by R C Gray
Faine awoke early the next morning, half-naked and lying face down on his mattress, a knocking sound beating in his ears. Raising his head slightly, he looked around the room, keeping his eyes nearly shut to try to block out the overly bright sunlight that poured through his window. Not seeing or hearing anything threatening, he buried his face back into the mattress, hoping it was still early enough to get a few more hours of sleep before he would have to drag himself out of bed.
In the hallway, Renna stood with her arms crossed, the sound of snoring drifting from the room. Banging harder on the door, she pushed it open, putting all her weight behind it to move Braig out of the way as he snored loudly on the floor.
“Gods, Faine. Put your pants on!” Renna said as she covered his lower half. “I don’t know what you three got into last night, but you need to get up. The ship’s leaving soon.”
Faine moaned slightly, his lips moving just enough to form words. “Wisps. Like little balls of angry fire.”
“Where... where’s Skara?” Renna said as she glanced around the room, not seeing signs of him anywhere. Grabbing Faine roughly by the shoulders, she began shaking him, bouncing his body up and down. “Faine! Wake up. Where’s Skara?”
Opening his eyes, he looked around groggily. “What? Did you check in the chest at the end of the bed?”
“No.”
“Then check in the chest, woman.”
Opening the chest at the end of the bed, Renna saw Skara curled up inside, bits of mud stuck to his face. “We don’t have time for this.” Grabbing a pitcher of water, Renna poured it on each of their faces, rousing them from their drunken slumber.
“Agh! By the stone,” Braig said, sitting upright and wiping the water off his face. “Are ya tryin’ to drown me?”
“All three of you get up. Grab your shit and get down to the ship before it leaves without us.”
Faine stood up and stretched, the sheet falling off his waist. “And put on some damn pants!” Renna said, opening the door. “Make it fast. If you’re not on the boat in fifteen minutes, I’ll tell them to leave without you.”
Standing on the deck of the ship, Renna watched as Faine, Skara, and Braig barreled down the hill, breathing heavy as they hurried aboard. Their clothes were wrinkled and covered in mud, and Faine’s pants looked as if they had been set on fire at some point throughout the night.
Leaning over and gagging slightly, the three gasped for breath as the crew laughed and lifted the gangplank.
“Just made it,” Lorsan said as she gripped the helm. Craning her neck, her amused smile fell from her face as she moved back and forth, running towards the side of the ship. “Get those sails raised! On the double!”
Men and women scurried over the deck, moving as fast as they could to raise the anchor and move away from the docks to reach open water.
“What’s going on?” Faine said as he followed Lorsan’s gaze.
In the distance, he could see large white sails accented in gold over a dark brown ship, sun glinting brightly off the speartip at the end of the bowsprit.
“It’s the Sun Spear!” Renna said, moving out of the ship’s line of sight. “Captain, what should we do?”
Spinning the helm, Lorsan began shouting for Cabri to take her post and to put her back into it. “We run, Renna. With all our cargo, there’s nowhere big enough for all of you to go. Whether they see you or they don’t, they’ll search the ship and put us all in the brig.”
“But won’t they do that anyway if you run?”
“If we run and they follow, we can try to find a place to stow our goods or say we didn’t see the Egara banner and fled for our safety against an unknown ship. Or, one of us won’t make it out of the Boiling Sea. All hands on deck! Ready the ballista!”
A loud ‘harou’ sounded from each of the crew as they pried open crates, revealing several boxes of fire-bombs. Stacks of harpoons wrapped in thick canvas cloth were carried out of the captain’s quarters and set near the masts. Flipping open a large hatch on the prow, several sailors heaved at two heavy ropes attached to pullies on two long posts. Rising from below deck, a ballista was locked into place on the bow with thick metal pins.
“Cabri, give it all you’ve got and keep us ahead of them—and if you can manage it, throw some wind in their direction to keep ‘em off us for a bit. If they broadside us, that spear’ll sink us. And get the whistle ready. Let’s show ‘em why they call this ship the Banshee.” Lorsan said, guiding them safely out of the port.
Feeling a sudden jerk of movement, the sails billowed outward as the sharp keel cut through the rippling waves, keeping the ship just a short distance ahead of the Sun Spear.
