Dark was swinging hard and clashing with swords and shields, it was hard going and they weren’t making much headway even as more of their own men poured over the railings. These guys were tough.
“
Night! Loranda! On me!”
The two other girls formed on Dark.
“
Let’s cut our way through to the bridge! Loranda you use your bow to speed up the process!”
Nothing else was said, it was just a matter of hacking their way into them. Dark and Night would swing their swords from over their heads. The sailors would raise their shields in defense and Loranda would shoot low into their legs. Then Dark and Night would finish them off. It was proving to be effective and they started to make headway. Other boarders seeing Dark’s success began copying them and slowly but surely they managed to cut the numbers of the enemy down.
Reaching the bridge they cut through the defenders and she managed to get into a sword fight with the Captain. He was tougher and more skilled than the rest and even when he took an arrow in his thigh he did not flinch. Night got in on the act and still the Captain was able to parry their blows but it was only a matter of time. His arm got tired and he slowed a little. There was anger and desperation on his face but he refused to give up. Swinging hard he managed to cut Night’s sword arm and Night recoiled in pain and surprise.
Dark howled and drove in, swinging harder at the thought of Night being injured. For the Captain, it was too much and he wilted under the ferocity of that swinging blade. His last defensive block by his sword from an overhead swing proved too weak and Dark’s sword smashed into his helmet knocking him senseless. Turning, Dark walked to the edge of the bridge and screamed.
“
The ship is ours!”
There was still heavy fighting going on and the cry was more a ploy to take the fight out of the Isogorreans and it worked. They still fought on but most realized they were lost and the boarders were able to get the upper hand. It took another minute but for the enemy sailors it was becoming obvious it was a lost cause, most throwing down their weapons and standing still.
“
Lay down your arms and you will be spared!”
Dark was on a high. Loranda had been helping with some other archers firing down into the Isogorreans. The last of them gave up, they had lost their ship. The fishing boats hadn’t done it all on their own. The Man O War had surged forward after the initial attack and boarded a hundred of its own men too. Superior numbers had simply overwhelmed the enemy.
Across the bay it was a similar story. The first cruiser had been overwhelmed in a similar fashion. As for the flagship of Underlord Thanos, he had managed to set alight the Man O War they attacked. Even so it had managed to draw in with the cruiser to continue the battle and just as the others had been overwhelmed the Isogorrean flagship was too but not before Thanos ordered her scuttled. The ship settled slowly into the bay and sank. A multitude of gear floated free with Isogorreans and Kingdom men alike clinging to the flotsam. With both the Man O War and cruiser sunk, a small fleet of fishing vessels did their best to pick up the survivors.
Lord Raz had been busy with his part of the plan. With the ships fighting he and the other converted cargo ships made a beeline for the port entrance. They would cut off any retreating ships and he could see from the fighting going on the enemy Man O Wars had not entered the fight. He knew they would be trying to escape what was obviously a trap.
With the glow from the burning Man O War, he was able to make out the outlines of three Man O Wars trying to retreat but they were still deep in the bay. He had them. Lining up his own ships line astern at the only deep-water path into the bay, he only had to wait. As the three Man O Wars approached he gave the signal for all three ships to open fire with a salvo from the catapults.
Men on the ends of each ship called out orders using bullhorns, he wasn’t trying to burn the oncoming ships but show them his position and that they were cut off. Hopefully one or more would give up the fight and he could take a couple of ships as prizes.
Two dozen pots sailed into the air displaying themselves to the enemy and as they did the moon broke through the cloud. It revealed a panorama of scenes being played out across the bay, a ship on fire and others fighting madly.
The four Man O Wars split into pairs. One pair went south towards the marshes and the other two simply did a u-turn and headed back into the bay. Raz didn’t move, the enemy ships had nowhere to go. He watched on with interest as the two heading south started to turn ocean wards. Couldn’t they see the shallow waters? There was surf of sorts in front of them, surely they could see it?
The two Man O Wars drove straight onto the shallow reefs and all the men on deck watched as they could hear the groaning and splintering of wood. They were tearing their keels out on the reef trying to escape. The main mast of one collapsed and they could see the ship roll and settle. There were no long boats being lowered but the onlookers couldn’t have known they had all been used to send men to the cliffs. The remainder of the crew were jumping into the ocean. Those that survived would have to be picked up later.
Raz looked back at the other two Man O Wars, they would have to have seen what happened to their comrades. It was about ten minutes later he saw them drop their sails and a white flag raised, it was over. A number of fishing craft approached the surrendering Man O Wars and as they approached Raz noticed one was settling deeper into the water. Dammit, they had scuttled it.
Well they had lost one ship and gained three, so a net gain of two for the night’s work, not bad for defending his Port. It was time to head back to shore. Ordering the Captains to return to their regular patrols, he jumped on a waiting long boat and headed back to town.
Upon reaching the jetty his adjutant was waiting for him.
“
So brief me on what happened on the cliff, was it a success?”
The adjutant had a broad smile on his face.
“
It was a total success my Lord and we only took one casualty.”
Raz was surprised.
“
Why that’s great news! That’s wonderful to hear! But only one casualty? Did I know the man?”
“
I understand his name is Justin sir.”
Justin? Could it be?
