lying on the ground near the debris of the destroyed barn. The tiny winged creature flourishes her tiny sword, and whilst grinning says "I stuck him a few times".
Helbenthril Raendril refrains from rolling his eyes as Narladene returns her sword to it's scabbard, then when she holds onto his shoulder, the elven masterthief shifts away, heading to the south of the large village, to near the lake shore where the others are.
"Dump the bodies near the lake shore" quietly says Riley Hait the mercenary ranger to the others, he continues with "The local lord will probably be thankful we've got rid of some guards and a noble who are running roughshod over his lands".
"Three nobles" says Helbe the elven thief who suddenly appears out of thin air beside the mercenary ranger, after a slight jump of surprise at the appearance of the elven princeling, and then sourly smiling, the ranger Hait nods to the north, then asks "Was that you blowing up things?".
"Hardly" replies the young elven noble as they watch sir Percavelle Lé Dic pick up one dead elven guards and put him over his right shoulder, then another who he puts over his broad, heavily armoured left shoulder, before he walks away.
"That's not my style" says Helbenthril Raendril who continues with "It was one of them" the elven masterthief then grins as he adds "He's now dead".
Riley aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman nods, and as he looks around, and up and down the street, he quietly asks "Should we leave?" though he doesn't particularly want to travel at night.
"No, why bother" says the elven magic user who continues with "Like you said, we've probably done the local lord a favour getting rid of three of his more powerful northern neighbours" the elven prince then adds "Not to mention the villagers are safer with that lot now dead" he then says "Might as well head back to that inn, and have a roof over our heads for the night".
And that's what they do after they gather all the dead bodies, thirteen elven guards and three elven nobles, and dump them on a grass strip just up from the lake shore . . . . . .

Wonderful 69.

The Principality Of Maladimbáh...

Lady Laelmainé casts a spell at the heavily armoured knight running down the street towards her and some of the guards, more than a few of which are badly wounded.
Just as the spell is about to hit the errant knight who attacked her cousin lord Parsenellé guards in his lands, she realises her mistake as she frowns while looking closely at the large knight's shield.
As the sound of an explosion can be heard away to the right, somewhere in the north of the large village on the shore of a lake, lady Laelmainé mutters "Crap" and winces in anticipation, knowing at what's to come, and hoping to the forest gods that the barrier and protection spell she has up around herself, are strong enough to counter what's about to happen.
Something slams into the shield of Saint Mar-che, and sir Percavelle Lé Dic finds himself halted in his tracks. And with his steel boots digging into the dirt of the ground, he tries to get some purchase as he starts sliding quickly back the way he came from.
The heavily armoured knight grits his teeth behind the visor of his full helm, then sir Percavelle Lé Dic mutters "Drats" as he's picked up and flung backwards.
As the knight in the order of Saint Mar-che goes hurtling backwards though not very far, the blast spell that hit his shield, rebounds and heads back to where it came from, twice as fast, and twice as powerfully.
One of the elven guards who was shot in the calf by bolt shot from the crossbow used by Lisell Maera, is clipped in the head by the returning blast spell as he's trying to get up off the ground.
Clipped or not, his body goes spinning away with force as his head explodes in a spray of bloody and pulpy mist as the blast spell heads back to where it came from.
The elven noble who cast the spell, doesn't even have enough time to start casting a teleport spell to get herself out of harms way, before she's hit by her own blast spell, that hits her twice as strong, and twice as fast as she originally cast it.
Lady Laelmainé goes flying backwards a good forty feet before she hits the ground, she's still alive as her barrier and protection spells did their job, though they've been torn to shreds and she has to recast them if she wants any kind of protection.
The attractive elven maid who is the oldest of the three nobleborn cousins who are in the large, lake side village, groans as she tries to sit up, as her body is battered and bruised even with the barrier and protection spells she had up around when she was hit by her own blast spell.
Gasping for breath as she's winded, lady Laelmainé sits up, not for long though because a bolt thuds into her forehead, and she's flung back onto the ground dead.
Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy reloads his extended hand crossbow after shooting the elven noble at the far end of the street in the head. The elf from the principality of Alínlae in the Southlands who is on the roof of a house, looks down into the street to his right, and rolls his eyes as looks at sir Percavelle Lé Dic.