“How is it moving so fast?” Faine said, stumbling up the stairs towards the helm.
“More sails to catch the wind. And I’m sure they have a mage or two on board. Now get down on the deck and help ready the harpoons. When they’re loaded, tie a fire-bomb on tight to the tip. That goes for all of you. And don’t drop one, or you could set us all on fire.”
Rushing down the stairs, Faine reached for a coil of rope, pulled out a dagger, and handed it to Skara. “Cut it into lengths and separate the strands. Keep them straight and pile them up. When the harpoon is loaded, someone hand me a fire-bomb and a strand of rope, and I’ll tie it on. But first, I’ll go grab our weapons. I have a feeling we’re gonna need ‘em.”
Watching as several of the crew set out longbows, Renna armed herself and stood close to the mainmast, setting her arrows in a line in the crook of a sturdy crate, steadying herself as the ship gained speed. The wind around her seemed to crackle with energy as she leaned closer to the railing, peering out over the water at the Sun Spear. Arcs of lightning sprang from the end of the speartip mounted on the bowsprit, spanning out like glowing tendrils across the water, growing closer to their ship.
Following Renna’s gaze, Lorsan glanced over her shoulder at the Sun Spear, a scowl crossing her face. “Steady on,” she shouted, adjusting the helm. “Make yourselves ready. Cabri, give us another push. We’re almost there.”
The ship creaked and shuddered as a burst of wind caught the sails, forcing the crew to hold onto something or risk falling overboard as they were thrust forward away from the shores of Solis, moving swiftly to the southeast around the coastline towards the Boiling Sea, crossing between the chain of rocky islands known as Kralorn’s Maw.
Strapping his belt around his waist, Skara knelt down on the deck, gathered his bundle of rope, and ran to the prow. Stopping short of the ballista to squeeze himself between two crates, his eyes went wide as a looming grey haze twisted and writhed like a great beast floating on the water stretched out before the bow. The water churned and bubbled beneath them as a thick blanket of fog hung heavy in the air, nearly as wide and tall as the coast they had just fled.
Turning the Banshee headlong into the wall of mist, the ship faded from view, swallowed whole into the silver unknown. The dense fog swirled around them as bubbles of air rose from broken ridges deep beneath the water, popping and steaming as they reached the surface.
Riding through the mist for nearly an hour, the crew could hear the buzz of electricity or see the glowing arc of a fireball from the Sun Spear burning out as it hit the water around them. Barely keeping themselves at a safe distance, Lorsan motioned for Cabri to return to the main deck.
“Are you alright, girl?” Lorsan said, turning the helm hard to starboard, wheeling the Banshee in a hard loop to face their bow towards the broadside of the approaching ship.
Exhaustion clear on her face, Cabri nodded and knelt down on the deck, taking a long drink from the ladle of water one the crewmen brought her. “I’ll be fine. I just need to catch my breath, is all.”
Lorsan nodded as the ship bobbed in the water, quiet and still, waiting to see the crackling lightning through the thick fog. “Take a moment, but be ready to sound the whistle and get us out of range of the harpoons.” Stepping away from the helm, she put her hand on Cabri’s shoulder and looked out over
the crew. “This is it. We can’t outrun them any longer, and only one of us is going to make it out of here. I hoped we wouldn’t be in this position, but here we are. We’ve all been through this before, and you know what to do. Hit hard and fast and move before they can hit us. No mercy. If we get boarded, fight for your lives and your family, or you’ll leave nothing behind but widows and little bastards. Now, are you ready for some bloodshed?”
The crew let out a ‘harou’ and took their positions on the ship, manning the longbows and the ballista. Laying out several harpoons, Faine began tying fire-bombs onto the tips, being careful not to break any in the process.
Setting down the stack of rope strands, Skara crouched down next to Braig and Faine, his brow slightly furrowed. “You think we’ll make it out of this?”
“I think we will,” Faine said. “I don’t think this is where we’re supposed to die.”
Strapping his shield tighter to his arm, Braig raised his eyebrow. “Thought you didn’t believe in fate.”
Faine shrugged. “I don’t. But I don’t think we’re supposed to die anywhere. It just happens. But I trust Lorsan and the crew to take of the ship, and I trust all of us to fight for each other.”
