Chapter eleven

SONG OF THE ABYSS

EVELYN

"Is someone playing music?"

I looked to Amélie just as my own ears twitched, and I caught the faint hint of …something on the wind. "I heard something, but I'm not sure."

Looking around the gondola we all stood in while being lowered to the sea wall, no one else seemed to notice anything, but Haunt was very alert. Kira, who stood behind me, said, "It is likely the wind. There are a lot of lines and sails for it to whistle between."

I shrugged and nodded. It did seem the most likely suspect. I had been surprised that she joined us on the trip down, but she had been adamant about coming with us. She had approached as we were boarding the gondola wearing a very sturdy set of leather armor under an open robe, carrying an ornate recurve bow in her hands and a wooden case on her back. I'd never seen her dressed like that before, and I wasn't going to argue with her. I'd learned that a lot of her reservations in joining us on our more adventurous outings had to do with what she viewed as her own failure to protect her former charge and friend, Princess Soriah, in the fall of West Peak. I understood that pain, and I would never hold it against her. Her sudden decision to join us was unexpected, but I thought it was a good sign that she was recovering.

I gave Haunt a scratch behind the ear, "Kira's probably right. I think that's Septimia over there on the wall, coming to meet us." I couldn't help the eager smile on my face. I'd been looking forward to this for a while.

"Valoranthe Septimia, my lady." Kira gently reminded me. "It would be disrespectful to drop her honorific without her permission."

"Right!" I chimed back with a slight blush. I knew that, but I guess excitement was always going to be my weakness.

I watched her making her way as every soldier she passed quickly moved out of her path and stood at attention. It really just added to her heroic and imposing figure. She was a tall woman, as tall or nearly as tall as every man she passed. Her plate armor was ornate in a way that made me think of the royal guards in Lihume, though every ridge from the elbows, knuckles, and even tips of her boots ended in sharp points. She carried a spear at least a foot taller than she was in her right hand, tapping it along like a walking stick and a hand-and-a-half longsword on her left hip. Her helmet was strapped to the right hip, leaving her wild red hair flaring out from a low ponytail. She looked to be Lilith's age, but the scar across the right side of her face made her look more experienced and somehow more authoritative. When the gondola stopped and we began to unload, she approached, and I could see the expression on her face was a mixture of thankfulness toward the unloading adventurers and apprehension toward me. Of course, that's when Amélie nudged me in the side with her elbow.

"Geez, Evie, you haven't taken your eyes off her at all. Are you already smitten?"

I barely managed to turn my squawk into a snort, "I should have seen that coming.. and yet somehow, I didn't." Before anyone could take serious note of our conversation, I stepped forward with a bright smile and held a hand out to Septimia. "Hello Valoranthe Septimia! I am Lady Evelyn. I have been looking forward to meeting you!"

Ever so carefully, Septimia took my hand, and sounding somewhat disarmed she replied in her gently exotic accent, "Hello, Lady Evelyn. I am honored to finally meet you. Thank you for your assistance with the pirates. I wish I could be welcoming you under better circumstances, but with this new situation, we must see to the defenses." She paused, and I could tell she really didn't want to ask her next question, but she continued, "Do you have any orders?"

I suddenly understood her apprehension. She was worried I was going to step in, take over, and ruin all the work and strategy she had put in place. I gave her a knowing smile, "No, Valoranthe Septimia, but I would be interested to hear our defensive strategy and how we can best be of assistance."

That seemed to drain some of the stress out of her, and she sighed. "From the weather we've been seeing, I assume you have some kind of storm mage with you?" At my smile and nod, she continued, "It would be very helpful if we could clear out all this fog and cloud cover. Keeping the sunlight as long as possible over the water will be good for our archers and artillery. If they still have anything left in them after that, turning the wind away from us would increase the range of our weapons."

"I can do that," I replied, turning and taking a few steps to the crenellations to face out into the cove. For dramatic effect, I raised a hand toward the fog as I focused in on the runes and spirits. It took only a few seconds for the dense fog to fall to the ocean like rain. The wind began to shift just as quickly, and it was only a minute later when I turned back, the sun beginning to shine down on the harbor behind us. It was a lot of magic at once, and perhaps a little rushed to impress Septimia, but I kept my composure against the exhaustion. When I saw her eyebrows raised in surprise, I knew it was worth it. "Anything else?"

