Chronicles at Sea- Volume Two: The Battle

By: Tenevriel Posted on: January 14, 2010

Somewhere in the Lemnian Sea

North-East of New Hope Harbour

The monotonous crash of waves in the early morning was broken by a loud splash as a trophy-worthy redfin tuna pierced the surface of the water, its tail flapping wildly before plunging back beneath the waves. Affixed in its upper jaw, a barbed hook attached to a fishing line directed the struggling fish relentlessly towards its source- the Windcutter "The Rising Storm". Bracing against the quarterdeck's railing, the Commodore of the East Ithmia Company, Tenevriel Calaier, struggled to reel in the tuna. Perhaps sensing rather than seeing the mass of the Windcutter, the fish gave one hard surge of effort, placing too much strain on the line. A loud crack signaled the last-minute escape of the tuna as the line snapped, sending the Commodore falling backward across the quarterdeck. Sprawled out on his back, Tenevriel gazed up at the sun, letting out a quiet curse. "Damn."

Blinking steadily at the bright mid-afternoon sunlight, he was surprised by a pop and a second bright light forming in the air. The explosion of green light caught his attention as he slowly rose to his feet. As soon as the first flare disappeared, a second one, red, exploded in nearly the same location. Frowning to himself, Tenevriel closed his eyes a moment, focusing on the voices in his mind of his citymates and allies, trying to discern a meaning for the fireworks display off his port-bow. Struggling to focus, he finally heard what he was searching for. The voice of his sister, Anarwaen, could be heard loud and clear.

"...we were just chased into Orilla Harbour by a black war galley."

Frowning to himself, Tenevriel continued to listen as the voice of the pirate Zulah broke into his mind.

"A Kashari war galley has been spotted heading towards New Hope."

A third flare, bursting red once more, returned his attention to the sea around him. Stepping from the bow, the Rising Storm's Captain, Elani Si'Talvace, came up to him.

"Sir, a fleet is assembling at New Hope to evacuate the denizens of the village before the galleys arrive."

Tenevriel nodded, staring out over the water in the direction of the flares. He nodded once, his voice quiet as he continued to think. "We better go assist. Captain, set course for New Hope."

Elani nodded, barking out the orders for the ship to raise its anchor and head to the harbour. The Windcutter heeled over sharply as the sails filled, the vessel turning towards the source of the flares. Surging through the cresting waves, the Storm rose over the crest of one wave before dropping into the trough, causing the next wave to break over the bow, sending a spray of ocean water over the quarterdeck, splashing the Commodore and the Captain both. A faint smile played on the lips of Tenevriel, his normal enjoyment of the storm-tossed waters of the Lemnian overshadowed by his nervousness towards the upcoming engagement. Turning to the Captain, he yelled, his voice rising over the crashing waves, "I'm going above!"

Scrambling up the rigging of the mainmast, he climbed to the crow's nest, which was now spiraling and wildly swinging with the course of the ship's movement. From this vantage point, he could see faintly the coast of Sapience, with New Hope about to come into view. He could just begin to make out the shape of sails near the coast. Among the white sails of the vessels in view he spotted two vessels with night-black sails. Recognizing one as the Seastrider The Black Sails, his eyes locked on the strange vessel. Low to the water, he could make out the banks of oars and large mainsail of a war galley. Pointing a finger at the galley, he shouted down to the quarterdeck, "Take us to starboard of the galley!"

The Rising Storm heeled slightly more as the vessel came up towards the wind. Carving a furrow through the waves with its bow, the Windcutter tore through the water, making good speed into the battle. Surveying the battle, Tenevriel saw another vessel, The Ghost Flame, locked in combat with the galley. Starshot and wooden shafts flew across the gap between the two vessels, and the sounds of timber snapping told when a shot had struck home. He could see holes in both vessels' sails, and both decks littered with dead and wounded crew members. From the south-west the sound of high-tension rope twanging heralded the release of a broadside from The Black Sails, as it closed in on the galley. The Rising Storm sheered off from the battle, passing close alongside The Ghost Flame before bearing off towards the north. From the crow's nest, the Commodore could see a group of adventurers gathered on the deck of Zulah's vessel. Among them, her auburn hair flowing in the steadily-increasing wind, was his sister, Anarwaen. As the two black-sailed vessels closed, the crash of hulls scraping filled the air. Crew members from The Black Sails rushed to hurl grappling lines onto the deck of the galley, keeping the two vessels secure as a boarding platform was hurled aboard. As it landed, the boarding party scrambled aboard the war galley.

