The Shattered Coast

The First and Final Battle of the Illustrious.

The sun beat down lazily on the tiny Isle of Ca"th. Uninhabited save for colonies of Sea Birds and Seals, it rose out of the sea like the pinnacle of some mighty underwater mountain. Great reefs and shoals had grown up around the island and in the azure, glimmering waters, glinting fish swim in great shoals many thousand strong. Larger hunters prowled through the reefs and shoals, their shining scales glinting in golden reds and shining blues. Massive turtles cruised gently through the reef currents pausing to graze upon the Sargasso that grew here and there. Flashes of bright white and grey indicated the presence of the small Island Reef sharks, gliding through the crystal seas, snapping at little fish. Closer in towards the surf of the Island, seal pups frolicked in the gentle wash. Whilst on beaches the colour of Ivory and bone, their parents kept a keen eye out for signs of any of the bigger predators that occasionally came from the deep.

It was towards these beaches, that the immense ship gently moved under the power of tide and current. The vast green sails hung limply in the soft morning breeze and her lines were slack. A truly immense warship, three massive masts stood up from a deck that could easily hold twenty men standing abreast. Her hull was the deep dark colour of Iron-Wood, and at the front of the ship a mighty blackened iron battering ram rose out of the prow. Shaped like a massive bull with horns lowered the ram was designed to smash through any enemy ship that dared to close with her. At her fore deck sat two huge ballistae, the ends lowered pointing towards the water. Just below the ram sat a brass plaque proclaiming the ships given name, the ‘Illustrious Fate’. Not a soul moved upon her deck, no songs rung out. No shouts or calls were heard, the Illustrious was as silent as a ghost. The tide and current were beginning to push her closer to the Island that she had been circling, pushing her nearer and nearer to the reefs and shoals that would tear through her thick hull, and consign this great vessel to the deep. Huge albatrosses and other sea birds circled the ship cawing to each other, Stukas dived down into the waters around the vessel coming up with shining, wriggling fish clutched in their beaks. They circled and landed upon the cliffs to feast and feed their young. Larger Sea lions bobbed in the azure waters, looking up the huge edifice of dark wood. Unable to ascertain its purpose they simply dived down into the water, searching for fish of their own.

To all intents and purposes, it was a picture of peace and tranquillity, but the truth was that despite the early spring sun it chilled Tai to the bones. He stood upon the deck of a far smaller warship, intently watching as the Illustrious drew closer and closer to the razor-sharp rocks that surrounded the Island. He shivered involuntarily and signalled to his helmsman to follow the other ship. Uncertainty had begun to build in him, ever since his lookout spied the other vessel. Now this close to her his senses were tingling, and fear had begun to gnaw in the pit of his stomach. But despite his misgivings he could not allow it out of his sight, he had hunted for her for the past Nine months now. Ever since she had failed to report in after her first tour of duty, Tai had begged the Council to send him and his crew, after weeks of deliberation they had acceded and Tai had gathered his men and set out to hunt down his quarry. There it was in front of him, no more than three hundred feet away. The brand-new flagship of the Citadel city of Bastion, the ‘Illustrious Fate’. This should have been a moment of rejoicing, but why was she not answering his hails? Where were the crew? What had happened to her? No damage marred her flanks, no scarring on her sails, and yet clearly something was amiss.

Tai Elen stood at a little over six-foot-tall, but he was still young, one of the youngest captains that Bastion had ever known. He had been voted to take command of the ship that he now stood upon, by Bastion’s council of Elders a little over two summers ago, even now Tai had not yet seen his Twentieth Summer. But he commanded his men and the small warship as if born to it. He gestured at his helmsman to take the smaller “Venerable Lamb” between the seemingly abandoned ship and the treacherous rocks that lay on her port-side. It was a dangerous manoeuvre and any other Helmsman might well flinch, but Leita had spent almost fifty years piloting ships around far worse waters than these. The Lamb responded like a lover to his lightest touch. She was not the biggest of ships, nor the fiercest, but for speed and manoeuvrability none could match her. The small crew hastened to carry out their Captains orders.