"No, my lady. I hadn't realized you were a mage. I assumed with the weapons you were carrying and that bit of armor you were more of the fighter type."

I looked down at my borrowed armor and frowned. I was pretty exposed, wearing just a gambeson and light cuirass with nothing else. I was about to speak when Amélie helpfully chimed in, her voice full of humor, "My dear sister lost most of her equipment in the liberation of West Peak. A nasty spell from a demon. Do not let her attire fool you. She is very capable." When Septimia turned to her, Amélie raised a hand of her own, "I am Lady Amélie. It is an honor to meet you. Evelyn has said only good things about you."

Septimia took her hand and shook it, "The two of you were at the liberation of West Peak? I am certain there are a lot of stories to tell from that."

I caught the glint in Amélie's eyes and answered before she could, "Oh yes! But perhaps those are best kept for later!"

"Of course, my lady," Septimia replied. Looking over our group, she said, "It would likely be best if any casters were to remain with my command staff at the fort in the center of the wall. We have one other group of adventurers on the eastern wall where the goblins look to be focused, so moving another to the western wall would be the most simple action. It will boost the morale of the guardsmen, at the very least, and I'm sure they'd appreciate the reinforcement if anything heads their way. A few hundred goblins won't be much of a challenge in any case. I am most worried about that Abyssal Star," she said with a motion to where we could see it moving just below the waves.

"Valoranthe Septimia, there are at least two thousand goblins," Amélie was quick to correct her, and I nodded.

"Yes, we could see them swimming under the water from above. They are evenly spread out across the cove. It is only on the east where they were dragging the pirates to shore. Perhaps that was intentional."

Septimia looked at me curiously, "Spread out evenly, you say? That sounds abnormally organized for a group of goblins. You may be right. There could be more to this than it seems. Who is leading this adventuring team?"

Derik stepped forward and bowed, "That would be me, Valoranthe Septimia."

She nodded at him, "I will send a page with you to take you to Sargent Mitchell. Please let him know that his soldiers will be seeing more action than expected."

She turned and waved to a young teen who quickly began moving down the seawall and Derik turned to follow him, his team right behind him. Only Lilith stopped with a quick, "Good luck, stay safe!" before sprinting to catch up.

I called behind her, "You too!"

I knew there was a little worry in my voice, but I knew she'd be okay. My escort was down to Amélie, Kira, and Haunt. I forced myself to brighten before turning back to Septimia and finding her giving me a considering look.

With a very slight shake of her head, she continued, "We should head back to the command center. We can see much further from the top of its fortifications."

It only took a couple of seconds this time to realize she was awaiting my permission because I was technically in charge. I nodded, saying, "Please lead the way."

She turned and began walking without any delay, and I realized we'd been taking more time than she was comfortable with. In my defense, this was my first time being in charge of something like this. I sighed, but perked up only a moment later when I realized Mirage was suddenly walking between me and Amélie. I smiled at her and she gave a reserved, concerned smile in return.

"Welcome back! Thank you for taking care of the ships, Mirage." She only gave a slow nod at my words, so I continued, "I'm sorry for dragging you into this stuff. I know you only signed on to teach us. I really appreciate that you're willing to help out."

"Think nothing of it. I truly enjoy our time together, and the well-being of you and your sisters is of utmost importance to me." After a short pause, she sighed and smiled at me, "And I will continue to lend you my aid for as long as you insist on being drawn into peril."

I couldn't help but snort at her playfully chiding tone at the end, and as I rolled my eyes, I reached over and squeezed her hand, "Thanks, Mirage."

Mirage went a little stiff, and Amélie giggled, "Now look what you have done! Do not worry. I am sure that once this mess is all cleaned up, we will have a good long time to relax and focus on more important and peaceful things."

