***
Andreas and Nicholas were running away from the flames as others were running toward the ships that were on fire. They had struck at the designated time and were now making their way to where the Deep Sea Warrior was moored. In the confusion no one bothered to query who they were or why they were there. The fire had been contained for a time until the wind had got up and fanned the flames, sending burning ash from sail to sail and igniting the other ships.
Andreas and Nicholas reached their second objective to find as they had expected it was unguarded. The two guards, who had been watching it, had left to try to put out the fire. Without hesitation Andreas pulled off the moorings and then he and Nicholas jumped on board, they lifted the hatch and slid into the boat. Each took up a position, Andreas steered while Nicholas urged the peddles to move faster, one of the rotary blades began gradually began to spin driving the vessel slowly forward. Andreas took off his belt and tied the wheel into position so he could peddle too. The vessel lurched forward its speed increasing but not by much.
“At this rate we’ll be out of the harbour by next year,” cried Andreas frustrated by their slow progress.
“Have you got any better ideas, what does that lever do?” Nicholas pulled down on the lever.
To his horror the vessel began to submerge.
“Ah! We’re sinking, we’re sinking,” he shouted.
“I can see that when we drown you'll be sure to tell me, push the lever back up,” cried Andreas.
Nicholas returned the lever to its original position and the vessel began to surface.
“Try not to touch anything,” said Andreas sharply.
He was beginning to get flustered by the confined space. Once they had left the entrance to the harbour, Andreas adjusted the wheel and the vessel made its way grudgingly, hesitantly, over to the small quiet cove. It took them some time to navigate the straits. Just as they thought they were making progress the tide would take them and push them back; a lengthy struggle ensued which they eventually won, edging their way round to the cove they desperately tried not to be buffeted against the rocks. As the vessel approached the shore, Nicholas opened the hatch and waved Nishga and Achil forward. The two swam out to meet them and clambered aboard. They found their new environment strange though the seating was comfortable enough.
“The harbour area is aflame. Their fleet is going to have to be rebuilt, how did you two get on?” asked Andreas with a broad smile on his face.
“'Guild House' has been utterly destroyed,” said Achil. “But we had nothing to do with it. We were prevented from completing our task by another Group sent out by Agoran. They were the ones incidentally that returned to us the Orb, they say Est is working for Jin and that she's alive and it was her who killed Ventrigar.”
“Really how can that be, Est a spy, could the people you saw have been mistaken, and if you didn't destroy Guild house then who did?” interrupted Nicholas.
“Est fooled us all, as for our people they were disguised as Merchants like us, but they've been here for a lot longer,” said Achil. “They must have been one of the earliest groups sent out to spy on the Imperium. And the reason why they tried to stop us was because some of the Merchant Guilds had lost all interest in warring and wanted to concentrate on trading, there’s richer pickings elsewhere; but as for who dealt with the Guilders that's anyones guess.”
“Strange our missions been accomplished and yet we had nothing to do with it. It feels like we came all this way for nothing,” said Nicholas, a little perplexed.
“No, from all the information that was available to us at the time, meant that, what we did had to be done; if not by us then by someone else. The thing is this, the other group from Findolin may have stopped us, but they couldn’t stop the ruin of 'Guild house'. And its destruction could just as easily have been done by another unit sent out by Agoran. It would have been foolish not to have others trying to carry out the same task as ours, so that if we had failed, the others might succeed. We also know that Telallamain is a rogue, so I think he'll now take full advantage of the chaos. Also that ampoule he gave us was quite literally a smokescreen, if it wasn't for the intervention of our friends we would probably not be alive today, so if he did destroy 'Guild House' perhaps our deaths would have served the purposes of tying up loose ends. After all he wouldn't have wanted any connection to the incident. At least one thing is for sure, with the destruction of the Merchant Houses and the loss of the Imperial fleet the Mandrake's imperial machinations should be set back apace.”
“You hope,” muttered Nishga.
The four of them fell silent; Nishga sat back in her chair while Achil began to peddle as best he could. The other rotary blade began to slowly turn as he did so. The vessel began to accelerate. Looking around the unusual boat, she began opening one of the small side cabinets, where she found a pictographic journal of how the boat worked.
“Did you two know,” said Nishga. “That this vessel makes better speed under water than on the surface.”
“What do you mean?" replied Andreas. “They’ve actually built something that is meant to sink.”
“Yes watch,” said Nishga reaching out and pushing down the same lever that Nicholas had pressed before. The vessel began to submerge to the horror of the others. Soon they were beneath the waves, the Deep Sea Warrior levelled off and smoothly sped along. The sights before them were something no one had ever seen before. Nishga read the manual further.
“Ah!” she said.
“What’s that supposed to mean,” said Achil, clutching at his collar as the vessel had become uncomfortably stuffy.
“Apparently we need to turn these handles up here to release air into the boat, otherwise we’ll all suffocate,” said Nishga.
Turning the small handles, a whishing sound momentarily filled the entire boat as air was released. The four felt the air brush against them, as the close environment gradually became more bearable. The journal in Nishga’s hands showed that there were large tanks filled with air and ballast, hidden beneath compartments which maintained the vessels stability enabling it to rise and sink beneath the waves and also enabling the occupants to breath. It was truly a marvel of engineering. Something else occurred which was also extraordinary as they peddled, little bulbs of glass with small metal filaments began to light up. They were littered along the side panels next to the many levers. Nishga drew out her crystal and illuminated the vessel further. The four looked at each other, first Andreas, then Nicholas, followed by Nishga and finally Achil began to laugh spontaneously. Something unexpected had occurred; they were finally on their way home.
Achil & The Kingdom of Jin Page 30