The Neverending War (Open)

[Kender Bard]

Luminita bit her lip as she paced on the deck of the warship she was assigned to, the Victory. It'd served them all well and she was hoping desperately that it would continue to do so.

She and the rest of the crew were being sent to try and chip away at the Fireteeth forces surrounding the Fire and Spice Island. Not a direct assault--at the moment, that was still a dicey move. Take too many ships away from Celentia, and they could always do a sneak around and try to wipe out the last remaining island to a full Fireteeth tyranny.

So both side had been taking swats at one another, like this one. It wasn't more dangerous than some missions but, lately, Luminita had been growing tense and worried whenever she was sent out onto the seas.

[Skittlebug]

One of her fellow soldiers, Sandeep, walks onto the deck. The tall bald man notices her pacing and makes his way over and leans against the rail nearby. "Anxious to get there Luminita?" He always seems to be calm, and on top of that he rarely cracks a smile since the Fireteeth invasion.

[Kender Bard]

"More anxious to get back," Luminita admitted, turning to regard Sandeep with a serious frown. "I've always known that having a family and being a soldier meant risking death and leaving them without me. Thank the Forces my husband's a capable man who can look after the children if that happens. But lately, he's been making noises that I should... I don't know. Retire. And it's getting harder to say no."

[Skittlebug]

Sandeep nods back, thinking about his own daughter at home, glad that the girl was old enough to look after herself. "These are hard times, no one would blame you if that's what you decide."

[Kender Bard]

"I would," Luminita protested.

"You two, quit yapping," the captain ordered. Luminita stood to attention. "We're approaching enemy waters. I want you and everyone else to look sharp."

"Yes sir," Luminita announced. When the Captain passed by, she sighed. "Even he's jumpy."

[Skittlebug]

Sandeep straightens as the Captain passes and snaps off a salute before peering back out over the waves and loosening his bardiche in it's straps with a grimace. "Most everyone is, and we are getting close." He eyes her, "You won't let yourself get distracted once it starts up." It was half a question, and half what he'd expect of any soldier.

[Kender Bard]

"No," she assures him. "Never."

Shortly after that, the crow's nest cried out. "Enemy ship spotted!"

Two Fireteeth ships, patrolling their area of the waters, veered off their course and began heading straight for the Victory.

A Mind, armed with two swords, teleported aboard the ship abruptly and began to cut down anyone near him.

[Skittlebug]

Sandeep scowls and pulls his bardiche from it's sheath and heads for the Mind, hoping there's only one.

[Kender Bard]

The Mind met with Sandeep's attack. Overhead, Winds riding the currents began to windwalk towards their ship, staying high enough to be out of arrow range or maintaining a wind shield to blow the projectiles away from themselves.

[Skittlebug]

Sandeep shifts his grip slightly to place a finger or two of his left hand over his sign on his right knuckles and begins a low mutter as he swings toward the Mind. He wanted to take the man down quickly, or at the very least keep him from using his abilities.

[Kender Bard]

The Mind teleported briefly out of Sandeep's face to stand behind the man and thrusted his sword towards his back. Luminita darted over as soon as she saw the fighting and managed to get her cutlass in between the two to parry. "Oh no you don't!"

At the same time, the Winds overhead began to drop clay pots filled with oil, splattering the deck where the Victory's Winds weren't able to deflect the pots.

[Skittlebug]

Sandeep tenses as the Mind disappears and half turns at Luminita's exclamation. He spins, whirling his bardiche toward the man's side.

[Kender Bard]

The Mind cried out in pain as the weapon bit into his side. He was ill prepared to fight on two fronts. Staggering away from the two, he disappeared.

Luminita cursed. "Coward!"

Just then, two of the Winds above them dropped fire on the deck. The oil that had been spilled caught quickly and within moments there were blazes everywhere.

[Skittlebug]

Holding his sign tighter, Sandeep turns to the nearest blaze and concentrates on putting it out, "Cover me!"