Mirage nodded again, but that brought a new concern to my mind, and I bounced forward a few steps to see an amused Septimia, trying to keep a straight face as I began to walk beside her. "Speaking of getting things cleaned up, how are we going to deal with this Abyssal Star? I mean, I know how we're going to kill it, but afterward, well, its just so big! I have no idea how we're going to deal with it! Won't it be terrible for the ecosystem? And I don't even want to think about the smell of something that big rotting in the harbor."

She raised an eyebrow at my informal attitude but answered anyway, "It will not be as much of a problem as you expect. With the monster hunters in town, we have a lot of experience in taking large sea monsters apart. Much of this beast will be useful as reagents for alchemy and ritual casting. Abyssal stars have meat that is edible, and many parts that can be stored and used as bait by the monster hunting ships. The entire time they'll be working on it, sharks, crabs, and even smaller sea monsters that can survive in the cove will be eating as much as they can, and it will surprise you how much that will be. When our teams have extracted all they can, we will burn as much of what is left as possible and drag the rest back out to sea. The sea monsters will make quick work of it, though leaving the cove will be dangerous for a week or two."

"Oh wow! You didn't even need a moment to think about it! Has something like this happened before?"

Septimia's mask broke just a little, and she let out a very short chuckle. "No, not like this, but some larger things have died in the cove before. It is why we have such complex fortifications. Abyssal stars are not native to the Shallow Sea and should never have come close to the coastline. The thing must be starving to try and go after a town on the shore. It will be a challenge, but we are up to the task."

With those words, she led us into one of the fortifications on the wall. The seawall itself reminded me of a stone wall you'd see around a city in historical movies, and spaced along it, guard towers stood with the wall going right through the middle of them. They had several levels with murder holes for archers to shoot out into the ocean, and each of them had siege equipment on the rooftops with several large trebuchets and around two dozen ballista spread among them. The Command Center was what they called the largest of these tower fortifications, residing at the center of the sea wall. The place had a feeling about it that made me think it was much older than the town above, and as I thought about it, I decided that actually made sense. The coast was dangerous, and the valley above was difficult to access without a ship. This harbor would be useful to any sea-based trade, and the fortifications seemed very strong for such a small town, especially since the town itself had nothing to match it on land. I'd have to look into that sometime.

Still, the fort itself was busy with life, and despite the aura of age, the walls seemed to exude, mana stones brightly lit the place, and the flow of town guards going in and out gave it a lively atmosphere. Septimia led us to a flight of stairs that wound up and around, taking us quickly to the rooftop, where several people stood near or around a table. Most were dressed and armored like the other town guards we'd passed, but those at the table in conversation were more well-dressed and likely higher-ranked town guards. There was also a man who reminded me a bit of Merlin from The Sword in the Stone. Despite the separation from the other guards and the seriousness of the situation, their manner was somewhat casual. I had the feeling all the actual planning at that table was completed before Septimia left to fetch us. They did look up when we approached, however, and when Septimia stopped in a military attention, everyone but the wizardly fellow was quick to snap to the same position before she spoke.

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"Attention!" Her words caused every other guardsman and page on the fort to face her and snap to attention before she continued, "Presenting Lady Evelyn, rightful ruler of Siren's Reach!"

Everyone, including Septimia, bowed low and held it. When they didn't stand again immediately, I was quick to call out, "Please rise!" I had no idea if that was what I was supposed to do, but I was feeling incredibly awkward. Fortunately, everyone stood back up, and I let out a breath… before realizing they were still standing there, waiting for me to say something. Awkwardly, I cleared my throat and began, "Ah, thank you all for the welcome. It is an honor to stand before those who have dedicated their lives to the safety and prosperity of Siren's Reach. I may be new to this role, but I assure you my commitment to this town and its people is unwavering. I will rely on the wisdom and strength of each of you. We don't have much time, however, so let's get to work!"

I felt like I gathered enough confidence by the end to not sound entirely like I had no idea what was going on, and Septimia seemed to agree because she called out, "Carry On!" and everyone quickly turned back to their tasks.

She turned and began leading us toward the nearby leadership. I was about to call her out for putting me on the spot like that, but before I could, she gestured with a hand and said, "Lady Evelyn, these are your commanders: Captain Elias of the town guard, Sir Gareth Redshore of the coastal defenses, and Lord Darius Lirienne, steward of the port."