“Make fast those ropes, hurry boy. We need to draw up alongside her. Leita steady as she goes now, old man.” Tai brushed his long dark hair out of his eyes and started tying it back into a ponytail, he checked the throwing knives on his harness and the twinned short swords that hung on his hips. His first mate, Kato, stepped close. Although shorter by a head than Tai, Kato commanded respect in the men. A veteran of the wars in the South he moved like an old bear, his leather armour tightly fitting on his large frame. His swarthy skin, shaved pate and braided beard contrasted sharply with the ebony of Tai’s skin and his long dark mane of hair, but the two complemented each other well. Kato had taken on the role of a kindly uncle to the young lad, and viewed it his responsibility to keep the youngster safe. He rubbed his bald head and rolled his shoulders, attempting to relieve the tension that had grown ever since the Illustrious had been spotted.

Tai lowered his voice and spoke gently to his second mate. “Be ready for anything, I do not know what she is doing all the way out here and I do not like it one bit.” His mate nodded once and readied himself, clutching his huge hammer in a single hand. The former soldier had quickly won over the respect and affection of the crew since he had arrived in Bastion ten years ago, fleeing the culls and purges that had occurred in the Southern Isles and the Mainland. Many had believed that when the previous Captain of the ‘Lamb’ was given command of the ‘Illustrious fate’, the council would place the ‘Lamb’ under Kato’s captainship. But during that meeting, before any decision could be made, Kato made it clear he did not want to take away command of such a fine ship from one of Bastion’s true sons. Tai’s first action upon taking command was to instate the old soldier as his first mate. The pair had been inseparable since then, both saving the other on multiple occasions.

Before too long they had caught up with the other ship, on their starboard side. The jagged rocks of Ca"th sat to the other side of the Lamb. Close enough to give many of the small crew pause. Many swallowed hard and some clasped icons of faith to the great Lady of the Seven Winds Tri"ate. If the Lamb ran aground here they would be in serious trouble. No ships from Bastion, Exile or even Sanctuary patrolled anywhere near here. All the crew turned and looked up at old man Leita, as with sweat on his brow he nudged the Lamb alongside the other ship. A deep grinding growl emerged from between the two ships as the Iron-Wood of both vessels rubbed against each other. Leita threw the wheel hard to starboard, pushing both ships out into the deeper channel. Away from the rocks the crew visibly relaxed, “Never doubted you for a minute” called Kato in his rough, throaty voice. Some of the crew chuckled gently and the tension seemed to ease, albeit only minutely.

The first of the grapnel hooks landed on the much larger ships rail, the Lamb’s crew were well drilled in boarding actions and although the crew was small each knew their place. Each member of the crew checked his or her weapons and armour one final time, some mouthed silent prayers to whichever deity they were pledged, before pulling taut the grapnel lines. The two ships were tied off alongside each other and the crew of the Lamb began to lay ladders across the gap between the two ships.

“Drop anchor here, I do not want us being dragged back towards those rocks.” Tai ordered as he made his way towards the prow of the ship, “Matai, and Haal up here if you please.” A tall elegant woman and a young-looking boy detached herself from the boarding party making their way towards the prow of the ship. “Haal I need you up in the crow’s nest, it would be a fine mess if we find the Illustrious only to be jumped by Raiders,” Tai turned to the woman as Haal leapt towards and began climbing up the mast making for the crow’s nest, “Matai, I am going to station you here,” he held his hands up to forestall the interruption before continuing. “If we are attacked, you are the finest shot we have. Grab a couple of crew to help you and I want you here. The ship is yours until I get back”.

Tai watched as Matai’s almond coloured eyes widened, he had done her a huge honour and she knew it. Her back straightened “Aye cap"n, I’ll take care of the old gal.” She shot off to grab a couple of crewmen to act as her loaders and spotters for the ballista that sat at the front of the ship.

“Ready lad? “Kato asked, a surprising amount of gentleness in his voice.

“Aye old man, let’s get this done” Tai responded. He jogged to the nearest ladder and gripped a rope. “At my signal lads, all together”. His voice booming across the waters, displaying a confidence he did not in truth feel.

He raised his right arm up, and then dropped it in a chopping motion. The whole boarding party rushed aboard the Illustrious, some scrambling across the gap between the ships on ladders, some swung across on ropes. To a man each landed perfectly on the deck of the Illustrious, separating into small triangles of three fighters all stood back to back. This boarding technique dated back a generation and had been developed by the original Captain of the ‘Lamb’, the current Captain of the ‘Illustrious, Tai’s father; Kai Elen.

