Burning Seas

[khalora]

"There it is Maccenna," Khalora said solemnly as he looked over the prow of the Southern Flame towards the lush green island of Isla de Meuna. "There is where this war will take its next turn."

He turned to his navigator, "I'm surprised we haven't run into any naval resistance. I have the feeling they may be massing in their fort bay. Let me know the moment you see hostile ships on the horizon." The officer nodded and returned a primitive lenscope to his eye with a simple, "Yes sir."

Alessio turned and looked back across his armada. The Southern Flame at its head, and by far the most exemplerary, shining golden in the bright morning light, plowing smoothly through the deep blue waters. His warships were arrayed behind him in an echelon naval formation towards the fort side, protecting the hundreds of transport ships, housing every single Danartan spearman, bowman and horseman. Theie armour was dazzling in the light, and their red capes blood against the shine.

Khalora himself was wearing the bassilisk armour which Geddo had given to him upon their war meeting, and Khalora had had it dyed the brightest gold possible, with red engravings along the side. it had been polished smooth to the likeness of plate, but he knew it would be far more effective that steel. His red cape hung to his heels and lapped slightly in the favourable winds, the striking green cobra in front of a burning sun embroided onto the capes whole. His elaborate helm was tucked under his right arm, with its bright red plummage waving in the breeze.

His huge shield slung across his back loosely and his massive broadsword high on his belt, with his left hand lightly resting on the pommel. All in all, Khalora was a King and a warrior, from head to heel. The banners of the Southerners decorated every point of vision Khalora could see through, flapping gallantly in the wind, ready for anything.

"This day will be a terribly long one Lieutenant," he said to Maccenna. "And thousands will fall today, and thousands more tomorrow. This war will claim so many lives it begs the question of whether it is really worth it. Are so many deaths neccesary for peace?" The King turned to look the pirate in the eyes. "Let us make sure that no-one, friend or foe, dies in vain today. And then we've already won half the battle..."

ooc: I'm assuming that we'll have some fun here and then jump onto land when the times comes to have some fun there as well. Just to get the best of both worlds. Are Nauren and Geddo allowed to post here to note the presence of pirate and navy warships at all?

[Ice]

[ooc: I'm assuming that the main naval battle will be going here. . . so yeah, they should join in whenever possible.]

Ice looked over the bow side of the White Warrior. There was no doubt about it, that golden slint could only be southerner ships.
"How inconspicuous." Ice said, sarcasm dripping from his every word.

Ice was dressed in his white armour, made from material found only within the Mountain of Frost. He did not adorn himself too greater than his other troops, it would only make him a bigger target to every opponent in a battle. It might have looked good, but it was a death wish.
Ice's white hair was blowing behind him in the ocean breeze as his pale blue eyes pierced the horizon, looking to the southerner fleet. The Ice Warriors and Southerners were fair matched when it came to naval power, but should the Navy enter a naval battle like this looked to be, it could speak doom for every other ship on the ocean.
Ice looked down at Samara by his side, she was wearing her own set of white shining armour and she looked every bit as ferocious and fearsome as Ice had known her to be. She was a warrior, like Ice himself and she was the symbol upon every Ice Warrior banner upon the field. The Leopard of Svëna.
Right now she sat, completely silent, looking to the horizon. She could well have been made of white stone for the amount she moved.

The robes around Ice's armour flapped as they were caught in the breeze, but he had been careful to not wear anything that could trip him in battle.
He held his bow in his hand, and his quiver sat against his back. His scythe was not far away, but it would be useless unless any ships began boarding.

Ice looked back down his fleet, all across it the ballistae were being readied and the Fallen Angels stood with the Ice Warriors, ready to use their deadly archery skills in the coming battle.

Ice looked back towards the Southerner fleet and smiled. All was ready.

[Cailen]

Cailen walked up to Ice, her soul anxious for the upcoming battle. Now they had a chance to actually make a dent in the Southerners and pirates' forces. The alliance between her people and Ice's had been working well, and it was about to be put to test. She had confidence in both of the people.

