Less Spice, More Fire|Fire and Spice, Firegem
Feb 4, 2011 21:12:39 GMT -5
Post by Kender Bard on Feb 4, 2011 21:12:39 GMT -5
Gingtaras found himself upon another ship, not his own but the second best in the fleet he had brought with him, no later than two days after they took Grandisle. After all, that had been the plan--rest for only the most brief period of time and sail with all speed towards their next target.
This time Zenais stood upon the ship alongside him, her arms crossed and her long blonde hair flying in the wind. "I can almost taste the riches," she purred.
Gingtaras spared a small grin for the woman who, up until recently, had been his absolute worst enemy. Not for the first time did he thank the Forces for sending Morilanta his way. Their involvement was enough to persuade Zenais to put aside their warring in the interest of expanding both their influences. "Are you going to be renaming your new island?"
Zenais tilted her head back and laughed raucously. "We'll see! Perhaps I'll call it Thief Haven. I've found out that there is a sister guild in Naruta. Who knows? Perhaps they will come here and bolster our numbers."
"Perhaps," Gingtaras agreed with a slightly forced smile. The last thing he needed was Zenais to grow more powerful. There was a very good reason the Thief Lady would be situated between the two islands. If ever she made a threatening gesture in his direction again, he would be certain to close the steel jaws of his alliance to Saul around her pretty neck. "Ah, the resistance. Excellent."
As expected, there was a great deal more Celentian ships stationed around the Fire and Spice coast. They'd made sure that most of the plants to draw the attention of Celentia away from Grandisle would be here. It made sense, too; Fire and Spice was the most often targeted island for petty raids and small attacks. He wanted to get as much focus as he could and from his estimate, he had gotten it.
"I count thirty Celentian ships and fifteen Fire and Spice and mercenary ships," Gingtaras announced. "Very good."
"You are certain this will work?" Zenais pestered him for the third time.
"I am more than certain," Gingtaras answered. "I am absolutely, thoroughly convinced. If you're frightened, you can cover your eyes and I will tell you when it's over."
Zenais gave him an ugly look and turned her attention back to the battle.
The fleets clashed and soon the air rang with sounds of battle: metal on metal for the ships that managed to board one another, the sharp crack of lightning striking, the roar of fires catching to sails and climbing before another Fire or Water could put it out. The waves rose up and warred with one another to crash upon decks, the wind blew hither and thither as Winds dueled for mastery of the skies and the chance to force an enemy ship into crashing.
There was more than just a simple brute battle at play here, though Gingtaras was betting on the fact that none of the other ships knew that. Had it been merely a collission of force, he would have actually been worried. Instead, he watched several of his ships (and the enemy's) go down without much in the way of disturbance. Slowly, the battle moved in a counter-clockwise manner until the Fireteeth ships were now fighting on the eastern flank. When he was satisfied with the placement, he nodded to a man on his left. The Wind took off to the sky above his own ship and began to wave black and gold flags in the air. An arrow took him out but he'd been up long enough.
Sailing in swiftly from the northwest were the Morilantan ships. Chuckling softly, Gingtaras watched as the Celentian ships struggled to turn and sail north and avoid the crushing jaws of two forces bearing down on either side of them. They weren't fast enough, of course, and the Morilantan fleet engaged them with a zeal and enthusiasm that Gingtaras could have applauded. The men must have been action starved after being forced to cede much of the fighting to Fireteeth in the Grandisle escapade.
In a surprisingly short amount of time, it was over. A few of his ships were chasing two Celentian stragglers, and more of their own combined fleet had taken damages or sunk, but there was no other Celentian or Fire and Spice flags to be seen.
"Impressive," Zenais breathed, eyes wide. "Very impressive. I admit, I had my doubts."
"And now you'll know not to doubt me again," Gingtaras replied. "Let us board your new island, my dear."
