by Luka Petrov
“Edward,” Hamon said from the opposite side of the tent, seated at one of the tables that had on top of it a map and miniature figurines. “We would like a word with you over here.” I nodded and went over to where Balfomeir and Hamon were conversing.
They were engaged in a discussion and as I approached them, their voices silenced. I could not make out what they were saying before I arrived. “Ed, have a seat,” suggested Hamon. I pulled up a chair at the table, not sure what this conversation would be about. The last time I was this close to Balfomeir, he was trying to kill me.
“Edward,” stated Balfomeir as I took my seat.
“Greetings,” I replied. “It is lovely to see you again.” I said, knowing full well that I did not enjoy being in the presence of the hunch backed Eldritch Knight.
“I trust Walter, Yves, and Cecily are doing well,” he replied.
“They are, thank you for asking,” I answered coldly, surprised that he remembered their names.
“Very good,” he responded.
Hamon interrupted this conversation as it was awkward at best. “Now, Balfomeir brought me up to speed regarding the tension between you two. Ed, you must understand, Balfomeir is one of the most loyal people I know and when he was given orders to surrender you to the Demon Lord, that is what he had to do out of duty. Please understand that, it was nothing personal,” explained Hamon. “You’re going to have to let the animosity go. Are you able to do that?”
I paused for a moment. I had harbored such hard feelings toward Balfomeir yet respected his position and loyalty to King Harold. “I will,” I relented.
“Very good. Now, we have quite a task at hand,” began Hamon.
“Let me explain Ham,” interrupted Balfomeir. Ham? These two have nicknames for each other. What in the world? “The Demon Lord’s reinforcements are not coming as there is a storm rain out on the sea,” explained Balfomeir.
“I see,” I replied, not knowing where this was going.
“We have a chance to actually push the Demon Lord’s ships back for the first time,” added Balfomeir.
“So, are you asking for something? Because, I’m not getting where you’re going with all of this. Seems like you have everything under control,” I asked, confused if Balfomeir was just giving me a run-down of everything or if he needed my help.
“Ed! I told you to be nice,” admonished Hamon.
“I was,” I responded to Hamon.
Balfomeir interrupted the concerning exchange that Hamon and I had. “I would like the help of you and your group,” said Balfomeir, his eyes not able to focus on me, a sure sign that he had lost some of his vision, his nostrils flared as he spoke.
“Let me find out what my friends say,” I said as I got up from my chair and made my way over to the opposite side of the tent where Walter, Yves, and Cecily stood.
Giving them the update on what was being asked of us, Yves challenged, “Ed, you said that we were going to rescue Hamon and get him back to Draererth as soon as possible. Now we are going to stay in Arne and fight the Demon Lord? I don’t know about this?”
Cecily chimed in, “Ed, have you recovered from your last battle. Are you up for all of this?”
Before I could answer, Walter interjected, “Let’s do it!”
“What?” I asked, surprised at Walter’s internal fortitude. He must have lobsters on the brain. “You want us to fight alongside Balfomeir?”
“Yeah, let’s do it!” Walter repeated.
Yves and Cecily remained quiet, not supporting or negating Walter’s enthusiasm.
“My body is still hurt, and I am worn out,” I admitted. I gave it some thought. “I think I can recover enough. I think we should help.”
Balfomeir had come over to the group as we discussed and weighed our options. “I couldn’t help but listen in on your argument, I apologize for my manners. But Ed, I didn’t realize that you were not at full power. I will have someone heal you before we begin our attack on the ships.”
Chapter Twelve
Within no time, Hamon, my friends and I made it to the pier and were waiting for Balfomeir. Meanwhile, the Gilmore army had marched the streets of Arne and had cleared out the assassins. I was surprised to hear that notion as we stood waiting out on the pier waiting for Balfomeir to return.
