05-24-2017, 02:55 AM
The Sage awoke with a start as the wall he had hidden behind splintered into wooden shards. Blinking away the last echoes of his astral-induced coma, the Sage staggered to his feet. Never a moment’s peace in this place. He thought with regret as four sharply dressed sailors filed into his hidden room. They were only armed with cutlasses and pistols, though the make of these weapons looked solid, and more advanced than the flintlocks that the Sage had seen others use in this world. Even if he had been expecting their arrival, the Sage was not confident he would have succeeded in the exchange so outnumbered. In his disoriented state, he did not even make an attempt, instead waiting calmly as the sailor’s commander stepped through the breach.
He was not an old man. A captain in his early thirties, likely a star officer given the decorations that adorned his jacket. A neatly trimmed blonde moustache perched above his firm jawline. He swept into the room with a practiced gait, the imperial navy’s circular symbol bright white against his properly trimmed gray-green suit. Not a field commander then, the Sage thought as the officer took in the hidden room with an air of mild disappointment, The Sea would take that pomp from your step quite quickly. You probably don’t even run the ship, do you? Just issue commands from the captain’s quarters. Despite himself, the Sage’s mouth twitched upwards in smug confidence, a fact the officer took notice of quickly. The imperial’s brow furrowed as he addressed his newest find.
“What are you smirking at?” the voice came sharply, the tone of one who isn’t used to dissent or questioning. A voice of a leader not yet ready for their post. The Sage thought, though he made sure to contain his emotions as the officer continued. “Is this some kind of joke to you, Stowaway? Well speak up!”
The Sage’s response was much more at ease, he was outnumbered five to one, and there was no telling how many more of the imperials were scuttling about the vessel. This would not be a fight for him to wage today.
“Good sir, I am afraid that my erstwhile captain has sold me out to you. In truth, I would confess myself more disappointed were it not for the fact that he made his intentions so clear that I cannot have missed them. It would seem…” his rambling was interrupted by a sharp interjection from the officer, his face a taunt mass of consternation.
“You’re not the captain then.” It was a declaration not a question, and the Sage shook his head with genuine perplexity. Was Daedlin not the one to tip them off? The Sage had assumed that his supposed dwarf friend had been behind the imperial’s arrival. “That’s no help to me!” the imperial shouted and stormed out of the hidden room, his guards taking the Sage along with them as they left.
“He’s a dwarf, if that’s any help.” The Sage called up as the officer ascended the stairs to the main deck.
“And you expect me to trust your words? No law-abiding prime hides in a room with no doors!” his captor shot back as he stalked onto the deck. The Sage followed and was set down with the rest of the crew, a score or so of terrified boys who had clearly never been detained before. The Officer strolled up and down the lot of them, some of the crew looking down, while others stared wide-eyed at the dozen Imperial sailors who had boarded the ship.
“You all are sorry excuses for seamen!” the officer shouted, eyes raging as he stared down the crew, “Your captain disappears and not a one of you can tell when it happened? He took your Rowboat to do it! Not a man among you saw him leave?”
The Sage’s confusion and incredulity only rose as none of the crew spoke up in dissent. This course of action didn’t make any sense. The dwarf had abandoned a brand-new crew and vessel, he would be losing a huge amount from this flight, far more than he could from a simple confiscation of illicit goods. And how had he evaded the Navy as well? The Sage quickly glanced at the surrounding ocean. A large fog-bank billowed to the east, and the sun was approaching its descent. He would guess that there were but a few hours of good daylight remaining, but certainly enough that the Imperials should have been able to spot a Row boat travelling far by itself. He must have hidden in the fog. The Sage reasoned, the only islands in sight were small tufts of sand, sporting only the most basic vegetation, an unlikely choice of self-marooning. But why had he left to begin with?
“How long were you pursuing this vessel?” The Sage asked, the Officer turned sharply to face him, a look of self-satisfaction clear on his face.