Cailen followed Ice's gaze and spotted the Southern ships easily. She laughed slightly, acnolaging how stupid she thought their colors were as well.

"My soldiers are ready and anxious. How soon untill we are moored?" She asked. In truth, it was not only her people that were excited. She was as well, though her composure proved otherwise. She stood fairly stiffly against the side railings, and her armor was very light, but tougher than she usually wore. Her sword hung as her hip in a double looped belt, and her bagh nakhs were tucked away saftly. She would not pull them out untill she had too. They were cumbersome unless in battle. Her eyes turned from the ships on the horizon to Ice, and Samara.

[Ice]

Ice turned to Cailen and took in how fine she looked in her armour and the way she stood. She looked a true ruler, a powerful ally and a fearful opponent. A beautiful warrior.

Ice smiled as she laughed. They were both ridiculing the Southerner navy, and it helped to boost their moral. If the leaders had good morals then it would rub off onto the troops, and the troops made all the difference in any battle. Numbers were not always that important.

"I doubt we will be able to reach Isla de Meuna without a fight." Ice said with the same serious tone of voice he had used when he had first met Cailen. "Our soldiers are ready. . ." He repeated. "They are ready for anything that can face them here. They would rather die in battle and bring honour to their families than live a shameful life."

[Maccenna]

Maccenna walked up to Khalora as he spoke, her body rigid as she whelled with anxiety. She clenched the the solid wooden railing of the ship as she looked into the distant horizon, her senses multiplied to a greater power as adrenaline rushed to her and each breath came in slow yet sharp fearlful pangs. Her hair lifted lightly as the gentle wind played with it and she thought irritabally of of Cailen for it was in their mini episode together, that her royal blue sash that usually tied her long wavy hair out of the way, layed in tattered pieces.

She wore simple and light clothing with nothing but her leather vest to protect her when she was fighting, but it was hardly enough. Her sleeves were pulled up and tight so that they would not cause any drag during the battle or snag on anything else and her doublette was safely tucked away. Around her waist on the belt loop hung her simple, silver hilted sword in a sun stained black leather sheath, and across her back was her bow and quiver of blue feathered arrows.

Though she had fought in many battles for such a young age, she still felt the nag of fear at her heart whenever she began to enter one, and though she lost that fear when the battle began, the contained anxiety within her was enough to make her burst. She swallowed hard and kept her eyes locked on the horizon before her as she listened to Khalora's words. She heard every single one and let them sink into her, but she did not reply, her jaw clentched so tight that one could hear the teath grind under such pressure as she waited, her breath held beofre the plunge into battle.

As she looked out into the sea, she noticed something. It was very small, just a black silohette against the sky but there was no mistaking that it was another ship. Gathering her wits, Maccenna finally spoke up, "Khalora! There's a ship out there! I know it, but it is too far for me to make out clearly. Its about four points off the bow!"

She leaned over on her tip toes as she waited anxiously for what her captain would do..

[khalora]

Khalora looked over to where Maccenna had indicated. And sure enough, a small notch on the horizon was slowly forming itself. Within minutes Alessio could make out bright white on the horizon, contrasting strongly against the blue of the sea and sky, just as knew his own ships would be.

"Well I certainly doubt either of us will be moving without the knowledge of the other," he said to the Lieutenant. He turned to the navigator behind him. "Signal for the war galleys to moved around in their echelon to face that fleet. Move the transport barges along behind the line towards the island and land the troops. Send the generals to begin their field formations."

The flags were waving and the ravens flying within minutes of his orders, and soon the warships had formed their line, with the Southern Flame in the centre forward. The Ballistae on the decks were being primed and set, and the engineers loaded the catapult. It would be innaccurate against the ships, but unbelievably obliterating if it hit.

The barges moved along behind the line, this was a battle not for them. "Easy Maccena," Alessio said, seeing her discomfort and laying a hand on her shoulder. "We're very evenly matched out here. The Northerners and Fallen Angel against the Southerners and Pirates. Bravery will be our spear and honour our shield today. Every man you see here will fight today. Don't be afraid."

