View source for Chronicles at Sea- Volume 1: The Chase

By: Tenevriel Posted on: May 22, 2009




Valnuary, 509AF

Somewhere in the Lemnian Sea

Off the coast of Ulangi


Following the channel out from Shastaan's harbour, the East Ithmia Company
flagship, The Shadow Wolf, turned east-southeast to ease the pressure off the
struggling crew at the oars and gain seaway. Fighting the Great Southern
Current, the Windcutter continued to edge its bow away from the wind, gaining
precious speed as the Eastern Shore began to disappear over the horizon.
Standing at the bow of the vessel, its Captain, Commodore Tenevriel Calaier,
stood with his hands resting upon the ship's figurehead- a ferocious black wolf.
His eyes closed, head lowered as the figurehead's own eyes began to glow a soft
red. At that moment, a sudden, unnatural gust of wind swept over the deck of the
Shadow Wolf, adding speed to the ship's already impressive pace.


The Sea itself was calm, with its waves being overshadowed by the bow-wave
coming off the Wolf's passage towards open water. A full tank of bait stood
ready behind Tenevriel, sloshing about in anticipation of the catch to be had.
Eyes shut, Tenevriel's mind scanned the ocean about him for signs of other
vessels. To the east, he caught sight in his mind's eye of another Windcutter,
anchored just off the coast of Ulangi. Stretching his mind further, he made out
the flag flying from the mast- bearing the arms of the Order of Neraeos. Smiling
softly to himself, the Commodore began to focus on willing the ship's movement
towards the east, towards the friendly vessel. The Shadow Wolf bore down upon
the other 'cutter, the golden flag of the East Ithmia Company's flagship shining
in the mid-day sunlight. A hail from the Nerai aboard the other vessel was
greeted with a return from Tenevriel. Turning the Wolf away from the other ship,
he began to maneuver it to come alongside. Carefully bearing away from the
fishing lines cast from the other deck, the Wolf turned into the wind, slowing
its speed as it approached.


As the Wolf's anchor was being prepared to drop, the silence of the moment was
broken by a trio of serpent heads rising from the waves to the northeast. A
scream from the lookout shattered the peace of the fishing, "Hag!"


Belaying the order to raise the anchor, Tenevriel's eyes opened wide, the glow
of the figurehead's eyes replaced by the sudden piercing crimson glow of his
own. Stepping away from the figurehead, he marched briskly to the quarterdeck of
the Wolf, shouting commands to make sail once again.


The crew of the Wolf worked quickly, loading the throwing arm with a serated
wardisc as the Commodore turned the wheel hard, bearing off the northeastern
wind, now beginning to gust. Another shout, this time from the Nerai aboard the
other vessel, brought its anchor up and its lines reeled in. Scrambling to bring
both ships about and away from the oncoming monster, the two experienced
captains set their crews to work, stretching every piece of canvas aboard to
speed their Windcutters along. Turning to watch over the curved stern of the
Wolf, Tenevriel's face twisted in a frown, grunting his dissatisfaction as the
Hags crept closer. His gaze turned to the opposite quarterdeck, shaking his head
slowly to the other captain. Nodding her understanding, then other skipper gazed
back at the approaching monster, her expression turning to one of
barely-concealed horror as the serpent bore down upon her vessel. In an act of
desperation, the other Windcutter began to turn away, perpendicular to its
previous course. The Hags gave chase, closing in rapidly.


The crash of deck planks snapping drew Tenevriel's attention back to the allied
vessel. The Hag's tail wrapped around the stern of the other 'cutter,
threatening to break the vessel's back. The Commodore brought his vessel around,
bow pointed straight for the beast ahead. The experience of his crew paid off,
and the sails were set perfectly, grabbing every knot of available speed. The
Wolf nearly flew through the water, its bow rising slightly above the wave it
was producing. For a brief moment, a smile graced the face of the Wolf's
captain, feeling perhaps more alive than he had in ages. With his gaze firmly
locked on the ensuing battle of man and beast nearby, he shouted his commands to
his crew.


"Get ready to spill wind when we draw near, I want that thing's attention on
us. Weapons teams, keep loading and firing until the Hag's pursuing us. We're
going to try to draw it off them, and let them escape."


As the Wolf neared the scene, its bow slammed into torn fragments of decking
and cracked spars from the friendly vessel. A sudden gust of wind had separated
the serpent from its prey, forcing a gap between the two not much wider than
that of the Windcutter. Tenevriel aimed the Wolf towards that gap, eyeing the
serpent as he screamed out, "Brace! Crew, fire!!!"


With a loud twang, the throwing arm let loose its first volley, the wardisc
tearing through the scaly hide of the triple-headed serpent. A second disc
scraped along its back, shredding a large section of flesh off. With a anguished
roar, the tail of the serpent lashed out, striking the side of the Wolf. With a
shudder, the cracking of wood filled the air as the crew cried that they were
taking on water.


Turning back towards Shastaan, the Wolf began to spill its wind, slowing its
travel as the other vessel began to pull ahead. Turning towards Ulangi, the
Nerai gave a cheer as their vessel limped away from the fight, the Sea Hag
turning their attention to the Shadow Wolf. As the serpent approached the
battered ship, its crew suddenly trimmed the sails once more, the mast giving a
loud creak as the ship took off towards the distant coast.


A roar from close behind proved that the Hag was still giving chase. Grinning
to himself, Commodore Calaier ordered the shipmates to begin mending the damage
to the vessel. The sounds of hammering belowdecks filled the afternoon air as
the holes beneath the waterline were plugged. As the Eastern Shore grew closer,
a final, defeated roar from the Sea Hag echoed across the waters as it turned
away and dove beneath the waves.



[[Category:Bardic Merit Awards]][[Category:2009 Bardics]]