“Since the inspection. It wasn’t hard.” The man bragged. The Sage sighed internally, he had no idea how long he had spent in the Astral realm, so the answer did nothing to assist him with his questions, “We kept a discrete pace, intending to follow you to whatever little hideaway you smugglers have been using now. But your vessel stopped moving. Casting anchor in here in the middle of nothing.”
At this one of the crew-members, a lad barely old enough to have started a beard. “Daedlin said we would wait out the fog bank! He said he wasn’t interested in smashing into any rocks on such a routine journey.”
Now the officer was sharing the Sage’s look of confusion, “Routine journey? We’re nearer to the gate to the Frozen fields than any conceivable trading port!” Ahh, It would seem I have been in the Astral Realm for some time then. the Sage thought with mild surprise. As if resolving its own dilemma, his stomach decided to confirm the length of time it had been emptied, momentarily distracting him as the officer continued to ponder incredulously.
“You must have a hidden port in this sector, it’s the only explanation! With the size of your vessel, you won’t make it back to civilization before running out of supplies! Even my own crew,” and he gestured back to the Galleon, smaller than many the Sage had seen fly imperial colors, that waited a short distance away, “will have to take half portions to make it back with a comfortable margin! This ship has been sent on a…” the officer trailed off his gaze shifted watching something off in the distance. “…Suicide mission…”
The Sage followed his gaze. There exiting the fog-bank with alarming speed, was possibly the most powerful warship the Sage had ever seen. It could best be compared to a Trireme with a concave bow and jutting ram, but the juggernaut towered out of the water, four full rows of cannons extended from each side, well over a hundred by the Sage’s estimate. Its bow was easily fifteen feet above their deck, and both the front and rear of the Warship had armored decks above the center. No sails were visible above the goliath vessel, for indeed what sails could be enough to propel such a monstrosity at speed? But nevertheless, it moved towards them, not riding the waves but plowing directly through them with an unearthly speed for a vessel that large. Its concave front was ornately painted, and a single cannon extended from the mouth of the laughing dwarf who adorned the warship’s prow. The Black flag of Piracy flew atop its prow, tall enough that no mast was needed.
The Sage was rendered speechless by the sight, unable to comprehend the craftsmanship that would be required to render such a tremendous vessel waterborne. As they stood there, mouth agape, a loud crack split the air, and a whistling cannonball struck the water, narrowly missing the Imperial Galleon. The Sage’s heart sunk as his suspicions seemed almost inevitable. Truly, they all had been sent on a suicide mission.
He was not an old man. A captain in his early thirties, likely a star officer given the decorations that adorned his jacket. A neatly trimmed blonde moustache perched above his firm jawline. He swept into the room with a practiced gait, the imperial navy’s circular symbol bright white against his properly trimmed gray-green suit. Not a field commander then, the Sage thought as the officer took in the hidden room with an air of mild disappointment, The Sea would take that pomp from your step quite quickly. You probably don’t even run the ship, do you? Just issue commands from the captain’s quarters. Despite himself, the Sage’s mouth twitched upwards in smug confidence, a fact the officer took notice of quickly. The imperial’s brow furrowed as he addressed his newest find.
“What are you smirking at?” the voice came sharply, the tone of one who isn’t used to dissent or questioning. A voice of a leader not yet ready for their post. The Sage thought, though he made sure to contain his emotions as the officer continued. “Is this some kind of joke to you, Stowaway? Well speak up!”
The Sage’s response was much more at ease, he was outnumbered five to one, and there was no telling how many more of the imperials were scuttling about the vessel. This would not be a fight for him to wage today.
“Good sir, I am afraid that my erstwhile captain has sold me out to you. In truth, I would confess myself more disappointed were it not for the fact that he made his intentions so clear that I cannot have missed them. It would seem…” his rambling was interrupted by a sharp interjection from the officer, his face a taunt mass of consternation.
“You’re not the captain then.” It was a declaration not a question, and the Sage shook his head with genuine perplexity. Was Daedlin not the one to tip them off? The Sage had assumed that his supposed dwarf friend had been behind the imperial’s arrival. “That’s no help to me!” the imperial shouted and stormed out of the hidden room, his guards taking the Sage along with them as they left.