The nobleman from the kingdom of Druvic in the Southlands is groaning, and muttering away to himself as he rolls from side to side as he tries to get up from the ground.
The spy Tanith knows the heavily armoured knight will be fine, he's seen the earl of Lé Dic take bigger hits than the one he just did there, which was absorbed and rebounded by his magical shield.
Dalin takes aim at one of the elven guards down on the street, who was heading back to where the elven noble was lying trying to sit up until she was shot in the head.
The elven spy shoots the guard in the back as he tries to dive for cover behind a water barrel next to one of the houses, Dalinvardél Tanith quickly reloads his crossbow and looks for another target.
Shur Kee the monk and Tamric Drubine look at one another when they see sir Percavelle Lé Dic run by on the street as they make their way along the end of the house.
A couple of moments later and they see the heavily armoured knight go flying back the way he came from. The nobleborn youngster from the kingdom of Sarcrin in the Southlands rolls his eyes, and Shur Kee the monk after shaking his head murmurs "I'm sure friend Percy will be fine".
Unfortunately, Tamric Drubine dryly thinks to himself as the two of them make their way forward again, stopping at the corner of the house, where they look out onto the street.
They look one way, then they look the other, and the acolyte in the order of Bru Li quietly says "See, there he is fine by the looks of it" Tam wryly smiles as they watch sir Percavelle rolling from side to side as he tries to get up off the ground.
The nobleman from the kingdom of Druvic is muttering as he does so, mutters that are getting louder and louder, both Shur Kee and Tamric Drubine know the earl of Lé Dic will be in full voice in no time, unfortunately.
At the other end of the house, Riley Hait the mercenary ranger looks out onto the street too, with an under arm flip, he sends his long dagger flying, which takes one of the elven guards in the side of the neck, as she pops her head up from where she's taking shelter behind a water trough.
The ranger Hait looks one way, then sourly smiles as he sees by the light of a lamp, in the distance towards the other end of the street, sir Percavelle trying to get up off the ground.
Even from where he is, Riley aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman can hear the heavily armoured knight, who is getting louder and louder.
The mercenary ranger who is really a hordes outrider from the southern tundra who happens to be occupying the body of the ranger who was raised and trained in the elven principality of Envadarlen in the Southlands.
Looks away to his right, looking for whoever it is that hit sir Percavelle Lé Dic, the mercenary ranger knows it must of been one of the elven nobles. He also knows that must be in way worse shape than the knight in the order of Saint Mar-che after whatever spell they cast rebounded off the heavily armoured knight's magical shield.
Riley Hait finds her, and she's definitely worse off than sir Percavelle. The elven magic user lies nearby, dead with a crossbow bolt sticking out of her forehead. The ranger Hait looks around for Dalinvardél Tanith, looking at the nearby rooftops, but he can't see the elf from the principality of Alínlae anywhere.
He wouldn't be much of a spy if i could see him, Riley Hait the mercenary ranger dryly thinks to himself, who then silently adds in the same tone, especially at night.
Meanwhile in the north of the large village, further away from the lake it sits on the shores of. Helbe the elven thief looks back at the house he was on top of a little while ago, which now lies in ruins, with shattered wood and stone everywhere after a spell directed towards him exploded.
The young elven noble who senses that the spellcaster down by the lake shore where the others are, is now dead. The elven masterthief grimly smiles as he knows that will definitely upset the other two elven nobles who are about, and who are trying to kill him.
The elven princeling who has cast just the one spell in an offensive manner, a blast spell he spent to the south of the village, which hit one of the two remaining elven nobles who he knows are cousins, when he saw that one standing on a rooftop.
Still has a shield spell up so that he can't be sensed by the two cousins who are after him, even though they have a sprite who can locate him.
Helbenthril Raendril just hopes the sprite is being taken care of at this moment so that he can go on the attack more, instead of reacting. He also hopes that Narladene the ground pixie is safe as she tries to eliminate the sprite that's attached to one of the remaining elven nobles,
The elven magic user winces as he sees a couple of dead bodies in the ruins of the house that exploded, then the young elven noble from the principality of Laerel in the Southlands, who along with being shielded is also blurred, shifts to what looks like a barn, or a large stable on the northern outskirts of the large village, come town.