“Hard to believe the Gilmore troops eradicated all of those elite assassins that Abraxas sent to infiltrate Arne,” Hamon said to me while we stood on the pier watching the sea as it roared, an indication of the storm that was offshore.
“Yeah, it is hard to believe,” I confirmed. “Perhaps when they found that you had left the cloister, they made a hasty retreat?”
“Perhaps?” Hamon replied. “How are you now that you had seen the healer that Balfomeir arranged?”
“I am much better, thank you,” I answered. “I am recovered enough to pull my weight.”
“Well, you know, I won’t be of much help,” stated Hamon. “I am not healed well enough yet, but I can advise you guys.” Hamon looked around the pier. “Where did Walter go?” Hamon asked.
I searched around several of the boats. The boats rocked as the sea churned, making the night all that more ominous. “Hey Ed! Look! Over here,” Walter’s voice came from the space between two boats. There Walter was, wedged between the two boats.
“Walter, what are you doing?” I asked.
“I arranged for us to take this cog. I talked to the captain of the vessel and he was fine with us using it,” explained Walter.
“I see,” I responded, surprised once again by his initiative. “What are you doing?” I asked.
“Well, I figured we should error on the side of caution, so I drew the runes over the boat,” said Walter. I admired his creativity. On the boat were runes inscribed over the entire boat, exactly like the magic circle he created to power the protective barrier over our structure back at Draererth. He had certainly come a long way in his abilities. “I believe there is a magic pool in Arne that we can use to power a shield around our cog,” added Walter.” Walter pried himself from being wedged between the two boats and asked, “Would you mind getting Yves and Cecily to help? I want to cover every inch of this boat in inscriptions. Also, while they’re doing that, I’m going to need you to draw shields all over the boat, so the spell knows that we want a protective shield.”
I was taken aback by the fact that I now took orders from Walter but realized that if we do come out of this alive, it will be because of him. I answered back, “Aye aye, captain,” as I saluted him and headed off to get Yves and Cecily.
Another hour had passed, and Yves and Cecily followed Walter’s lead as drew in the preliminary runes and the two girls filled in with the rest. After they went through on the ship, I came in and drew a shield sporadically all through the ship to ensure the spell would conjure a protective shield around the ship. The circles on the ship were carefully drawn as Walter went into a meditative state, inscribing with accuracy the very circles that we needed to ensure our safety.
We covered every inch of the ship that was above water. “Great work everyone,” commended Walter. “Now I will complete the main circle and we should be in business,” he announced. Walter took a moment to connect the circle, closing the it and completing the spell as he painted it on from the dock. Sure enough, the spell pulled the power from the magic pool in Arne and a transparent bluish shield enclosed the ship.
“Wow!” we said in unison, in complete awe of the magic that Walter conjured. The boat was a sight to see, as the shield provided a protective coating over the ship.
Hamon came over to Walter and patted him on the back, “Well done, Walter. Well done,” he said.
We watched from the dock as the bluish, transparent shield kept layering itself. The shield created layer after layer. Finally, the spell stopped conjuring and we were able to see the result, or not be able to see, because the shield was so thick, we could not see the ship within the infinitely layered shield. Walter smiled at his creation. “This is
just marvelous,” he muttered, taking pride in his accomplishment.
“Walter, the shield is so thick, we can’t even see the boat,” I shouted.
“Right! Isn’t that perfect,” he answered with a smile.
“You don’t think you went a little overboard,” I clarified.
“Nope!” Walter countered, admiring his creation. “Let’s climb aboard!” he said as he momentarily erased the paint that closed the magic circle to disengage the shield so we could embark on the ship. After we all climbed aboard, Walter bent over the side of the boat and reconnected the magic circle with his paint. Just like before, the shield encapsulated us aboard the ship. As it did the last time, the shield continued to layer itself, wrapping us in its protective coating over and over again. This vessel was going to be difficult to navigate as we would be the only crew aboard.
