<br /><br />City Under Siege: Part 6b – The Battle Begins

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Friday, January 15

City Under Siege: Part 6b – The Battle Begins

After repulsing the attack on Freeport, the Captain’s Council demanded revenge. Emric Ossan-Drac, in his new role as Sea Lord, made his first declaration an act of war. Without delay, Freeport’s fleet set sail after the barbarians to hunt them down and punish them for daring to attack Freeport.

Admiral Rankin took charge of the situation, gathering a fleet of over fifty ships in just two hours. Captains Gordon, Roberts, Torian, and Varellion from the Council accompanied the fleet. Drak Scarbelly pledged two orc ships for the effort, including his own, the Bloody Vengeance.

Kham stood on the deck of his ship, the Divine Fury. The fastest of the fleet, they came upon the barbarian longships near sunset.

As dusk approached, a light fog spread out over the sea, reducing visibility. Through the vapor, the deep red disc of the sun hung low on the horizon. A half mile out, at the limit of vision through the haze, was the barbarian fleet. They began to turn to do battle.

“They are brave to meet their end in this way,” said Beldin. “We greatly outnumber them.”

“The seas will overflow with blood this night,” said Sebastian.

Sebastian took to the air. Beldin simply walked off the side of the deck. Held aloft by Cho Sun’s ring, he kept walking straight towards one of the longships.

“Prepare cannons!” shouted Kham.

“Preparing cannons!” responded his first mate. When they were ready, the first mate shouted. “Cannons ready!”

Sebastian’s tiny form was visible in the distance, raining flames down upon one of the ships. Beldin was sinking a longship with Cho Sun’s ring, a whirlpool churning beneath it.

“Fire!”

“Fire!” repeated the first mate.

The fusillade of cannonfire tore through another one of the longships. Against long-range fire, the barbarians were helpless. It was only a matter of time before they paid the ultimate price for their folly.

Sebastian and Beldin returned. “They must have been desperate indeed,” said Sebastian. “Victory is at hand.”

”Ships ahoy!” shouted the first mate.

Kham scanned the horizon, desperately looking for the new threat. At last he saw them. Moving quickly toward the Freeport ships was another fleet.

“Elorii warships,” said Kham. He recognized the sleek and fast ships.

“Reinforcements,” said Sebastian. “Finally, the orcs will see that the elorii are not their…” he looked up “…enemies.”

The sun, having risen in the morning sky, went out.

“ARROWS!” shouted Sebastian. “Get behind me!”

Thousands of arrows had been launched from the ships with perfect aim. They flew in a volley so thick that the sun itself was obscured. more