"He's just moved" quietly says the sprite Dolmanad, lord Parsenellé nods then he levitates up onto a nearby rooftop after he sees someone run into their house, slam the door shut and by the sounds of it, bolt it closed.
The nobleborn elf who though young is the head of his extended family, crouches upon the rooftop as Dolmanad who is on his right shoulder quietly says to him "That way, about seventy yards away" the sprite points, and the elven magic user sees what looks like a barn in that direction.
Lord Parsenellé gets in contact with his cousin Galithellé who is nearby and tells him by way of mindspeech, where the unknown elven noble is now located.
Then the fairly young elven noble whose lands are further north, in the central region of the principality of Maladimbáh, looks behind him to the south of the large village, once again sensing for his other cousin Laelmainé.
Again he can't sense her, which can mean only two things, she's holding her power within herself, or that she's dead. And when he asked Dolmanad a short while ago if he could sense Laelmainé anywhere, the sprite responded that he couldn't, which means only one thing.
Oh Lael, I'm so sorry, lord Parsenellé thinks to himself as tears threaten to well up in his eyes, he quickly rubs his face, then looks north to the barn like structure on the outskirts of the large village on the lake shore.
The elven magic user briefly thinks about exploding the barn, but he has a feeling the unknown elven noble will escape something like that, as he did the earlier explosion. The lord of the Parsenellé family's lands knows that he'll have to get closer to deal with the unknown elven spellcaster.
"Is he casting anything else?" quietly asks lord Parsenellé "No" replies Dolmanad who continues with "Just the same two spells, the one that's like an invisibility spell but different, and the one that hides him from being sensed by you".
Well he can cast multiple spells, so he's fairly talented, though Dolm says he's not particularly powerful, the fairly young elven noble thinks to himself, then he quietly says "I'll have to locate where he exactly is, for that I'll have to see him so that Galith and i can attack him" he then asks the sprite who has been attached to him since he was a youngster "You think you can get him to show himself?".
"Hmmmmm maybe" quietly says Dolmanad, who continues with "If i can distract him so that" the sprite pauses in mid sentence, then says in a surprised tone "Hello, who are you?" lord Parsenellé frowns at that, then his slim eyebrows lift up in surprise as Dolmanad suddenly disappears.
"Dolmanad?" murmurs the elven lord, who then quietly adds "Dolm" followed by "Are you there?" he continues with "Where are you?" as he wonders where the sprite has got to.
Narladene the ground pixie stabs her tiny little sword again, which is blocked by the larger sword of the larger sprite, who is flying backwards, trying to get away from the smaller ground pixie who has suddenly attacked him.
With a determined looking grin upon her face, the ground pixie just goes straight through the side of a house after the sprite, who is nearly two inches taller than herself, back wings through an open window.
The smaller four inch tall ground pixie slashes her sword at the sprite, who just gets up his sword in time to block the weapon wielded by a determined looking Narladene.
Who hears the off coloured sound of the two blades hitting, knowing that the sprite's sword cannot take too many more direct hits from her sword. Which like all ground pixie swords, is made by themselves, and is the hardest naturally occurring material in existence, that even steel can't withstand. Though it all depends on how hard and forceful the ground pixie swings their sword.
Narladene quickly slashes again, and once more the sprite, with a fearful look upon his face, which turns to desperation when Narladene slashes at him again, and his sword breaks.
He throws the remainder of his sword at the ground pixie, who ducks out of the way, allowing Dolmanad to turn and dive down to the floor. Narladene chases after him as he squeezes beneath a doorway and goes outside, the ground pixie just goes through the door, and goes in pursuit of the sprite who is at loss as to why he's being attacked by a stranger.
Then he realises that the ground pixie must be attached to the unknown elven noble. He goes to turn to go back and warn Parsenellé, but he sees the determined looking little pixie is almost upon him, and he flees, heading further away from the nobleborn elf that he's attached to.
"Shit" mutters lord Parsenellé, who then adds in a murmur "Dolm where are you?" as he wonders where the sprite is, and he also wonders where the unknown elven noble could now be . . . . . .