“We will have to paddle this cog out. Perhaps later on we could use the sails,” advised Walter. Each of us grabbed one of the oars down on the rowing deck. Hamon rested in the below deck, and we paddled two on each side.
As we paddled, I checked back at the dock to see if Balfomeir would be on his way with his troops. As I turned my head, I was relieved to see that troops filled the boats and paddled out into the harbor.
One of the boats caught up to us, and Balfomeir was at the helm. “Ed?” Balfomeir shouted from the upper deck of the carrack, a two-mast ship. “Ed are you in there?” he continued to shout. I was certain that he had a hard time making out what was inside the layered shield that floated on the water.
I shouted back, “Yes, Balfomeir, we are all in here.”
“Oh good! I was hoping that was the case. Now, you are strictly support and only help if you believe it will not hurt my troops, you hear?” Balfomeir instructed.
“Aye, aye,” I responded back, not missing a beat as I paddled my oar. I saw him salute me as his ship, which had many more men paddling passed by us.
We paddled and paddled, and within no time, we were met with the looming sails of the Demon Lord’s fleet. The eight ships blocked the entryway of the harbor, yet the roaring seas made them bobble like toys in a bathtub as they were having a rough time keeping their boats steady.
The ship that Balfomeir sailed drove right through the waves like a dolphin on the surface of the water leading our charge. We were meters behind them and the other ships that the troops paddled.
Unknowingly, a large explosion vibrated our vessel. “What was that?” I asked.
“I’m not sure,” replied Yves. “But I think we should go on the upper deck and find out.” I nodded as we all scurried up to the observation deck. There, we witnessed cannon ball after cannon ball launched right at our shielded ship.
“Thank goodness we have such a strong shield that we are not affected by the barrage of cannon balls,” I stated, mesmerized by the alternating explosions that came off each of the ships.
As I looked at the shield, I noticed it begin to flicker. When it flickered, the sky became clear and I could see the clouds that covered the night sky. Then the shield would reappear, casting a frosty overcoat over my vision above. “What is going on?” I turned to Walter and asked.
“I—I’m not sure,” he answered, looking at the oscillating shield as well.
Hamon answered my question, “Ed, this shield, as incredible as it is, cannot withstand this barrage of strikes. Under the strain of constant bombardment, the shield will not hold for much longer.” I did not like the sound of his advisement. Now, I needed to come up with a plan for what to do.
A thought for a moment while I became more concerned over the flickering shield that once held tight. Finally, it came to me! “Brilliant!” I muttered.
“What?” Hamon asked.
“Oh, didn’t mean to say that out loud,” I remarked. “It does turn out I have a brilliant idea!”
“You’re already labeling your idea brilliant?” Cecily asked. “We haven’t even seen if it will work yet.”
“Well, I thought of it, so it must be brilliant,” I reasoned. “It’s only logical.”
“All right, all right,” interjected Hamon. “Let’s hear your idea.”
“Very well. Walter?” I asked.
“Yes?” Walter replied.
“Are you able to inscribe another circle?” I asked.
“I’m sure I could, but it will not be as elaborate as this one,” he warned.
“That’s fine,” I assured. “This time, I will draw a curved shield.”
“A curved shield? What for?” Cecily asked.
I responded, “You’ll see.”
The shield that Walter initially had put around our boat had worn off just as Walter had finished completing the new magic circle. “There we are,” said Walter. “All done. The circles were drawn on the floor of the observation deck the ship. Not as fancy as the first set of circles, but enough to do the job.
“Great!” I commended, “and not a moment too soon.” I took the paint and drew in curved shields in between the runes. “There, it is ready to be connected,” I announced.
Walter nodded and painted the connection between the beginning and the ending of the circle, completing it. The ship vibrated as the shield engaged and snapped into life. Rather than completely encapsulate us, the shield curved outward, and it was not as thick as the first one that Walter made.
Snap. A sound of ionized air emitted from one of the ships in the Demon Lord’s fleet. That could only mean one thing. My suspicions were confirmed when I saw the red and orange fiery beams come barreling at our ship.
