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Lyn got back to the Arin Isle by the time the sun had crested the horizon. She walked to the center of the island, following the trails that were made by footsteps over the centuries of residence. After an hour of walking inland, she saw a fortification built into a series of hills. “I have dealt with the invaders,” Lyn shouted up in Arinol.
The gates opened, and a group of Ari troops came out to meet her. They were dressed in lacquered, wooden armor with inscriptions, had scimitars on their hips, and shortbows with quivers. One of them looked at the boy under her arm questioningly, but they silently led her inside and to a large stone building.
Inside, the elders were seated at a low table. They stood as she entered. “Destroyer,” the oldest said with a bow. “They are all dead?”
Lyn nodded and set the child down, pointing at the reed mat. “Sit,” she ordered him in his home tongue, and he complied. She swapped back to Arinol, “Most of them. One lifeboat was allowed to live to spread word of my power. The ruler of Valagonia has declared a bounty on Ari.” This brought up murmurs of discussion between the elders, and Lyn cleared her throat to quiet them. “You are not safe here, or anywhere near Valagonia, for that matter.”
The elders whispered amongst themselves and the one who had questioned her before stood up, “My Lady …the refugees from Shereld will accept your offer. We will begin packing-”
Another elder spoke up, “Nonsense!” she shouted. “Why should we be afraid of simple mercenaries and desperate humans?”
Lyn shook her head, “There were three ships this time. And this was only the first foray, since you haven’t dealt with this before based upon your reactions to their first appearance.” She sat down and switched to Shereldian, looking at the boy. “What’s your name?”
“Gil,” the boy said quietly.
“How long has this bounty been out on Ari?”
“Umm…a month?”
“And where did you all come from?”
“Brol.”
One of the duchies on the coast, she thought. “Did you go to the Archipelago? A whole bunch of islands?”
He nodded, “That’s when another boat joined. There’re more ships, too, that were getting ready.”
Lyn looked back to the elders and switched back to Arinol, “This was just the first wave. And there were three ships full of sailors. More will come. Many, many more. Those who are fired up with fervor to purge other races are fanatical in their endeavors.” She stood up, “I will give you all one hour. Decide whether you accept my offer or not.” She grabbed Gil by the shoulder, lifted him, and pushed him in front of her as they left the building.
Naila came up to her once they were outside, giving the boy a questioning look before meeting Lyn’s gaze. “We saw the smoke from here.”
Lyn nodded, “I killed many, and left a few alive to spread word of my power.”
“Why take one prisoner?” she asked gesturing to Gil.
“Information,” Lyn stated.
“Do you still need him? Or want him disposed of?”
Lyn shook her head, “No. He is under my protection.”
This drew a scornful glare from Naila, “Why keep one who attacked us alive?”
Lyn gestured for her to walk alongside and left the fortification as other Ari started to return to their homes. “He ran away from home. I can mold him into a loyal servant by treating him well.” She narrowed her gaze, “All races will be treated equally in my empire.”
Naila frowned, “You mistake me, Destroyer. I have no ill will because he is Human. I do not agree with harboring someone who was part of an attacking force.”
“He’s under my protection. He didn’t want to be there, just took the first chance to leave a shitty life behind.” She looked down at the boy who was taking in the sights of the Ari with wonder in his eyes. “I can help him.”
Naila laughed, “Just like the stories of Raevan. Taking in the less fortunate that Aelor spurned.” She looked at Lyn with a fond gaze, “That is admirable.”
“Will you join my cause?”
“Depends on the Conclave’s decision,” Naila replied. “I think being a part of an empire would be wise, especially since Valagonia has declared itself an enemy by placing a bounty on our kind.” She grinned, “I would love to lead a whole armada.”
“Well, I will need an Admiral,” Lyn stated as they arrived at a small town square that was returning to its usual movement and activity with the threat dealt with. “But I don’t just give out roles in my council for free. You have to prove yourself.”
“Oh?”
“Yes. Not in bed, and not in a fight. Prove to me that you can command a fleet.”
Naila crossed her arms, “That will be hard to prove.”
Lyn smirked, “I have my ways.” She looked around and spotted several fruits hanging up on a rope. Bananas. She walked over, grabbed a bunch, and handed one to Gil. She knelt and showed him how to remove the peel, and then took a bite of her own. Fucking missed that flavor, she thought as she savored the taste she hadn’t experienced in years.
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Vinic felt the rocking under him. I’m…on a boat again? It wasn’t the harsh jostling of a lifeboat, but rather the smooth, gentle bobbing of a larger vessel. “Wha?”
A voice approached him, “Well, look who woke up. Thirsty?”
He nodded and forced his eyes open. A young man held a wet sponge in front of him, and he opened his mouth. The attendant pushed the sponge into his mouth, and he squeezed down, drinking deeply from the water that surged into his gullet. “Where am I?”
The attendant put the sponge back into the water bucket, “On a ship. We picked you up about an hour ago.”
Vinic pushed himself upright, “No shit.” He glanced down at his left hand – well, where his left hand used to be. The limb was numb. “Who treated me?”