I quickly arranged my face into a smile and greeted them, "It is very nice to meet you all."

I was surprised to hear that two more members of the leadership were actually nobles, and Merlin was the steward of the port. So much so, that when they introduced a few other high ranking guards and advisors, I nearly missed them, but not so much that I failed to introduce Amélie, Kira, Constance, and Mirage. Before our arrival, the only two mages present were Lord Darius and a member of the adventuring team on the east wall. Hearing that each of us were casters seemed to both shock and relieve them all – especially after we gave them the bad news. They were preparing for a short, familiar fight with some goblins, but with a focus on keeping them away from the siege weapons until the Abyssal Star was dead. It was stressful, but that was mostly due to the Star. Now, things were different. Two thousand or more goblins was a serious problem. They began discussing bringing in conscripts and pulling more guard from the city when I interrupted them.

"You are still aiming all of the artillery at the star. Why don't you switch it to something more appropriate for killing the swarms of goblins in the water and leave the star to Dawn's Light?"

Septimia froze at my words and then looked up at the skyship. After a moment she began to shake her head, but then stopped herself and asked, "Why do you think the skyship can do enough damage on its own?"

I beamed at her. "That's a great question! The primary weapons on the top deck are all artifact repeating heavy ballista. They are twice as large and powerful as those heavy ballista on the wall, and can both fire rapidly and reload more quickly than a standard ballista. They will be firing high quality explosive and incendiary alchemical loads, and can engage the star sooner and for longer than the weapons on the wall can. Even firing only from one side, Dawn's Light should be more than enough to take care of the star while its trapped in the shallow waters of the cove. I expect the moment the ship begins to attack the star, the Goblins will charge in, thinking the town is also engaging and is distracted. So, if you're using weapons that can target them in the water, their rush can be turned into a trap. I can only assume you'd have alchemical explosives that could detonate underwater?" At Septimia's nod, I continued, "The effect would be significantly amplified compared to detonations in the air and if we could get enough of them into the water at once, their charge would turn into a confused mess. Any that survived would be far too disoriented to form up again, and it would take a lot of pressure off of the guards on the wall. Amélie and I can use a skill to watch them approach and signal where they are for targeting. We'd probably only need one volley targeting the goblins, but if it is particularly successful, there may be time for a second to finish off as many as possible away from our soldiers. Then we could have the artillery change their target back to the star."

I could tell from their surprised looks that none of them expected me to have any idea what I was talking about. It was Sir Gareth, the head of Coastal Defense, who broke the silence. "If we're able to tell where they are in the water as they approach, this is a very solid plan. We could load the trebuchets with a dozen Aetherfire bombs in a single shot. They would scatter in the air, and their detonations would wreak havoc on the goblins underwater. Combined with explosive bolts from the ballista, we'd have plenty of overlapping shockwaves in the water."

Darius, who I still had trouble not calling Merlin in my head, asked, "If that is so, why didn't we have a plan to do this before? Even if the numbers were smaller, this sounds like it could have saved a lot of time."

Sir Gareth gave him an understanding nod, "A few reasons. First, in our initial plans, we didn't know about the firepower of the skyship or the number of goblins that were about to attack. Second, and just as importantly, we didn't have a way to know when to fire before. I'm not sure you've ever seen trebuchets used, but to reset their counterweights, reload them, and then aim once again, it will take about ten minutes. We'll only get one shot with them. Lastly, those alchemical bombs are expensive, and this will use dozens of them."

"I'd rather spend the gold than lose the people," I told them, and they all nodded.

Septimia seemed to agree with everything said and drew her finger in a line across the map, "This is where we will engage them with the siege weapons then." And then she drew another line, "So if they are moving a speed to charge, we will need to fire when they reach this line. Will your skill allow you to see and mark that?"

I nodded, but Mirage stepped forward, "I will take care of this. I can conjure illusions to track their movements, invisible to the goblins beneath the waves. It would be wise for Evelyn and Amélie to conserve their magic for other tasks."

Septimia nodded and looked to Sir Gareth, "Then we have updated orders. Have your artillery teams adjust their ammunition and aim. With the goblins increased numbers, we should ensure every soldier has an arbalest and there are enough bolts available. Do we have time for that?"