Tai landed upon the taller ship’s deck like a cat, straight away he drew his short swords and dropped into a fighting crouch, sweeping the deck with his eyes. Kato on his left and Leita on his right, the helmsman might be older but he was still strong, fierce and a valued fighter. The trio slowly turned surveying the great main deck of the Illustrious. There was nothing, not a sign of any crew, silence hung thick and heavy in the air, broken only by the cawing of a lone Albatross. The Lamb’s crew appeared unsure of themselves, they had swung aboard expecting the worst, scenes of battle they could cope with. Here though there was nothing, no hint of any fight or struggle, simply an empty ship. The cawing of the Albatross began to take on a sinister feel, it’s mocking calls sounded wrong in the morning air. Despite the shining spring sun the crew of the Lamb felt a chill dart up and down their spines. Some made the sign of the Trident, forefinger to thumb, fingers splayed out upon the breast, to stave off any evil that might be lurking aboard the ‘Illustrious’. The wind, so gentle and caressing upon the Lamb, began to grow in strength, knifing through the thin cotton trousers and jerkins that most of the crew favoured.

It was Kato that took over, breaking the silence with a command, “Look alive, men look alive. I want this ship searched top to bottom. It feels like we have a weather front moving in, let’s find the crew or any sign at all of them and then let’s return to our ol’ gal. You, you and you head down below” he indicated three crew members, who began to head off towards the steps leading down to the hold.

Tai drew deep a breath, and tried to focus. His mind leapt back fifteen months to when he had last seen his father, when he had last seen the Illustrious. He replayed the memory briefly in his mind. He watched as the ‘Illustrious Fate’ sailed out of Bastion’s harbour, her pennons and colours snapping in the late summer wind. The huge brass bell of the Temple of the Seven Winds tolled, and the soldiers of the keep beat a furious tattoo upon their drums. The Lamb sailed out alongside the Illustrious, with the sister ships Vigilant and Ever Watchful further out to sea. Tai had turned and saluted his father, and his father had saluted back. He had stood on deck and watched as the ‘Illustrious’ had sailed off over the horizon. Pride swelling his breast, tears rolling down his cheeks.

He prayed a swift prayer to the Lady of the Seven winds, imploring the Goddess to wing his father back to him. He made his way towards the foredeck looking out over the ocean. The sea was as clear and as flat as a pane of glass, but further out he saw a bank of sea mist begin to come rolling in. the wind was indeed turning, becoming cooler and sharper, blowing the fog towards them. Tai estimated that they had about an hour or so before they were enveloped. He willed his men to search faster. The last thing he wanted was to be caught in the fog aboard this ship. He looked across the gap towards the prow of the ‘Lamb’ and waved at the crew he had left there. They snapped a salute back at him, he smiled. He had chosen almost all of his crew; every man and woman aboard had come highly recommended and there was not a soul that he did not trust with his life. The ‘Lamb’ was a small ship and only needed a small crew, thirty men and women before the mast and then the captain, first mate, helmsman and ships boy. Not a huge complement. As such they needed to be close knit and trusting of each other. The crew was like his family, they had laughed together, fought together and mourned together. When his father disappeared, the crew volunteered on the spot to accompany Tai.

Kato had ordered the anchor lowered and the two ships now sat stationary in the current. The waves gently lapping around the hulls. The crew of the Lamb were even now begging to tear apart the larger ship, looking for any clue as to the location of her crew. Tai watched as the fog bank rolled ever closer. A shout broke his reverie.

“Captain, come quick, we’ve found something” the urgent cry came from one of the crew men sent down into the hold. Tai beckoned to Kato to follow him, he passed by a group of crew members trying to force entry into the Captains quarter, and then, preceded by the crew man, he descended into the bowels of the ship.

Even before Tai’s eyes could grow accustomed to the gloom his sense of smell was registering something truly awful. The hold stank like a charnel house, the tang of iron was in the air. Blood had been spilled down here, a lot of blood. But as his eyes grew accustomed to the low light conditions, he could not see a single sign of any spilt blood or even a struggle. Despite his young years Tai had been in enough fights with the Northern Raiders and even a few scuffles with the Southern Pirate Lords to know that blood was hard to get out of Iron-Wood, it tended to stain. yet here there was nothing, he looked to the other men around him, his quizzical expression enough apparently as one of them nodded, “yes Cap’n we can all smell it as well. Blood”

“Is this what you wanted to show me?” Tai responded cautiously.