“You’re looking at him,” the attendant stated. He went to a small, locked cabinet, and opened the front as he removed a roll of bandages that Vinic recognized. Thank Aelor, he thought as he recognized the slight purple hue. Bandages the Alchemist hero had distributed through Princess Cecily’s healthcare system. “We need to replace the bandage,” the attendant said as he came back and began to unwrap the severed appendage.
“What were our losses?” Vinic asked as the scene of that Duskari woman replayed in his mind.
“All except your lifeboat,” the man replied as he began re-wrapping the stump. “One died from his burns – too much pain.” He pointed to the draped figure on another bed.
She slew them all…not surprising. Fucking Duskari bitch. Her power was…indescribable. She wasn’t even using spells as far as he could tell, and yet being near her made his body shake with fear at the strength hidden within. “Where are we heading?”
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“Going to get us some ears,” the attendant replied. “A group of mercs and traders-”
“Turn back!” Vinic shouted as he sat up all the way and kicked his legs over the side. “For Aelor’s sake, we can’t go back there!”
“Yeah, we heard. One Duskari woman destroyed all three ships. The madness of the sea really took you lot, eh?”
Vinic pointed to the stump, “Her blade was made of liquid flame. It seared my wound shut.”
“You all really did go mad out there. One woman couldn’t take out three ships.”
Vinic sighed with exasperation, “Did you fucking ask the other sailors?”
“Aye, our captain got the same story from all of you. He said, and I quote, ‘It’s just some illusion spell. You know the Ari are skilled at spells’. We’re going to go and get us some ears.”
Vinic pushed the man aside and walked down the hall, up the stairs, and onto the deck of the ship. He made his way to the topmost deck. A well-built man, easily in his mid-fifties, stood next to the navigator and helmsman. “Hey! You have to turn the ships around!”
The captain turned, “Ah, one of the survivors. Yeah, we aren’t giving up that bounty.”
“You don’t understand,” Vinic replied. “She told me to send a message. I must get back to Princess Cecily!”
“Not on my fucking boat you’re not,” he replied. “Go back to sick bay.”
Vinic shook his head and went down to the main deck. He spotted a few sailors from his original boat who seemed to be pressed into serving for the time being. He walked next to one, and whispered to him, “I’m leaving with a longboat. Get as many from our old crew as you can. As soon as they engage with that Duskari, we run.”
The man nodded and surreptitiously made his way to another sailor that Vinic recognized from his vessel. He slowly made his way to the longboat hanging off the back of the vessel and tried to appear nonchalant as he leaned against the rail. The man came up and muttered under his breath, “I got three of the lads here.”
“Good. We’re taking this boat and going to the Archipelago. Then, Valagonia.” He shifted his eyes across the group. “Anyone against that?” All of them shook their heads. They had seen the ease which the Duskari woman had dispatched them with. “Remember, once the fighting starts – we run like hell and row the fuck out of here.”
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Lyn stood up as the elders approached her. The oldest of the group bowed deeply, “Your Ladyship.”
“What have you decided?” she asked.
“We will accept your offer of refuge,” he stated. “It will take time to gather our items and voyage with every Ari, but I assure you-”
“Alarm! Alarm!” One of the Ari ran into the town square from the beaches, heaving deep breaths. “More sails on the horizon!”
Fuck, they had another wave that close? The first group must have launched only a few hours before this other group. A vanguard, or the ones who were more eager, or perhaps the more experienced sailors who could coax more speed out of their ships. She looked to the boy and switched to his language, “How many boats were at the port when you left?”
He looked up from his third banana with a neutral expression on his face. He held up his hand, “Five of these.”
“Twenty-five?”
The boy nodded and went back to his banana. Lyn cursed under her breath and switched to Arinol, looking at the Ari who had run from the beach. “How many?”
“Twelve ships, your Ladyship,” she said in between breaths.
Lyn looked to the elders, “I dealt with three. That’s fifteen in total. That means after this wave, there could be a third wave of ten. In fact, I’d anticipate it. They’re here to completely wipe the Ari out.”
Naila looked out to the beaches, “We can assemble our sailors and fight them on the waves.”
“How many?” Lyn asked.
“We have a thousand who can fight on land and sea.”
Lyn shook her head, “How many Ari are here?” Lyn asked.
The elders talked amongst themselves for a moment, “Five thousand, give or take a few.”
“And you have enough ships to ensure that we can evacuate them all?”
“Yes. We have longboats and smaller vessels that will accommodate our population.”
Lyn nodded and looked to the sails on the horizon, “I’ll deal with these fuckers. Get the evacuation underway.”
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Everyone on the decks of the ships were flabbergasted. They could see the Arin Isle off in the distance and saw the longships of the Ari people being loaded up with cargo and people. A single, black armored figure stood on the waters about a thousand feet from the beach. Vinic felt the primal fear race through him, and silently made his way back to the rear of the vessel along with the sailors who had agreed to flee with him.
The booming, draconic growl could be heard across the sea, “I am Lyn Rivers, the Destroyer. Those who come for the lives of the Ari will die.”