Gareth looked to one of his advisors who nodded, and said, "I will issue the orders immediately." Then, after a quick bow, he turned and led several of his men away as he issued orders to each.

Septimia turned back to me, "Does this change anything for the skyship?"

I shook my head in the negative, "No, their plan will remain unchanged. You know, that went much faster than I expected. So, I guess now we're just waiting for the enemy to get here?"

She sighed and said, "I can't decide if you're older than you look or just well-educated."

I grinned, "Neither. I mean, I am educated, but I just snuck away from any education relevant to this situation to come and help."

Amélie barked a laugh, "Do not let her fool you. She has a tricky mind and she is a bit of a natural when it comes to dealing with these situations."

I snorted, "Uh, yeah, or I'm just lucky."

Septimia crossed her arms as we spoke, still taking us in when Mirage interrupted by gently clearing her throat. "Perhaps it would be best for both of you to concentrate on the present challenges. Evelyn, you may find it beneficial to meditate to replenish your mana more swiftly. The haste in your storm working was inefficient. Amélie, could you start blessing our soldiers, granting them protection and endurance for the battle to come?"

That stopped us both and we turned to face her with a chastened, "Yes, Mirage."

I spun on my heel and walked to the crenellations at the edge of the fort. Hopping up onto the ledge, I sat down where I could see the water below, crossing my legs and trying to relax. I activated my crown and felt the stiffness in my muscles drain away as the air around me filled with my domains, and mana began to flood back into me. I knew I'd been acting too casual, and it was inappropriate for the situation. I probably should have excused myself from Septimia as well, but I was also sure she was happier with me out of her way. She knew what she was doing, after all, and I didn't think I could have added anything else. I only had ideas from the learning I'd done here combined with high school physics to make a simple plan, and now that I was done that, I felt a little useless. Worse, I was kind of embarrassed with being so excited and unruly in front of Mirage again. There wasn't a real reason for that, but she was always so proper and on top of things, and having her herd us back on task kind of made the mistakes stand out. It wouldn't be as bad if it didn't seem to happen all the time. Well, at least it felt like it happened all the time. The most frustrating part of it was that I was actively trying not to embarrass myself in front of her, and that never seemed to work out. I took a deep breath and tried to push my focus past the whole ordeal and back into meditation before I lost my concentration completely.

I sat like that for a while, my mind quietly drifting while I funneled mana back into myself like a vortex. That was kind of how I saw things in my mind, anyway. I was confident after testing a little that it really did make a difference in helping my mana restore more quickly. It had just sort of come naturally to me once Mirage had begun having me meditate after any magic lessons, but I was kind of nervous to discuss it with her. At first, I had this weird fear that I'd sound like a foolish kid imagining something silly, but now I was thinking the next time we sat down to talk, I'd bring it up. If I was right, she might even know a better technique to make things regenerate faster. It was with those thoughts in my mind that I saw the brightness of Amélie's magic enter the vortex and felt the familiar blessing of protection take hold on me. My eyes popped open, and I turned my head to find Mirage sitting on the crenellation next to mine, meditating herself, and Amélie standing on the ground between us.

I grinned at her, "That was quick!"

Amélie raised an eyebrow, "It has been an hour, Evie. How much mana did you use earlier?"

I cleared my throat, "Oh uh, well, just a little more than normal. But look! Its really nice out now!"

And, it was. Except for the giant monster that was getting far too close for comfort. It really had been an hour! I looked around quickly, but found Kira sitting nearby with Haunt and keeping him out of trouble and smiled my thanks. Amélie wasn't having any of that, and my gaze snapped back to her.

She just crossed her arms and glared at me for a few seconds before the corner of her lip finally twitched, "Okay, it is very nice out now, but it is almost time. We should join back up with Septimia and see how we can help."

I blinked at her, "You're going to fight? I thought you would want to stick to healing. Aren't you exhausted from all the casting?"

"No, unlike some people around here, I pace myself. Also, I had Constance walking with me and making me take breaks. Anyway, I will help with healing when needed, but I am going to stay with you and Mirage. I can go help others if something comes up, but knowing how these things usually go, you will need me more than anyone else."