The soldiers on the middle, raised deck loaded their crossbows and readied themselves, and the longbowmen on the outer deck strung their own weapons, ready for war.

Inevitably, and unchangingly, the rival forces neared one another, carried by the winds. Khalora called the armada to a halt in their formation just out of two catapult ranges from the Northern fleet. The Southern Flame started its move forward to the centre of the field where, as was custom on the eve of battle, the two leaders would confer. The point of it was that there may be a way to avoid bloodshed and death, but Khalora was unconvinced that it would do any good. But he held true to the old honours, and sailed out alone where he would meet their flagship.

"Don't load the ballistae yet. That will only put suspicion into the situation, and we can't have this attack going off half-primed." Khalora looked across the Northerner ships, almost exactly the same number as the Southern and Pirate ships, and near enough to the same effectiveness, wondering if the Ice Lord would come...

[Cailen]

Cailen nodded, agreeing in total with Ice's words. "As would mine. My army has been growing and we now have enough angels to actually make a dent. My archers have been training a long time for this moment." She was proud of how her ranks had picked themselves up to fight with her, and even though not all of them agreed with her alliance to Ice, they trusted her leadership and were ready to fight by the ice warriors sides.

She returned her gaze to the sea, watching the Southern ship. "Ice," she began after watching them a few minutes, "I think those blind dogs have finally seen us." Now they might be able to begin the fight, and Cailen could finally test the strength and endurance of her soldiers. The ship was still a ways away, and it was times like this that Cailen wished she had her wings. If she had not lost them when she fell, she could fly over and get a closer look at the Southern ship. She would be able to board the other ship with ease, when the time came. She would not have to worry about beeing grounded in a fight, she could easily fly overhead. But, she had not earned them back yet. Though certain angels were banished, like her and her entire ranks, they could earn their wings back, even though they could never return from whence them came. The thought of flying again was what kept her going. There was a freedom to flight that one could not get on the ground, and Cailen's heart longed for the swirling updrafts of the sea.

[khalora]

"Halt!" Khalora called to the sailsmen, who immediately pulled the sails up and gave the order for the rowmen to hold position. The Southern Flame stopped, showing its bow to the enemy in a sign of resigned peace. But only resigned.

"Make sure the armada is ready to sail for glory at my command," Khalora said to Maccenna. "Now we wait for the Northerners to come. I doubt that we can avoid bloodshed here today, but maybe there is a glimmer of hope we can prevent too much death. Neither of us wants to bleed."

He glanced over to his spear leaning against the prow of the Flame. Just in case, it was close at hand, and he always had his massive broadsword if he needed it. He watched the sun as it arced its way overhead. "Look Maccenna. See how bright it shines for us."

[Ice]

Ice narrowed his eyes. They had stopped.

He turned around to look at Cailen while Samara kept an eye upon the golden fleet.

"They must have seen us." Ice said. "They've stopped." Ice stood for a moment, in thought. "They expect us to achieve peace?" Ice asked no one in particular, no longer looking at Cailen but across the expanse of water the strecthed between gold and white. "Why else would they not advance?"

Ice turned to the helmsman of the White Warrior. "Bring us in closer, but just close enough for the semaphore flags to be understood."

Ice walked to the front of the boat as they turned their direction to the Southerner fleet. If they wanted to negotiate, Ice would oblige, though he doubted it would do anything, he trusted Khalora would have enough honour not to fire upon a lone ship entering as a messenger.

[khalora]

"Here they come," Khalora said to Maccenna. "Ser, pass me that lens." The Navigator handed over the lens to the King and he raised it to his eye. The glass was coated threefold, so the image was distorted slightly, but it was something with you had to sacrifice to see further through these lenses. In truth the hand-held one he was holding had only recently been invented. Maybe someday they would find out how to magnify something without blurring the image, but not today.

The two lone ships were in the middle of two long lines of ships, and it would have a grand view from above. One side golden, the other white, with two ships right in the centre. "The White Warrior," Khalora read off the ship's prow, which was now easily within catapult range.

One of his sailors came up with two gold and red flags in his hands, and waited for Khalora to give him his commands. "Ask them what their purpose here is today."