There would be fighting on the land too, of course, as mercenary guards were thick on the island. But the bulk of them had likely been on the ships. The rest of this mission would simply be a matter of blotting up the remaining resistance. As their ship sailed for the coast, Gintaras turned his eyes to the east.
Soon... Second Hope.
This time Zenais stood upon the ship alongside him, her arms crossed and her long blonde hair flying in the wind. "I can almost taste the riches," she purred.
Gingtaras spared a small grin for the woman who, up until recently, had been his absolute worst enemy. Not for the first time did he thank the Forces for sending Morilanta his way. Their involvement was enough to persuade Zenais to put aside their warring in the interest of expanding both their influences. "Are you going to be renaming your new island?"
Zenais tilted her head back and laughed raucously. "We'll see! Perhaps I'll call it Thief Haven. I've found out that there is a sister guild in Naruta. Who knows? Perhaps they will come here and bolster our numbers."
"Perhaps," Gingtaras agreed with a slightly forced smile. The last thing he needed was Zenais to grow more powerful. There was a very good reason the Thief Lady would be situated between the two islands. If ever she made a threatening gesture in his direction again, he would be certain to close the steel jaws of his alliance to Saul around her pretty neck. "Ah, the resistance. Excellent."
As expected, there was a great deal more Celentian ships stationed around the Fire and Spice coast. They'd made sure that most of the plants to draw the attention of Celentia away from Grandisle would be here. It made sense, too; Fire and Spice was the most often targeted island for petty raids and small attacks. He wanted to get as much focus as he could and from his estimate, he had gotten it.
"I count thirty Celentian ships and fifteen Fire and Spice and mercenary ships," Gingtaras announced. "Very good."
"You are certain this will work?" Zenais pestered him for the third time.
"I am more than certain," Gingtaras answered. "I am absolutely, thoroughly convinced. If you're frightened, you can cover your eyes and I will tell you when it's over."
Zenais gave him an ugly look and turned her attention back to the battle.
The fleets clashed and soon the air rang with sounds of battle: metal on metal for the ships that managed to board one another, the sharp crack of lightning striking, the roar of fires catching to sails and climbing before another Fire or Water could put it out. The waves rose up and warred with one another to crash upon decks, the wind blew hither and thither as Winds dueled for mastery of the skies and the chance to force an enemy ship into crashing.
There was more than just a simple brute battle at play here, though Gingtaras was betting on the fact that none of the other ships knew that. Had it been merely a collission of force, he would have actually been worried. Instead, he watched several of his ships (and the enemy's) go down without much in the way of disturbance. Slowly, the battle moved in a counter-clockwise manner until the Fireteeth ships were now fighting on the eastern flank. When he was satisfied with the placement, he nodded to a man on his left. The Wind took off to the sky above his own ship and began to wave black and gold flags in the air. An arrow took him out but he'd been up long enough.
Sailing in swiftly from the northwest were the Morilantan ships. Chuckling softly, Gingtaras watched as the Celentian ships struggled to turn and sail north and avoid the crushing jaws of two forces bearing down on either side of them. They weren't fast enough, of course, and the Morilantan fleet engaged them with a zeal and enthusiasm that Gingtaras could have applauded. The men must have been action starved after being forced to cede much of the fighting to Fireteeth in the Grandisle escapade.
In a surprisingly short amount of time, it was over. A few of his ships were chasing two Celentian stragglers, and more of their own combined fleet had taken damages or sunk, but there was no other Celentian or Fire and Spice flags to be seen.
"Impressive," Zenais breathed, eyes wide. "Very impressive. I admit, I had my doubts."
"And now you'll know not to doubt me again," Gingtaras replied. "Let us board your new island, my dear."
There would be fighting on the land too, of course, as mercenary guards were thick on the island. But the bulk of them had likely been on the ships. The rest of this mission would simply be a matter of blotting up the remaining resistance. As their ship sailed for the coast, Gintaras turned his eyes to the east.
Soon... Second Hope.