“No, further along,” the deck hand indicated further into the gloom with his chin, but remained resolutely stood where he was. “if it’s all the same to you Cap, there is no one left alive on this vessel, the boys and I would rather be back on deck. Down here is giving us… well it’s...”

Tai held up his hand, interrupting “I more than understand, go back up onto deck. Help out the others.”

“Keep going down into the hold, you will find it.” With that the three crewmen departed, back up the ladder. Once the crew had left, Tai and Kato began to make their way down into the darkness. The air was cloying, choking them both with its thickness and decay. The further along they went the worse the smell became, both pulled up their neckerchiefs to try and stop some of the stench but to little avail. They passed through the crews sleeping quarters, the rows upon rows of empty hammocks a silent testament to the sheer number of missing men and women. Right at the far end, past all the bunks and chest was a small recess built into the wall. Normally this recess was used by the crew to worship the three Gods of the Corsairs, Lord of the Seas, Lady of the Winds and the King of the Sun, the Holy Trident. But here there were no offerings, no incense burning, no scraps of paper with prayers and votive offerings. Instead here a single statue stood. Made of a dark grey sandstone it stood at a little over six inches tall. It depicted a humanoid figure sat hunched in repose, a hood covering his features, his hands crossed upon his lap, his long legs crossed beneath him. The creature had a huge ridge that ran along his spine, and the proportions of his arms were slightly too long, giving the creature a distinctly simian appearance. Tai felt only malevolence, as if somehow the statue was aware of his presence. He reached out to touch it, Kato moved to stop him, but he was not fast enough. Tai grasped the statue around it’s waist. The temperature in the room dropped. Only by a few degrees at first, but it was continuing to get colder. Tai’s breath gusted out, condensing immediately in little colds of smoke, he shivered in the cold. Gesturing towards the ladder, he and Kato made to leave the icy confines of the Illustrious’ hold.

Whatever the statue was, it did not belong on this ship, but it was the only clue they had about the crew. Tai and Kato made their way back up through the crew quarters and back up the ladder. As they made their way out of the hatch, utter silence fell across the water, nothing moved or called out. No birds cawed no ropes creaked, not even the wind blew. Every crew member stopped in their tracks and slowly turned to face them. Their faces totally blank their eyes twitched and rolled back into their skulls, they simply stared sightlessly. Tai looked across the water and saw that even the crew of the ‘Lamb’ was staring at them. He turned slowly, the fog was almost upon them now, it’s tendrils reaching out to grasp the two ships locked together. Only Kato seemed able to act, he pressed his wide back against Tai and drew his hammer. In a low whisper, he said “We need to get back to the Lamb, you should toss that thing over the side”.

As he spoke those words the entire crew spoke. Their voice soft, but rasping, as if coming from a throat that had never attempted human speech. With a single voice, they said. “The Dreamer stirs in his slumber, the Unknown One will soon wake. We are his Vanguard, the Dwellers in the Deep places, the Agents of his will. The Doom of Man will soon rise, he will make the world anew.”

Tai acted quickly, he spun on his heels and hurled the statue as far as he could. It arced out into the fog and struck the water. As soon as it did so the spell was broken, the crew blinked and seemed to come to themselves. But he knew the danger was by no means passed. Tai ordered everyone off the ship, “This vessel is cursed, damned in the eyes of the Hallowed Trinity. We shall do our duty and consign her to the Lord’s garden. Off all of you back to the Lamb.”

Kato began bellowing orders, harrying the crew back across the ropes and ladders onto the smaller ship. Tai was the last one left on board the Illustrious, he turned slowly and shook his head. His father was dead, there was no other option. He would never have allowed this to have happened on board his ship. His father was a devout man, Tai and his sister had both been named at the altar of the Seven Winds. His father would never have stood for this blasphemy, Tai drew out one of his short swords and very deliberately drove it into the deck of the ship. He turned again and made his way towards the last ladder left across the gap between the Illustrious and the Lamb.