“And it’s about time. This ship’s been followin’ us for too long. I say we just ram ‘em and be done with it,” Braig said as he stood and moved to the prow, staring off into the emptiness, watching for any signs of movement.
Skara shook his head and looked over at Renna as she stood with her head down, an arrow nocked and ready. Her dark hair hung loose, falling around her pale green face. “And if they do manage to board?”
Faine tied on another fire-bomb and glanced over at Renna. “We don’t let them take us—and we don’t let them take Renna. She wouldn’t make it back to Ethilios in one piece. Whoever’s on that ship would tear her apart. We do what we have to do to make sure that doesn’t happen. You understand what I’m telling you?”
“I think so.”
“When the fighting starts, we stay together.”
A sharp buzz cut through the air as flashes of electric-blue light reflected on the mist around them. Waves of fire and sparks erupted from the deck of the Sun Spear as the mages fired blindly into the dense fog. The sails billowed as gusts of wind pushed the ship onwards, briefly clearing a path before the gloom of the Boiling sea rushed in, obscuring their sight.
Faine handed a harpoon to the crewman, keeping low as the Sun Spear pulled broadside to the Banshee.
“Now, Cabri,” Lorsan said. “Sound the whistle.”
A burst of wind blew across the deck and through the whistle near the crow’s nest. A loud, shrill cry that sounded like the dreadful, soul-wrenching wails of a banshee pierced the silver veil and cut across the waves. Skara covered his ears against the shriek, briefly remembering several long nights he had back in Banrielle listening to those howls from deep in the forest.
Rubbing at his ears, he heard the soft thrum of the ballista as one of the crew fired a harpoon towards the Sun Spear. Flames erupted on the side of the ship, spreading up onto the main deck before being quickly extinguished by one of Duelm’s mages.
“Get us moving and drop the metal lines!” Lorsan shouted, turning the helm hard to starboard.
Drawing on the magic in the air around her, Cabri broadened her gust of wind, filling the sails as the ship lurched forward, creaking under the sudden force. Boxes slid across the deck as Lorsan angled the Banshee away from the Sun Spear, trying to disappear into the mist around them.
Firing arrow after arrow, Renna picked off several of the crew, keeping out of sight to avoid being hit by any projectiles heading in her direction. Fireballs roared past the ship, deflected by the fierce wind that swirled around the Banshee. Electricity crackled around them as it struck long metal poles attached to the railing across the deck, each with lines running down into the water, diverting the lightning away from the ship or crew.
The Banshee turned and heaved, pulling away as it glided deeper into the mist, trying to outrun their pursuers. Shouting rang out across the water as the Sun Spear kept pace with the ship, running parallel beside them, firing arrows and spears across the expanse. The piercing wail sounded in the silver veil once again, and the wind began to falter.
“Cabri, get us the hell outta here!” Lorsan said as she looked over the helm onto the deck.
Cabri sat hunched over, her hand over her stomach, plucking at an arrow lodged deep inside her. Blood trickled from her mouth as she looked back up at the captain, panic spreading across her face.
Letting go of the helm, Lorsan ran for the stairs, narrowly dodging the arrows that sped across the deck.
“Everyone down!” Braig said, grabbing Skara as he held up his shield.
Slicing through the fog on their port side, a giant harpoon attached to a thick rope bolted towards their ship, ripping through the edge of the sail as it flew to starboard, narrowly missing the center of the mast.
Running over next to Cabri, Lorsan took her in her arms, pressing her hand over the wound. “Cabri! Wake up, girl. We have to go. We can’t make it out of here without you.”
The Banshee turned and shook as the rope attached to the harpoon was reeled in, getting tangled up in the sail and riggings as the Sun Spear pulled itself closer.
“The bastards are pullin’ us in,” Faine said as he ran towards the mast. “We have to cut the line. Skara, I need your help.”
Curling his fingers together, Faine lowered his hands towards the deck and nodded up towards the rope. “I’ll boost you up, but you have to catch the line and cut it.”
Taking a few deep breaths, Skara gripped the hilt of one of his daggers and glance around the deck. Crewmen with swords and shields stood around Cabri and Lorsan while others loosed arrows and harpoons, or launched fire-bombs at the Sun Spear.