Demon Lord fleet cast Fireboat at Edward’s ship.
Now we would see if my idea was indeed brilliant. The beam of fire came right for our ship and as it appeared to hit, it ricocheted and turned in the opposite direction and hit the very vessel that sent it.
Edward’s vessel makes a successful Constitution save and sends the attack from the opponent back at them.
“Look who’s brilliant,” I muttered, offended that my fiends did not think that my idea was indeed, brilliant.
“We didn’t doubt you,” acknowledged Walter. “The curved shield was actually brilliant, however. Great plan!”
I rallied our group together. “All right, guys, no is our chance. We can cast our own magic and go from playing defense to now being on the offense.” My friends nodded and took their positions at the bow, Hamon took refuge at the stern.
Edward cast Firestorm at Burning Heathen.
Spell: Firestorm
School: Evocation
Skill Level: 5th-Level
Effect: A storm of fiery sheets surround the caster. As the storm surrounds the caster, the inferno increases in strength. Once it is unleashed on a target, the target is met with an explosion and ignites on fire, taking fire damage.
Edward sent the Firestorm spell at the target, Burning Heathen.
The rampaging inferno moved across the sea in a wall of flames that was directed right at the Burning Heathen, a fitting name of a boat for this spell. I watched the ship in the distance as a wave of seething lava-like energy barrel toward it.
Edward completed a successful spell attack. 18(+8). The Burning Heathen failed its saving throw.
The ship erupts in flames and roars of cries as the troops abandon their ship. The ship had caught fire and some of the crew had untied the iron armor the vessel had as extra protection, in an attempt to keep the ship afloat.
“That was some spell there Ed,” shouted Hamon from the stern of the ship. The ship that I had hit with Fire Storm had sunk as it burned to the sea.
We continued to watch from a distance as Balfomeir’s ship and the other troops’ ships arrived at the other ships, ready to menace the blockade.
I was preparing for my next spell, when I saw the entire crew on one of the ships that one of the troops were sailing abandoning ship. “What’s going on over there?” I shouted to the back of the boat at Hamon.
Hamon came up to the front to get a closer look. We watched for a mi
nute more as the crew dove into the water. Soldier after soldier jumped from where they stood and took to the water, rationalizing that the water was the safer option. “Appears that ship has been taken over,” he said. “I’m thinking it’s Belzberg, the Demon Lord’s general.
“I wish we could help,” I muttered as we watch the soldiers jump from the deck of the ship into the turbulent sea, removing their armor as a means to survive, so they could stay above the water and not be weighed down.
“What is Belzberg?” I asked.
“Well, I’m not really sure. All I know is that he is the Demon Lord’s right-hand man. Rumors have been swirling that Belzberg is actually a demon himself, but no one is actually certain,” explained Hamon. Hamon paused for a moment and then added, “If the troops are fleeing like that, where they would rather take the turbulence of the sea over being aboard a ship, I’d lay money that Belzberg is a demon.”
Black Beast fired a cannon at Edward’s ship. Edward’s ship make a successful saving throw and the cannon ball was sent back to its sender.
From the Nighthaunt, a sparkle in the fog illuminated.
“Look Ed! There’s Belzberg,” said Hamon.
The wings of the powerful entity spread, taking up what appeared to be half of the ship as the being stood in the middle. Another sparkle surged as a howl emerged from the slimy mouth in a fit of rage.
“What happened to the troops’ ship he was just on?” I asked.
“It must have sunk. I can’t see where it went in this darkness. Belzberg must have gone back to his vessel after sinking our ship,” explained Hamon.
The dark being took flight, its purple skin and ram horns were discernible from where we stood. As it circled us from above, it gave an ear-piecing howl. The demon continued to circle and as it came closer, I thought we were done for, but it dodged the curved shield and latched its paws around our mast, snapping it right off.