“Are you going to leave that there son?” The voice stopped Tai dead in his tracks. Even though the voice rasped and cracked over its words, it was a voice that Tai recognised. He had heard it since his first day on this earth, it had sung him lullaby’s and taught him to walk. He turned slowly, Captain Kai Elen stood just by the forecastle, near the ballistae. He wore his blue dress coat, and the brass buttons gleamed in what little sun pierced through the fog. The Captain stood hunched over, a heavy ridge grown up on his spine. Scales covered Kai’s face, glinting in blues and muted shades of green. His eyes narrowed to slits and he stepped forwards towards Tai. “Give in my son, the Dwellers will sweep over this world. The Dream will end and the Dreamer will rise.”

Tai blinked back tears and stepped slowly back towards the Lamb, he watched as more and more of the old crew of the ‘Illustrious’ clawed their way out of the depths and climbed onto the deck. Clawed feet and hands digging deep into the Iron-Wood hull of the warship. He saw faces he recognised. Beautiful Illia who had introduced him to the dances of men and women no more than six moons ago, old Lerat who had been his father’s first mate for as long as Tai could recall. The ghastly crew surrounded Tai now, a rough semicircle around him, his back against the railing of the warship. Jagged cutlasses and harpoons began to be drawn, dripping in saltwater. The decay of ages swept off them, threatening to unman him. But there was a good reason Tai had been chosen to captain his ship, he was fast and he was brave. He looked his father dead in the eye, his voice clear and ringing despite the fog, “My father is dead, you are simply a spectre. I will mourn you.”

The Captain smiled in response, he turned to his crew. His voice rasping with lack of use. “Pull up the anchor, set top sails and prepare to give chase. We will put the ‘Lamb’ to bed and then head back to our Master.” He gestured at some of the crew “Bring my son to my quarters.” Six crew men detached themselves from the main group and made their way towards Tai, each one drawing vicious looking weaponry. The stench of desolation roiled off them.

The first crew member leapt forwards brandishing a ragged looked harpoon, he died with one of Tai’s throwing knives lodged in his throat. Tai drew his remaining short sword and another throwing knife. He struck a low guard, waiting to see what the remaining crew would do. He was quicker than them, that much he knew, but he could not traverse the gap between the ships with them so close.

“Seize him,”

Upon hearing the command of their Captain, the former crew of the Illustrious leapt to grab Tai. Tai, however, acted first. He pirouetted like a Toreador, ducking underneath the wild swing that had sought to knock him senseless. Jabbing his blade up under the first crewman’s armpit, he drove it upwards until the tip of his blade found the heart. He released his grip on the short sword and, using the momentum he had gained, he leapt forwards slamming his elbow into the next sailor’s cheek-bone. He felt the bone buckle and break, salt water bubbled up out of the man’s mouth as he collapsed onto the deck.

The two bodies, lay upon the deck, water leaking from their wounds. One dead the other alive but unconscious. Tai drew his last remaining knife.

The remaining three circled him cautiously aware that he has quicker than them, none wanted to be the next to close. A crossbow bolt suddenly flashed across the gap between the two ships. It slammed into one the scaled sailors, driving him off his feet. Tai risked a glance over his shoulder, Kato stood on the railing of the Lamb, rapidly reloading a huge arbalest. The momentary pause was all that Tai needed, he threw his last knife towards one of the remining sailors. Without waiting to see if it struck he leapt blindly across the gap between the two ships.

For a second he seemed to hang in mid-air, then the deck of the Lamb, rushed up to meet him, hard. His ankle buckled beneath him and he struck his forehead against the hard wood. Shaking his head to get rid of the stars he rose, bellowing his commands.

“Kato, get us out of here, Matai punch a hole in the Illustrious’ waterline if you can. Archers target her crew.” His voice rung loud and confident, despite the fear that had nestled deep in his heart. He would mourn his father later, for now they needed to get away from the Illustrious. Cut free of the other ship the Lamb turned, her sails billowing in the gentle breeze. Leita expertly piloting her away from the larger more powerful warship. Speed and manoeuvrability would be their only ally now. Matai sent bolt after bolt at the bigger ship, great scars opened on the hull of the Illustrious. Kato bellowed commands at the Lamb’s archers and they reaped a terrible toll in the crew of the Illustrious.