I snorted at her, "Oh wow, the faith is overwhelming. I feel so reassured now!" She shot me a grin, and I hopped down beside her, "Thanks, Amélie."

"You've been spending too much time with Sibyl," She began, but her mouth snapped shut when both of our ears twitched at something we couldn't quite hear, and I couldn't help but notice Mirage's head twitch as her focus reached out in the same direction. Together, Amélie and I stepped to lean on the fortification and focus out on the water. It was incredibly weird. It was almost like there was a melody on the wind, and as it rippled out across the water, something seemed to change. I couldn't see anything, but I could feel it. I pushed into my spiritual senses and blinked a few times as I watched the water again. I could see the same auras of the goblins, all much closer, and moving like waves, they were suddenly pushing into perfectly organized lines. I didn't know much about goblins other than they were huge jerks, but I got the impression organization wasn't exactly their strong point. I opened my mouth to say something when green rectangles began to shimmer to life just above the water. It was clear almost immediately how they were laid out that they were boxing in the formations of Goblins. A moment later, targets began appearing in the water in the path of the moving formations. The magic and.. well, even math being put on display was incredible, and I couldn't help but gawk.

I was distracted from my wonder by Mirage's voice. "It's time. Our allies must initiate their attack soon. The goblins will not delay; they are preparing to charge now."

"Right!" I didn't need to be told twice. Without a word, I used [Squall Step] and appeared beside Septimia and Constance at the planning table. She nearly jumped out of her boots, but I ignored that, "The goblin's just formed up and will charge immediately. Targets are marked, we need to fire as soon as possible."

Her mouth opened and closed, as she took in my words, but with no more hesitation than that, she yelled out, "Sound the alarm! Flags, signal all Artillery to target and fire!"

Constance met eyes with Septimia and said, "I will go control the fires." As she started to walk, she told me, "Evelyn, please keep an eye on your sister."

I just blinked, but suddenly, movement was everywhere, and within seconds, the loud cranking of the trebuchet platforms pulled my attention away as they all began to turn and refocus their aim. The walls were filling with soldiers who were all checking their weapons and aiming their arbalests between the crenellations. Younger boys and girls began rushing around with messages or carrying supplies, and I realized I should do the same. As I took my bag off my back and began to take out my longbow and a few quivers of arrows, Septimia turned back to me.

"You can teleport? I thought you were a Storm Mage?"

I couldn't help but grin, "Yeah, sort of. That was actually a storm-based spell. It's not exactly teleporting, but it's close enough that it usually doesn't matter."

"It is impressive either way. It must be convenient for staying safe on the battlefield."

I gave a helpless shrug, "It probably could be! You know, I don't think anyone has ever referred to anything I've done with my spells or skills before as safe, though. I'll have to give it some thought!"

"What?" She asked, but I only winked.

"Come on, let's go see how the opening salvos go! I have a feeling Commander Aric will begin firing as soon as he sees your artillery open up!"

I didn't wait to see if she followed, and quickly moved back to the fortifications, bouncing up on the crenellation I'd been meditating on. Mirage was still on top of hers to keep a clear line of sight for her magic, and Amélie had climbed up to stand beside her, likely to keep her protected just in case. With the soldiers in the way, it was the only place to stand with a clear line of sight now anyway. I was too short to see over them otherwise. I was going to invite Kira to join me, but when I turned to look for her, I found her standing near the planning table trying to keep Haunt calm, and nearly facepalmed for not thinking of that. I had no idea how he'd react to the noise. Before I could do anything, she nodded to let me know she was okay, so I returned the gesture and turned back to watch the water below. I was just in time. It was only a few seconds later when shouts of soldiers calling out commands and the loud cracks of release mechanisms heralded the beginning of the battle. The tension of so much weight and force seemed to vibrate the air, as the wood of the war machines creaked and strained under pressure. The counterweights slammed their kinetic energy into the throwing arms, sending them into motion with a violent whoosh of air. A sharp whipcrack followed as the slings snapped taut against their loads, and moments later, the sky was filled with missiles arching toward the monsters below.