We had picked up the denizens of the Isle of Little Foxes and had gone out to check for the slavers that frequented the area. Apparently, we had no such luck. We decided to return to the Sru Vijaya via more circuitous route. After avoiding a few patrols, we directed the other ships to the Isle with Raging Snowstorm. We then proceeded to the Neck to investigate the disappearance of the Ocean Father's God-blooded son. Snowstorm promised to follow in the Velvet Glove.
Things did not go as planned.
En route to Solid Shell, we heard booming noises. They were the unmistakable sound of Essence Cannons... very large Essence Cannons. I leaped up to the crows nest with Akira on my shoulder as a parrot and looked in the direction of the sounds.
Steering towards the source of the cacophony, we spied a strange fog bank. It seemed to be moving away from the range of the Essence Cannons. Akira let out a squawk and in our minds her voice said one word: "Eristrufa"
These fog demons were common in the West but their behavior was quite... odd. It appears that they were being guided and covering something. And then it all clicked into place. Lintha.
I relayed my suspicions to Naar and Drifter. They responded by alerting the men in the ship and steering into the fog. The mortals soon started having hallucinations and Naar ordered them in. We heard battle chanting off in the distance. Drifter reduced speed.
Suddenly, the fog bank split. Revealed were five large Lintha ships and a seemingly intact First Age Indomitable Dawning Sun Battlecruiser. None of these seemed to be powered under sail. And the currents showing above hinted at what was underneath. We had a battle on our hands.
I gave a quick mental warning to Akira and Naar and quickly centered myself. I felt the Essence flowing through me as the magic of my Charms prepared my body for the coming trial. I then kicked off and made a swan dive towards the water. I felt rather than saw Akira take off from my shoulder and transform into her current favorite aquatic form. From the corner of my eye, I saw a flitting shape in the air which looked like it had wings.
I didn't think much of it as I split the water evenly with my dive. And then I saw them. Five huge infernal worms. The largest of which looked more like a behemoth than a worm.We were then joined by a unit of Lintha mutants. I decided we needed help.
I pulled out the prayer strip given to me and bit my finger. I rubbed the blood on it and said the prayer inscribed on the strip in Old Realm. The strip twitched. I released it.
The prayer strip dissolved into blood which spread around the water and temporarily fogged my vision. I swam out of the blood and with me were five enormous War Sharks.
The lead one spoke to me in Old Realm. "Knife of the Ocean?" it asked.
I nodded.
"Our prey?" it asked again.
I pointed in the direction of the Infernal Worms and the Lintha.
With a roar audible even underwater the Children of Siakal sped towards their prey. I snagged the dorsal fin of one of them to join in on the slaughter. I told Akira "I'll handle this!" and indeed she went back up the Arc.
The Sharks and I managed to drive off one of the Worms and kill the so-called Black Whaler, the behemoth that dragged the Battlecruiser. They also ate whole the underwater units of the Lintha.
However, the battle above was not going well as Drifter kept me updated using our mental links. They managed to beat back the main commander's unit but the Terrestrial himself was unharmed. Small units of archers and Auzhian wielding maniacs were focusing on Naar.
The flying thing I noticed happened to be another Exalt. He looked like a citizen of Coral and he helped beat back the Lintha. We'd deal with him later.
Peleps Nuada noticed that Naar was bleeding from a multitude of injuries. Drifter told me he shoved Naar in the cabin and took over the Tiger Warriors. I asked the lead War Shark to take me above and finish off the other worms.
Nuada was hard pressed and passed leadership of the unit to me when I arrived to help. We pushed back the other units and drove one overboard to their deaths in the maws of the War Sharks.
We managed to wound their leader while Akira managed to use sorcery to tie up their archers and seeing the tides of the battle turning, the Terrestrial used sorcery to escape.
We rounded up the rest of the Lintha that were not able to flee underwater. I asked Drifter and Akira to check on Naar and while they were away I sacrificed the remaining Lintha to Siakal.
The War Sharks were only too happy to oblidge carrying the offering to her - in little bloody pieces, I might add.
While Drifter and Akira tended to the wounded Naar, I sent some men to the other Battlecruiser and Nuada, despite his injuries went with them. It was smaller than the Arc of First Light but I will claim it for my own.
The other formerly flying Exalt was looking at me. I wonder what to do with him. I motioned him towards the cabins and the conference room.
Naar and Nuada heavily injured, Snowstorm not answering the mental summons, damage to the lower sections of the hull in the Arc, a powerful Terrestrial Sorcerer among the Lintha who likely will be returning to plaugue us, this mystererious Exalt, the Ocean Father's request, and this place... Kerekis, where the sounds of enormous Essence Cannons emanated from... we have our work cut out for us.
Drifter and I had completely forgotten about Kerekis. It's a huge volcano, albeit an extinct one. Stranger still, it seems the cannons fired from the area. Also, it seems in a straight line from Skullstone and Prodigal Lava Brother's Volcano.
Visiting Naar, I saw him asleep. His body was healing quickly but it would still be a while before he was at peak condition. Strangely enough, a small smile lit up his face. It was as if he won a bet and it was funny.
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