Wild Orchid: Chapter 2

Iyani stretched and leaned back against the mast of the Wild Orchid. She had returned hours ago and had immediately begun work on the ship. The work was fast and after only a few hours she had returned the sail to working order. Sinta had dropped by for a moment or two earlier just to drop off the rune stones and headed back into town. He was absolutely tenacious in his studies every time they hit port and rarely took time to have fun. Iyani figured that’s probably why he was so good. All that work just made him a little stuffy at time. Iyani couldn’t really say she was much different. If she wasn’t working on her weapons she was working on the ship. It was an obsession with her and she spent nearly every waking moment working on the ship, tweaking its systems and taking care of the machines that assisted the rune stones in working. She had finished all the repairs on the ship and had even stopped for a while to work on her rune gun. Powered by a small generation four rune stone it packed enough punch to be effective the few times that she did find herself fighting. Which was really quite inevitable the amount of people that the Wild Orchid crew seemed to piss off. For the moment though she had found a rare moment of relaxation. The sun had started to set and had cast a rosy glow over the polished deck of the Orchid and Iyani found herself nearly nodding off when she happened to open her eyes in a long lazy and half asleep blink and then started awake instantly. Coming over the rise of the mountains heading into the valley was what had to be a dozen large ships led by one of the largest galleons she had ever seen. Pirates didn’t travel together and any kind of rebels didn’t have that kind of force so it could only mean one thing.

She took a moment to curse the fact that they still hadn’t replaced their communication crystal and leaped from the deck in a fluid motion thudding onto the deck below and taking off at a dead run. No Imperial fleet had ever come to Alanda. They feared what would happen if the pirates were to rally together and retaliate and also of the efficient defenses the town itself harbored. Unfortunately it seemed that they had called the port’s bluff. While it was true that they did have defenses pirates seldom worked together, even towards survival. The rebels, while they might fight, had nowhere near the numbers to take on the size of the force she saw.
Iyani pushed through the door of the White Oleander her eyes scanning the crowd searching out the captain. In a table in the corner he sat, his feet propped up on the table, loud snores rumbling from his leaned back face. Opposite of him his half giant friend, Bron, had also fallen soundly asleep his large bulk resting on the table. Iyani would have laughed if the situation hadn’t been so dire. She rushed to Caradin’s side and kicked his legs off the table. As his chair fell forward with a thud his eyes came open groggily. It was obvious he had overdone it with the ale again. He looked up at her with the slightly irritated look of a person half asleep.

“What is all the fuss about lass? Can’t ye see I’m resting me eyelids?” he grumbled to her and leaned back again looking for every intent as if he were going back to sleep.
“The imps are here. At least a dozen ships. We have to go. Now!” She practically shouted.

Caradin became instantly awake and shoved back from the table and his chair clattered to the floor. He whirled behind him grabbing his twin axes from the wall and sliding them through the small leather hoops that held them to his back hurriedly. Bron had came awake and looked about dazed.

“What’s….why…?” Bron had started but Caradin instantly interrupted him.
“Imps Bron. A whole mess of them.” Caradin stated even as he started toward the door.

Bron came to his feet in an instant and took down the absolutely enormous sword that hung over his bar then shouted to the drunks waking each of them and heading to the corner where his communication crystal was housed.

“Lon. Lon wake up. Imps headed this way. Sound the alarm and get the catapults up and working. “

A half grumbled voice answered a shocked affirmative back. Lon was a rune keeper in charge of the port’s defenses even though they had never really been used for much more then fighting off bandit gangs or the rare pirate attack. As the crystal went dark a loud bell began to ring signaling the day that all of them had dreaded for years had finally come, the Empire had come calling.

Pirates poured out of houses and of the White Oleander itself, some half dressed and scattered to their ships like rats abandoning a sinking ship. Some of the ports actual inhabitants stopped to help their families and headed toward the central area of the town where a large statue of Alanda herself, the founder of the town, watched over the port.

In the Oleander Caradin headed toward the door even as he shouted at Bron.

“You help those people get to the tunnels dug into the plateau. I’m going to distract them long as I can.”

“Caradin that’s suicide.” The large man said. “Get to your ship and get out of here we’ll be just fine.”

The dwarf shook his head. “Friend ya won’t get half these people to the tunnels if we don’t hold them off. Lon can’t hold them off all alone and I doubt we will find many pirates out there willing to help.”