“
Is he alive or dead? Tell me man.”
“
I cannot say my Lord, I do believe the wound is probably mortal. They have taken him to the infirmary but beyond that I do not know.”
“
Is there a woman with him?
The adjutant nodded in the affirmative. It would have to be Keera.
“
Send Dark to me the second she arrives.”
Raz stalked off to the hall, he didn’t like to be the bearer of bad news.
It was a half hour before Dark, Night and Loranda arrived. They were all full of good cheer when they entered, swapping tales of bravery and luck. When they turned to greet Raz they all fell silent, Raz was sitting quietly with a grim look on his face. Dark was the first to speak.
“
What news?” she asked tentatively.
“
I believe Justin has been seriously wounded, you will find him in the infirmary.”
They all immediately turned and made their way out the door. Night nodded to Raz in acknowledgment, he returned the nod and once they were gone let out a big sigh.
At the infirmary the three women walked in to find the doctor coming out of a room.
“
I am Dark and this is Nightwing and Loranda. You have a man here who is grievously wounded?”
The doctor nodded.
“
Yes we have just removed a bolt from his chest and we have managed to stop much of the bleeding, but for now his life is in the laps of the gods.”
“
Can we go in?”
“
One of you may, right now he is a little conscious, but I don’t want him to lose focus. He is fighting hard so if you could keep it short that would be good.”
Dark nodded and turned to the others before walking in. Inside the room Keera was sitting by Justin’s bed holding his hand. Keera looked up and almost cried. Tears were on her face. Dark moved over to her, eyes traveling over Justin’s form on the bed, then she knelt down and gave Keera a hug.
“
I don’t want to lose him, I have been such a fool.”
Dark didn’t say anything. There was no need.
“
It's only now I am realizing just how important he is to me.”
Keera’s tears flowed again and all Dark could do to console her was hold her and be there.
“
Tell me he will be fine.”
Dark looked into Keera’s eyes seeing the pain and feeling it too.
“
He is a strong young man, I am sure he will pull through.”
Dark looked at him closely now. His closed eyes had dark shadows under them and he was very pale. His shallow breathing didn’t sound good either. She had been at bedside vigils before and she understood the next few hours would be crucial. Holding Keera close she decided to take her mind off of this immediate scene.
“
Tell me what happened Keera.”
Keera wiped her nose on her sleeve collecting her thoughts.
“
We had just finished dealing with the climbers on the cliff and Justin was leaning out looking for any last survivors. We had missed one altogether and he had managed to get a shot off that caught Justin unawares. There was nothing we could do, it just happened. I just feel like there should have been something we could have done.”
“
Keera sometimes things just happen in spite of all the preparations and all the safeguards you put in place. Sometimes bad things happen.”
“
Justin maybe dying is something that just happens? How can you say that?”
Keera started becoming aggressive.
“
Keera please, I’m trying to help, I mean no disrespect.”
“
Please leave.”
Keera looked at Dark sternly. Dark nodded and made her way out the door and went to Night and Loranda sitting outside.
“
How is Justin?”
“
He is weak and badly wounded. I hold great fear for him. I think we all need to pray for him tonight.”
Night nodded and Loranda looked on with a worried look. Dark had a troubled look as well but Night knew there was something more.
“
What is it Dark?”
She looked up.
“
Keera is taking it badly and while I hope for all the world he makes it, I am worried what affect it will have on her if he doesn’t.”
For the rest of the night they spent it in silent prayer as they waited. There was no sleep for them and by morning they were all looking worse for wear.
It was about an hour after dawn when Keera came out. She looked at them all as they studied her. She stood there with no emotion at all.
“
He is dead.”
Keera turned and walked out. The room was in a state of shock, they hadn’t really believed he would die. The young boy they had all known, a simple good natured soul from a farm, nurtured by Wollfen and helped to embrace life again was gone.
Dark bowed her head and cried quietly, her hands sitting limply in her lap. Night sitting next to her, she too had tears on her face. Loranda sat at the table stabbing it and twisting splinters out with her dagger.
It had been two weeks since a scout boat had returned to Port Cholandra bringing news of a deep water Port six days south of them. Now Underlord Eunades at the head of his own fleet south of Port Valderus was listening to the latest report from his own scout. A deep water Port with many Isogorrean ships pressed into service of the Kingdom.
Thanos was a fool, sent on a minor raid to a fishing town and he had managed to lose his entire fleet. Eunades wouldn’t make the same mistake. This time he was going to be raiding in daylight after making sure of what his enemy had.
With a fleet of thirty ships under his command he was going to hit them hard and destroy them all. There were only nine combat ships in the harbor in total and he had every intention of sinking everything. Then and only then would he focus on the town. At dawn they would go in and launch a full attack.
That evening he spent his time going over their plan of attack with all his captains, he wanted to make sure there was no confusion and no mistakes. Final preparations were dealt with and he dismissed the Captains then retired for the night.
Dawn came and his ships approached the harbor, the refreshed Eunades could see a few of the Kingdom vessels had slipped out during the night. It didn’t matter, he knew he had an overwhelming force at his disposal, but it did mean he had to change his plans a little.
“
Send the order that only twelve warships are to enter the bay and sink everything that floats. Of the twelve have two of the ships set targets alight on the shore.”