“Now, Skara! Before they pull us in or break the mast.”
Dashing towards Faine, he stuck his foot in the palms of his hands and was thrown upwards, his fingers gripping the water-soaked line. Pulling himself up onto the tangled of ropes, he tried to cut the harpoon free, sawing at the strands until his blade struck metal.
“It won’t cut. There’s a solid line twisted into the rope,” Skara said as he clung to the jumble of ropes hanging from the yardarm, pulling out enough slack to lower himself close enough to the deck to drop.
“Make yourselves ready,” Faine said as he drew his sword. “It’s about to get rough.”
Keeping her hand over Cabri’s wound, Lorsan glanced up, speaking to any of the crew that could hear her. “We have to get her inside and wrap her wounds. Seraph,” she said, looking up at the sky, “don’t take her. Not yet.”
Pushing through the crew, Braig crouched down next to Renna, his mind turning in circles. “I have to help her, or we might not make it out of here—even if we sink the Sun Spear. I don’t want to be stuck out here to die in the mists. There’re things under the water here that I’d rather not see.”
“And what can you do? The arrow is deep.”
“I have a potion Ferhani gave me. If it works like she said it does, it’ll save her.”
Loosing an arrow, Renna ducked behind a crate and glanced over at Braig, lowering her voice. “And what if we need it?”
“Are you sayin’ we just let her die?”
Renna sat silent, fumbling to nock an arrow as thoughts raced through her head. “No. They have mages on their ship. We’re no match without her.”
Nodding, Braig pulled the potion from his pouch and pushed his way through the small crowd, staying behind his shield as he ran. Kneeling down, he put his hand on Cabri’s arm. “I have something here that’ll help, but I have to get the arrow out. You need to brace yourself because this is going to hurt. Are you ready?”
Cabri nodded weakly as he pulled her body up into a sitting position. Snapping off the shaft near the fletching, he wrapped a strip of cloth over the feathers and put it into her mouth. “Bite down on this. And you,” he s
aid, glancing at Lorsan, “hold her here. Keep her close.”
Putting his hand on the arrow shaft, he gave it a hard push, shoving it through her abdomen and out her back. A grunt of pain gurgled up from Cabri’s throat as tears poured down her cheeks. Putting his hands around the point of the shaft, Braig pulled it through her body, dropping it onto the deck in a pool of blood.
“Here, drink this,” he said, pouring the potion into her mouth. “This’ll hurt a bit. I’ve heard it feels like your blood is burning, but it’ll close your wounds. Until then, get her out of sight.”
Several of the crew hoisted Cabri and took her to the captain’s quarters, keeping low as the Sun Spear grew closer, reeling in the line as it rushed towards them.
Wiping the blood off her face, Lorsan stood up and sprinted up the stairs to take the helm. “Brace for impact and prepare to be boarded.”
Turning the wheel, she angled the bow towards the approaching ship, protecting the Banshee’s broadside from the spear-tipped bowsprit. “Aim for the deck! Aim for the crew!”
Harpoons hammered the Sun Spear, charring the timbers black as bolt after bolt ignited the flammable liquid before mages drew water up in a wave onto the deck, washing the liquid into the ocean to burn on top of the rippling waters.
Streaks of energy shot across the small gap between the ships, knocking two crewmen off the deck of the Banshee, sending the rest scurrying for cover. The harpoon line pulled tight as the soldiers formed a line behind Duelm, ready to rush onto the Banshee when the ships collided.
Looking pale and gaunt, Cabri stumbled out of the captain’s quarters, sending out a burst of energy that sent the crew of the Sun Spear sprawling onto their backs to slide across the deck.
“Go now!” Cabri said just as the two ships collided, the port and starboard sides of the vessels scraping together, the spear on the bowsprit narrowly missing the Banshee’s hull.
Leaping just as the ships crashed together, Braig landed on the Sun Spear and sprinted towards Duelm, striking down at the man before he was able to get back to his feet.
Rolling out of the way, Duelm threw a bundle of rope at the dwarf, knocking him off balance and giving him enough time to stand. “I have orders to take you back alive, dwarf. But they never said unscathed.”