Aboard the war galley, the boarding party charged ahead, cutting down with relative ease the crew on deck, and dispatching the wounded lying helpless in the scuppers. A detachment, including Anarwaen and Zulah, disappeared belowdecks. Breath held, the Commodore and Captain aboard The Rising Storm awaited the fate of the boarding team. Soon, their heads began to ring with the Deathsight visions of the boarders being beaten back. Emerging from the hatchway, Tenevriel could see from his vantage point his sister and the pirate captain making a fighting withdrawal towards the boarding platform. The combined voices of Anarwaen and Zulah told him, "We need reinforcements! Get anyone you can!"

Blinking quickly as a plan began to emerge in his head, he started cycling through his various telepathic channels, until he received a response: reinforcements were awaiting on the New Hope shoreline. Yelling an order down to the quarterdeck, Tenevriel braced himself as the ship began to turn towards the shore, heading for a spot just south of the harbour itself. At the last second, Elani ordered the vessel to a stop, the crew tossing rope ladders over the sides. A group of adventurers sprang from the beach, wading through the water to the side of the Windcutter. Scrambling up the ladders, Tenevriel counted at least sixteen. He himself scrambled down the rigging to the quarterdeck to address the new arrivals. As his feet touched the deck, the Windcutter turned around, heading back downwind to the fight.

"Ok, listen up! We're going to bring you to The Black Sails. You're going to board the galley from there! Once aboard, cross the boarding platform and assist the party already aboard. Zulah's leading them."

Nods from a number of the reinforcements preceded their beginning to ready themselves for the fight. Tenevriel scrambled back up to the crow's nest to get a better view of the engagement ahead. The Ghost Flame was still locked in ranged combat with the galley. An errant wardisc from the Flame forced one of the boarders to duck, missing them by inches but slicing through the torso of one of the galley's crew. At the same time, a crash of rigging and timber told where chainshot fired from the galley had hit true on The Black Sails, one of its spars falling to the deck, just narrowly missing one of the crew. At the top of his lungs, Tenevriel shouted down to the quarterdeck, "Bring us alongside Zulah's ship! From the south!"

The Rising Storm cut between the war galley and The Ghost Flame, weaving nimbly around the two vessels and alongside the pirate vessel. Heading into the wind, the Cutter's sails came aback, slowing its approach as it nudged alongside the Seastrider. Throwing grappling hooks across, the crew of The Rising Storm proceeded to slide a gangplank between the two vessels. With a loud cheer, the reinforcements ran across the narrow gangplank to The Black Sails. From the crow's nest, the fighting looked frantic. Adventurers and Kashari alike were falling quickly, their places filled instantly by others fresh for the fight. Blood and gore ran in small rivers across the wooden deck of the galley. A rush by the boarders drew the Kashari back across the deck, towards the hatchway to the 'tweendecks. In the tide of bodies rushing ahead, Tenevriel caught sight of his sister, still in the forefront of the battle, her hand gripping tightly in a fist as she warped the Kashari before her into bubbling, horrifying death. Her clothing was torn in places from the slash of slaver blades, and blood stained her skin and gown- a combination of hers and others'. The boarders disappeared below decks, and the firing from the galley ended abruptly as weapon crews were obviously slaughtered at their stations or pressed into combat.

Gripping the mainmast in a tight hold, Tenevriel surveyed the blood-stained deck of the galley, trying to ascertain what was going on. Still, his mind was filled with visions of death as members of the boarding party fell beneath the defenses of the Kashar. Then, suddenly, the deaths stopped. The boarding party came streaming on deck and crossing over to The Black Sails. Grappling hooks disengaged, as both The Black Sails and The Rising Storm broke away from the galley and backed off slightly. The Rising Storm sheered off, in the shadow of the Seastrider's sails. The reason for the retreat became evident suddenly- a sharp list to starboard in the galley showed that it was going down slowly. The Black Sails opened fire once more, launching shaft after shaft into the hull just below the waterline. The galley began to heel even more sharply, going down by the stern, now. As he watched in a mix of fascination and horror, Tenevriel heard a loud snap as the galley's mainmast snapped in twain. Crashing to the storm-tossed waves, the new sea anchor pulled the dismasted wreck over, capsizing it and sending it finally to its watery grave.

At the same time, the sun, already low on the horizon, began to set, casting its own crimson shade to the waves, adding to the already blood-stained waters. With it, the wind began to lighten, causing the ocean to smooth out gradually into a flat, slightly rippled sheet of red. Tenevriel smiled softly to himself, resting on the platform of the ship's crow's nest. The forces of Sapience had beaten back the Kashari for the first time. The people of New Hope were saved from slavery. As The Rising Storm began to sail back to its fishing spot, Tenevriel's eyes caught, in the fading light, an explosion of blue off in the distance where The Black Sails had gone. He sighed softly to himself, the smile turning into an amused smirk as his eyes glowed crimson momentarily.

"...here we go again."