That’s our cue. Vinic quickly set to lowering the boat with his one hand. Two of the sailors came over and helped him, and the eleven of them made their way down to the longboat, pulling away. He spotted the armored figure in between the ships as they pulled further away, and he heard her voice once more.
“You will all die here. Every one of you.”
He heard the thrum and twang of ballistae bolts flying, and saw the woman gracefully dodge them. Fucking idiots. He turned to the men, “Faster!” he shouted as he took the rudder oar and glanced back at the Destroyer. He muttered an Elenthir verse of illusion. To those not on the life boat, they would see nothing. They were invisible. I hope to Aelor that she can’t see me. He had to flee. He had to live.
A few seconds passed, and then an enormous fountain of bright, blue lava surged from her and splashed against one of the vessels, incinerating the ship in its entirety.
…She’s a monster. “Row faster!” he shouted as his men pulled hard against the oars.
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Lyn let out a laugh as she felt her prodigious reservoir mana drain as she blasted a vessel with lava. The entire ship burned to the water line and the screams of the crew reached her. It was slightly unsettling, hearing the shouts and screams of the dead and dying. It reminded her of the rebellion against King Kristoph’s father; soldiers who had hostile intent, trying to kill her. And now, they were trying to kill her people.
Lyn felt the Destroyer core pulse within her. They want to harvest the ears of the Ari? They will all die. These are my people. She side-stepped several ballistae bolts and ran forward to the ships. Crossbow bolts joined in the hail coming at her – and she saw the slight glimmer of a few that were mana-charged. Trusting to the strength of her armor, she focused on speed and did not bother dodging. She felt the impact of the bolts and kept going until she reached one of the ships. Jumping straight up, she dug her claw into the side of the ship before hoisting herself up on deck.
Humans, male and female, stood on the deck of the ship. A cry went up and Lyn felt the sizzling heat of her mana core pulsing through her whole body, fueling her internal spell. She carved into the first sailor that rushed at her with a cutlass. He tried to deflect with his blade, but her weapon cut through that and into his neck. His head flew off, and the heat of her blade instantly cauterized the wound.
Ruin, Lyn thought. Ruin them all. Destroy them all. They’re evil, bigoted racists. Kill them all. There was no remorse, no sense of being in the wrong. She was the closest thing to a deity on Ghomar – and she would make the morals. And this? Killing these horrible excuses for people who sought money by killing others? This was righteous in her eyes.
Lyn let out a loud roar and the crew began to rush her. She sliced, slashed, and severed every one of them – none could stand before her might. One man, a huge, beast of a man, dropped to his knees as she killed his allies. “Please…” He groveled before her, “I have children. I’m just trying to provide!”
Lyn walked over to him and willed her boot to recede. She put her foot-claw onto his shoulder and squeezed. He screamed as the razor-sharp points dug into him and firmly held him in place. “The Ari have children as well. And yet you desire to kill them and take their ears?” She shoved him to the ground with her foot before stabbing him in the skull.
Looking up, she saw the other ships moving towards the Arin Isle. No you fucking don’t. She raised her hand towards one of the vessels. “Britha thang dag larthin.” Her mana shot down her channel and exploded from her hand like a tiny line of lava. It impacted the vessel, and then exploded in a surge of lava. She repeated this process, feeling her mana drain with each blast. But, every vessel was burned to the water line within minutes – save for the ship she stood on.
Walking to the rail, she shifted Cataclysm to the bow form and picked off every person. No survivors. No mercy for those who seek to harm my people. She continued to fire shot after shot and only ceased her assault when she heard naught but the creaking of wood, the crackle of embers, and the gentle splash of the waves. That’s that.
She walked across the waves, back to the isle and joined the group of longships preparing the evacuation. Naila shook her head and looked down at Gil, who was looking out at the utter destruction upon the waters. “What about this one?” She asked. “Are we killing off all of them?”
Lyn smiled, “Not him. He is young, he can be changed, taught that Ari are people just like him.” She looked down the beach as the last of the ships were loaded with cargo and passengers. “Right then. Keep our ship towards the rear. I’m going to get us away from the isle.”
Naila nodded and the Ari sailors and civilians set to rowing. The ships lurched out into the ocean and picked up speed as they bounced over the waves. Lyn used the wind spell to amplify her voice, “Form up and close ranks!”
The ships did so, and the various crew members tossed ropes to one another to tether the ships into a single, huge flotilla. And now to speed things up. Lyn willed her boots to recede and planted her clawed feet into the rear of the vessel. "En ethiel an le / aew a aear / an telia nin iest / a ago hain cair / ledh nin i fân lín / a ethra nin / an men."
The ocean bubbled and surged under the linked-together vessels, and every Ari held on tight as the tethered ships lurched forward, wood creaking under the strain, as the ocean itself surged behind them from Lyn’s water elementalism spell. It sped them swiftly towards Ghomar’s main landmass, faster than any boat could row. At least until we get to The Rill. She wouldn’t be able to do this spell when they were there, because the ships would have to navigate winding channels. But this will speed things up considerably.