[Maccenna]

Maccenna looked up to the sun as Alessio remarked on its brilliance, but to her, it meant nothing but a clear view and a hopeful fight if the two leaders so chose so. She grabbed her bow and clenched it tightly in her right hand as she watched the ships of the north approach.

She gave a look to the crew chief but did not say anything. She knew that the armada would sail at Alessio's command so she said nothing. Sometimes silence was the greatest intimidation. If they were to go into battle, Maccenna wanted the leader of the southerners and the captain of the fleet to say the final words... He was their inspiration and their drive.. Not her..

Instead Maccenna walked off and inspected the cannons and other such weaponry on the southern flame for if a battle did brake out, this ship would be the first to be attacked..

[Ice]

The ships were close now, within Ice's bow distance. He could have drawn back his bow to kill Khalora there and then, Ice thought, aloofly. But he would not even be accepted back into his own ranks. No one killed another while negotiations were in place. It was a matter of honour. Ice could make out Khalora, he made quite a spectacle of himself, dressed up as he was. Ice reflected back onto what he had been thinking about earlier about that topic.

Ice turned to the semaphore-man standing just to his left. Ice could read semaphore, most of the time in any rate. Anyone who owned a ship should know how to read it.

"Isn't it obvious?" Ice said under his breath. But that was not what he told the semaphore-man. "Tell them that the Ice Warriors and Fallen Angels are here for the Amethyst, exactly the same as I would expect the Southerners are."

Ice shouldn't have been surprised the news had spread south, Svëna was further away from the Isla de Meuna, and news had still reached his ears."

[khalora]

Alessio gazed through his lens at the semaphore soldier of the North slowly waving his flags around. He looked like he wasn't enjoying the heat, but Khalora had no sympathy for the soldier.

"What is it with this amethyst?" Khalora asked aloud as he translated what they were saying. He had heard news of a exceptionally large amethyst being found on the Emerald Isle, but the King had paid little attention to it. After all, he had more important things to think about than a stone. What a foolish and trivial thing to amass an army for a stone, he thought to himself. "Tell them that we have no desire for a simple rock, and that our only concern here is the destruction of the navy. Tell them that if they want their stone so badly they can have it."

The King raised his lens to his eyes again, waiting for a reply...

[Ice]

Ice's eyes opened wide and he had to stop himself from dropping his jaw.

Was his luck that good? Tales of the amethyst had not reached the South? Ice could have laughed and ran up to whoever was closest and hugged them, but he kept his composure, and forced himself to get back to reality.

Could it have just been a coincidence that the Southerner invasion had arrived at exactly the same time as other armies searched for the amethyst? Or was it just the deception of the Southerners?

Ice began talking to the semaphore-man, though he was still looking at Khalora. "Tell him that I care not for the fate of the navy. They are not friends of mine. Tell him that he can assualt the navy without my interference, as long as he does not interfere with the mission of the Ice Warriors."

Ice could only speculate as to whether Khalora was truthful or not. He didn't trust the Southerner, but if he could make it to the island without engaging in a naval battle then he would.

[khalora]

Khalora frowned. Something was wrong here. Why would the Northerners be so adamant in the capture of jewel? He turned to his navigator. Khalora was far from being a superstitious man, and he had no belief in magic or imbuement. He believed in the strength of a man's sword and the skill of the men at his back. "They came all this way for an amethyst?"

The officer shrugged, in thought, "Perhaps it is a jewel of their gods? They might have made some religious connection with the stone."

Khalora nodded, "Well if they're going to offer a cease-fire, who am I disagree?" The King turned back to the flagsman and told him what to relay on to white ship. "It seems our motives are completely different to one anothers. The Pirates and Southerners will march on the navy. If they value their lives they will remain in search of their own jewel, and not interfere in the death of these scoundrels." He thought a moment, "Tell them that on my honour as King I will repay the gesture."

Khalora waited for a reply, but he allowed himself the briefest hope that fewer lives would be lost today. Needless to say, the situation was tense, and he knew whatever decision was made here would have dramatic repurcussions for the entire battle...