Chapter 88 Approaching Dangers
The sea southwest of Costa Lunas.
The Royal Conqueror, the Broken Horn, and the Air Mother were traveling in a staggered formation towards the Islands of Light. The small bell of the Royal Conqueror rang when the lookout spotted the tower on the northern island. The captain was surprised when the Broken Horn bell rang a few minutes later. The signal was rapid and constant. Danger was very close. He looked in several directions. His gaze settled on the silhouette of a large warship south of his position. Men on three ships rushed to prepare for a possible battle.
Aboard the Shark fin.
Captain Sigard observed the ballistae, which were armed with wooden spears coated in whale oil. They had small clay vessels tied near the tip.
Sigard: The first and the third. Aim well.
After a few moments, two strong men raised their hands and shouted almost simultaneously: Ready!
Sigard: Burn them.
Four large Ballistae fired their projectiles simultaneously. Each one hit its target. The clay pots were shattered, and the liquid within ignited instantly. The whalw oil followed. Fires broke out in the sails and rigging of the vessels.
The large ship from Puerto Blanco was sailing rapidly northward while the sailors reloaded the ballistae. Forty archers knelt on the bow, waiting to be within range of their arrows.
The Costa Luna ships attempted to extinguish the fires. They had some success, but each received two more volleys of projectiles containing more clay vessels that exploded immediately. The two never had the opportunity to attack the opposing warship. When they were unable to stop the flames, the crews began to jump into the sea as the fire spread across most of the vessel.
The last remaining royal ship, the Broken Horn, launched two spears from smaller ballestae towards the large ship. Twelve men fired their bows at the same time. Most struck the thick hull harmlessly. One blond sailor received a serious arrow wound.
The archers of the Shark Fin stood up and fired a volley of arrows along the length of the smaller ship. Many men were wounded and two died almost immediately.
The captain of the Broken Horn surveyed the devastation of the brother ships and decided to flee. The ship turned and took advantage of the favorable winds to flee to the northeast.
The Shark continued firing arrows as soon as they could re-load.
The captain steered the ship towards the shore to escape the dangerous arrows. The ship struck a hidden rock and its hull was pierced. The Broken Horn, began to sink, and the captain ordered the flag of the kingdom to be lowered as a sign of surrender and distress.
Sigard: Send small boats to rescue the prisoners from the sharks.
Between the Islas de Luz, the first ships of the fleet began to pass. Nearly three-thousand-armed men and five hundred horses were three to four days away from the ports of Costa Lunas.
Red Tree Ridge.
Aurelio and the royal cavalry entered the estates near the small towns on the long ridge. Most of the houses were deserted. Many of the animals and crops had been re-located to the south, along with the population, or in Puerto Blanco, under the banners of Weisse Halle.
Some men on horseback traveled to find the captains of Aurelio. They brought news from the south. The captains held a meeting, which the war count joined.
Captain Pasqual: Count, King Aloisio died almost a week ago. The royal court placed his bastard daughter on the throne. Valero has a plan to seize the castle and the throne. The Herald has pledged his support and is trying to create a distraction and a conflict.
Aurelio: Is the Herald my biggest supporter? Fine. For the good of the kingdom, I need to seize the throne and become king. I am sorry, my captains, your estates in the north will have to wait.
The captains laughed. They had received much from the Count during the years of war. If he were to become king, they would be his counts.
Captain Tomas: What are your orders, Your Excellency?
Aurelio laughed: Pasqual, lead your company north and encourage the soldiers to move faster. Tomas and Rolando, take your companies to Flower Ridge to get supplies and recruits for our army. Claudio and Diego, look for the same thing on this ridge. We will have a night of rest and then they will all start moving quickly south.
Pasqual: Are the infantry soldiers resting?
Aurelio: We will leave in the morning. If they want to rest, they must arrive early. Just a little wine and beer for them. The slave girls can be the prize for those who arrive first. After we get tired of them, they can have them.
While the knights and horsemen set up a simple camp for the night, the captains went out to fulfill their duties.
With money or by force, the captains obtained more infantry soldiers, as well as most of the provisions available in the two populated areas. Captain Pasqual and his knights positioned themselves at intervals along the lines of the men-at-arms and shouted at them to increase their pace.
Captain Claudio found fifty barrels of good quality wine at a good price. The man named Oleg told him that his workers and their families had fled south. The captain was pleased with the bottle he had drunk. He took all of the other bottles for his men. That night, when the companies of soldiers began to arrive, he sold the barrels at a profit to their captains.
Throughout the night, many men drank wine and abused the women from the north to satisfy their desires. Hundreds more arrived every hour. The women were tied to trees in groups. The captains and sergeants were the first. Some men waited almost all night for their turn. Others went to the nearby houses to find their own victims.
Oleg and the few servants he departed early in the night, heading towards the mountains to the southeast. His granddaughter Birgit rode south to deliver a message to Danilo. Aurelio will arrive in a week. I have done everything I could. May the goddess protect you.
In the tent of Aurelio, he and his captains were playing dice to decide who would get the last woman they had not touched yet.
Aurelio: Think about it, men. In ten days, we will be able to play dice for the ladies of the royal castle. I need to practice procreation a lot before the bastard girl turns sixteen so I can start a family with her.