Bron stepped in front of the door to keep him from leaving. “No Caradin. It's not exactly a big secret I'm a part of the rebels. I can’t just tuck tail and leave you out there alone.”

Cardin balked. “Well then ya should know your one of the only people that can get the rest of em through the tunnels. They haven’t been unlocked in ten years. You don’t think there are nasty things down there now? Now outta my way fore I move ye myself.”

Bron stepped aside reluctantly and Caradin stormed by him with Iyani. Sinta was already running down the street books and scrolls tucked under one arm, his crimson robes flapping behind him.

“Imperials here?” Sinta said incredously. “We need to get the Orchid up in the air and get out of here right now Caradin.” The elf said in a panicked voice.

“Aye we’ll get her in the air but we aren’t to be leaving these people to their fate. We’re gonna keep em distracted long enough to get in the tunnels.”

Sinta shook his head. “You foolish dwarf you think we can do anything against them?” He swept his hand upwards indicating the dozen ships that even now grew closer and cast a shadow across much of the port.

“This place is going to be wiped off the map! That’s enough firepower to take everyone here and bristling I’m sure with mages far more talented then myself and you expect us to stand up to them?” He practically shouted. “You know there isn’t any glory in this right? No gold. We go out there we go to our deaths!” The elf shouted over the bells tolling.

Cardin fixed Sinta with a dangerous glare that discouraged the elf from speaking further on the matter and threatened violence.

“So you think I’m all about money do ya? How long we’ve been bloodying these damn Imps noses now? You remember why we got in this in the first place don’t ya Sinta? What would you have me do? Leave these people? There are women and children here Sinta, not just pirates and rebels. You would have me leave them here to die while I tuck my tail and run? Run if ya want but I’m going up there with or without you.”

Sinta looked ashamed, turning a bright crimson. “You know you wouldn’t last a second without me. I was just stating the common sense thing to do. I guess I should have known better.”

“I’m with you in whatever you decide to do.” He said and started running behind the dwarf. “I’m sorry. “ he stated quietly.

“Bah elf, think nothing of it. Start getting your spells ready this is gonna’ be ugly.” Caradin said as his booted feet found the boarding ramp of the Orchid. He pulled the ramp in behind him and locked it in place as Iyani ran about throwing the ropes tying them down off the ship.

“We’re clear.” She shouted. It was then a large beam of light from the lead ship crashed through the docks and several ships nearby them. The pirates aboard those ships scrambling to escape, some already banking for the sky, were instantly turned to rubble and ash.

“The Black Narcissus.” Sinta whispered under his breath now truly fearful of their chances.

Caradin didn’t seem to notice though surely he had to. He simply grabbed hold of the wheel and banked away from the dock and rose quickly into the sky barely missing another white hot beam of light as it flashed several hundred feet from the deck of the Orchid and dug into the port of Alanda. As the screams of the first victims below rang out into the air Caradin’s hand tightened on the wheel until his knuckles were white. He turned the ship sharply and headed straight up for the bottom of one of the ships hulls, looking as if he meant to ram it.

“Caradin!” Iyani shouted, “What are you doing?”. He didn’t answer though she waited for several seconds. Giving up on any kind of answer she rushed down the ladder below deck to man the rune stones, tinkering with the machines about them to keep them running under the stress.

Moments before they rammed the ship Caradin pulled the Orchid nearly level and yelled over the wind.

“All ya got Sinta!” Sinta set aside his cowardice and let go of the railing. With his spell holding his feet firmly to the deck he raised his hands above him and as they passed under the ship he called a bolt of lightning to himself. It ripped through the deck of the ship above finding Sinta’s outstretched hands where the energy swirled for just a moment before he sent it back up in another direction tearing a second hole through the above ship. The ship lulled to the left sharply, its rune stone sundered in two, and crashed into the bow of the nearby ship shaking up the crew and doing serious damage to the front of the bow. Then it veered downward, almost lazily, and in a spectacular ball of energy released from the rune stone, exploded upon the cliff side.

The Orchid darted to the side dodging the falling ship and coming back up over the one next to it agilely even as Sinta reached down and with his powers ripped the mast of the falling ship from it and sent it through the hull of the ship it had crashed into. Sinta slumped slightly. Both spells had been powerful draining spells and had taken a lot out of him. Still he stood his hands outstretched even as spells rained down on the ship from the Imperials about them that had decided the Orchid was a threat. The shield that Sinta held up further drained him and it was obvious he probably wouldn’t be casting many more offensive spells as all of his energy was bent toward the one currently keeping them alive.