“He’s a dwarf, if that’s any help.” The Sage called up as the officer ascended the stairs to the main deck.
“And you expect me to trust your words? No law-abiding prime hides in a room with no doors!” his captor shot back as he stalked onto the deck. The Sage followed and was set down with the rest of the crew, a score or so of terrified boys who had clearly never been detained before. The Officer strolled up and down the lot of them, some of the crew looking down, while others stared wide-eyed at the dozen Imperial sailors who had boarded the ship.
“You all are sorry excuses for seamen!” the officer shouted, eyes raging as he stared down the crew, “Your captain disappears and not a one of you can tell when it happened? He took your Rowboat to do it! Not a man among you saw him leave?”
The Sage’s confusion and incredulity only rose as none of the crew spoke up in dissent. This course of action didn’t make any sense. The dwarf had abandoned a brand-new crew and vessel, he would be losing a huge amount from this flight, far more than he could from a simple confiscation of illicit goods. And how had he evaded the Navy as well? The Sage quickly glanced at the surrounding ocean. A large fog-bank billowed to the east, and the sun was approaching its descent. He would guess that there were but a few hours of good daylight remaining, but certainly enough that the Imperials should have been able to spot a Row boat travelling far by itself. He must have hidden in the fog. The Sage reasoned, the only islands in sight were small tufts of sand, sporting only the most basic vegetation, an unlikely choice of self-marooning. But why had he left to begin with?
“How long were you pursuing this vessel?” The Sage asked, the Officer turned sharply to face him, a look of self-satisfaction clear on his face.
“Since the inspection. It wasn’t hard.” The man bragged. The Sage sighed internally, he had no idea how long he had spent in the Astral realm, so the answer did nothing to assist him with his questions, “We kept a discrete pace, intending to follow you to whatever little hideaway you smugglers have been using now. But your vessel stopped moving. Casting anchor in here in the middle of nothing.”
At this one of the crew-members, a lad barely old enough to have started a beard. “Daedlin said we would wait out the fog bank! He said he wasn’t interested in smashing into any rocks on such a routine journey.”
Now the officer was sharing the Sage’s look of confusion, “Routine journey? We’re nearer to the gate to the Frozen fields than any conceivable trading port!” Ahh, It would seem I have been in the Astral Realm for some time then. the Sage thought with mild surprise. As if resolving its own dilemma, his stomach decided to confirm the length of time it had been emptied, momentarily distracting him as the officer continued to ponder incredulously.
“You must have a hidden port in this sector, it’s the only explanation! With the size of your vessel, you won’t make it back to civilization before running out of supplies! Even my own crew,” and he gestured back to the Galleon, smaller than many the Sage had seen fly imperial colors, that waited a short distance away, “will have to take half portions to make it back with a comfortable margin! This ship has been sent on a…” the officer trailed off his gaze shifted watching something off in the distance. “…Suicide mission…”
The Sage followed his gaze. There exiting the fog-bank with alarming speed, was possibly the most powerful warship the Sage had ever seen. It could best be compared to a Trireme with a concave bow and jutting ram, but the juggernaut towered out of the water, four full rows of cannons extended from each side, well over a hundred by the Sage’s estimate. Its bow was easily fifteen feet above their deck, and both the front and rear of the Warship had armored decks above the center. No sails were visible above the goliath vessel, for indeed what sails could be enough to propel such a monstrosity at speed? But nevertheless, it moved towards them, not riding the waves but plowing directly through them with an unearthly speed for a vessel that large. Its concave front was ornately painted, and a single cannon extended from the mouth of the laughing dwarf who adorned the warship’s prow. The Black flag of Piracy flew atop its prow, tall enough that no mast was needed.
The Sage was rendered speechless by the sight, unable to comprehend the craftsmanship that would be required to render such a tremendous vessel waterborne. As they stood there, mouth agape, a loud crack split the air, and a whistling cannonball struck the water, narrowly missing the Imperial Galleon. The Sage’s heart sunk as his suspicions seemed almost inevitable. Truly, they all had been sent on a suicide mission.
If history is to become legend, it first must be recorded.