A huge bolt slammed into the deck of the Lamb crashing through two levels, impaling a crew member against the floor. Blood began to pool in the lower levels of the ship. Another massive bolt smashed through the rear of the ship taking out the Captains quarters, a third scythed through the Archers, killing or maiming most of them. Kato had managed to roll out of the way but was not without wounds, a large piece of shrapnel had imbedded itself in his left arm, just below the elbow. Tai watched as Kato tore a strip of cloth from one of the corpses and began to bind the wound. He nodded fiercely to his Captain. Tai knew the old soldier would be ok, if he could get them all out of here. The Lamb was heavily wounded now. She had little or no hope against the larger more powerful ship in a straight fight, but they could use the terrain to their advantage.

“Leita, pull us closer in towards those reefs, let’s see if my father can keep up”

“aye Cap’n” Came the response.

Another ballista bolt smashed into the Lamb, wood splinters flying up. Tai looked around, the scene was of utter devastation, crew members were doing the best they could but the truth was that they were being battered senseless. The Illustrious was a vast warship, the Lamb was utterly outclassed, it was not a fair fight, like a Fox going against a Mountain Bear. Half his crew was either dead or incapacitated, the rear ballista had been smashed to smithereens, Gods only knew were Matai was. Haal was doing his best to attend to the wounded helping as the ships Bone-Setter moved from body to body, assisting those who could be helped, saying a prayer for those too far gone. The Lamb forced its way closer to the cliffs on the Port-side, their speed increasing all the time. If they could just make it past the Island and into the open fog they stood a chance.

“Dose all lanterns, when we pass those cliffs I want total silence” came the order from Kato as he read his young Captains mind, a great splash came from behind them, the bolt had fallen about ten feet behind them. They were beginning to put some distance between them and the dreaded Illustrious.

Tai called out to his helmsman “get us around that cliff face, and then make for deeper water. Keep us in the fog, and pray to the Seven Winds that it holds.”

The cliff face teemed with sea birds, puffins and Stukas, Albatrosses and the great gulls of the Islands all cawed and called out in a cacophony of sound. Tai allowed himself a moment of triumph, the cliff was his refuge. Once past that they could put some real distance between them and their pursuer. A hundred feet to safety, fifty, thirty, twenty, ten. The Lamb cleared the cliff and began to turn towards safety.

“’Ware to Port, enemy approaches”

Tai spun round as a huge Ballista bolt smashed into the helm, he watched helpless as the mangled body of Leita was tossed overboard into the growing shoal of Grey Sharks following the battered Lamb. He looked back the way it had come, out of the gloom loomed a vast warship. Her name emblazoned on a brass plate, “The Marlin”. A legendary warship, a relic from the Second Corsair War. She disappeared nearly seventy years ago, lost with all hands. All this flashed through Tai’s head in a second, in truth he knew it was too late. At this range, with the Marlin travelling as fast as she was, The Lamb was doomed.

The Marlin’s massive ram, shaped like the huge fish whose name she bore, smashed into the Lamb amidships. Wood tore and groaned, splinters were tossed high into the air, bodies were sent cartwheeling into the sea. The huge vessel tore the Lamb in two. A massive splinter struck Tai in the head, dropping him to his knees. He tried to rise, shaking the stars from his eyes. He knew his ship was dying, nothing could prevent it. Blood flowed freely from his wound, as the Lamb began to splinter into two pieces. He clung to the mast and offered a brief prayer of thanks to the Lady of the Wind for having given him such a fine crew.

A war horn blew from the Marlin, trumpeting in triumph as it forced its huge bulk all the way through the smaller war ship. The blast rung over the screams of the dying and the groans and splinters of the devastated ship. It was answered by another clear ringing trumpet. Tai watched as the Illustrious rounded the cliffs and began making its way leisurely towards the shattered remnants of the Lamb. He saw scaled and hunchback sailors leaping over the sides. Diving into the churning waters they fought the Sharks for the still living sailors of the Lamb. Those of Tai’s crew who had survived were hauled up onto the Illustrious or the Marlin. Tears ran down Tai’s face now, he had failed utterly, his ship destroyed, his crew condemned to Gods only knew what fate. Despair threatened to overwhelm him.

With a tortured groan, the deck buckled underneath him, and the stern portion of the Lamb rolled over. He struck the water hard and darkness took him.