Lon had not been idle either. The large catapults below, also powered by ruin stones, came forward from where they were housed in small caves just below the plateau. Humming loudly, a large burst of energy shot from them crashing into the nearest ship and shredding it to pieces before the battle mages had even raised the shield about the ship. It burned downwards and the catapults charged to fire again.

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A cheer went up from below from some smaller ships rising that flew flags of the rebels. Their mages joined in attacking the ships and at that moment, seeing the small victory of the Orchid and of Lon, they felt as if they had a chance. Moments later their cheers turned to screams as a large fireball from one of the ships nearest the Black Narcissus tore into them. Again the white beam from the Narcissus reached out and dug into the town below where Bron was herding the people towards the statue, below which lied the tunnels of their salvation. As the beam struck behind them it threw Bron from his feet and the people behind him disappeared in horrible shrieks. As Bron struggled to his feet as his ears rang and grabbed up a child next to him whose legs were shredded by some of the rocks and pieces of the houses that flew from the beam. He ran as hard as his legs would carry into the square where the statue of Alanda had begun to move rock grinding against rock as she moved along small tracks beneath her. Then suddenly the statue stopped the wheels below it so old from disuse and rust they refused to budge further. The people milled about her panicking and eager to get away from the destruction that rained around them. Bron set down the child and rushed to the statue. He placed his bulk against her and pushed with all his might his large muscles straining. The statue refused to move its countenance frozen seeming to look down at him pleading to save her people. He dug within himself and with renewed vigor pushed against the large stone statue. The tracks below screeched in protest and then suddenly budged and the statue wheeled the rest of the way away from the steps that went down into the tunnels below. The people of Alanda surged around Bron crying their thanks even as they headed into the tunnels. Bron stood beside the statue waving them in, lowering the children down to their parents and keeping watch on the opening.

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The Orchid dodged fire and weaved in between the ships of the Empire infuriating them as they couldn’t seem to score a real hit on the ship that flitted back and forth between them. Often their spells rained into the ship next to them when they barely missed the Orchid. Caradin flew spectacularly with all his attention and focus on the skies before him. While he was doing well he couldn’t keep it up for long as already spells had made it through Sinta’s shield and burned holes into the sides of the ship and one had ripped a ley line along the left side. They couldn’t stay much longer and the Orchid arched out from the ship in front of them to get a better view of the town. He could see the dots below and the statue grind forward propelled forward by his friend’s large form. As the people flooded downward into the tunnels, a sense of relief filled Caradin. The relief soon turned to dread as the Orchid dove under the Narcissus and he saw at the head of her bow the five mages gathered in a semi circle, all of their hands glowing brightly just before the beam burst from their hands and converged biting into the city below blowing the statue into large pieces and covering his friend below, obscuring him from sight. The people not yet below burned in the beam and turned to bones almost instantly and fell all about the entrance that had collapsed in on itself.

Caradin heard a horrible sound of anguish and realized it was his own tortured screaming. For once glad that the wind carried his voice away he turned back towards the Narcissus, tears filling his vision and anger clouding his mind.
“CARADIN NO!” He heard Sinta shout as he rushed forward towards the Narcissus and at the last moment rose above the deck looking down into the eyes of the man commanding it. He had looked up at the same time the armor of his station gleaming and their eyes met in that moment the commander's eyes filled with anger and unhidden hatred. Time seemed to slow and then speed up again as Caradin smashed the Orchid through the sails of the large ship and sped past ducking below the plateau and racing for freedom. Sinta’s shield hadn’t prevented all the damage to the ship and the sails had ripped a larger hole in their already damaged ley lines. The ship rocked dangerously as it rocketed away into the skies beyond.

Caradin looked back in mixed sorrow and anger as they escaped. Alanda burned, flames licking upward into the sky, the rest of it rubble and ruin. After nearly twenty years of survival the port town, and one of the few havens for those who were still free, burned to the ground. Caradin faced forward into the skies and rose into the clouds above. The Orchid had escaped along with hundreds of the town’s people but he could not call today a victory. If there was one thing he could state for certain it was that they would pay for this day. He would make sure of that.