The Lost Ones 23.

Summer. Solma. Dreese.

They wait in a midships, watching the battle out on the lagoon and on the beach up ahead.
Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy turns to some of the crew and says "You four with us".
"Why?" asks one of the crew. "Because i said so" says the elf from the Southlands.
Who briefly pauses as the catapult on the bow deck lobs another shot off towards the beach, then he adds "And to relieve those four coming back this way". As he points at a dingy that's come back through a gap in the reef, and is heading towards the twin, masted ship.
The sailor who spoke up, looks around, and spots a nearby bosun. Who nods his head to him. Then glances to aft.
The sailor who questioned the elven spy from the principality of Alínlae. Looks that way, and sees the mercenary called the dead man, standing next to the captain, looking this way.
The sailor gulps, then says to the spy Tanith "Of course" followed by "We will".
The three other sailors who were picked out with him, nod in agreement after glancing back towards the aft deck. And seeing the large figure in the dark blue, black heavy plate armour, looking directly at them.
To put the four sailors at ease, Dalinvardél Tanith, or Dalin as he's more commonly called by the others in the group, tells them "Not to worry, we're not going onto the beach".
Next to him, Beldane the cleric nods in agreement. And the four sailors are glad they're not going to the beach itself.
Which some of the Sultan's soldiers and personal guards have reached, and are now fighting the enemy, the Viceroy's forces.
The returning dinghy, bumps up alongside the starboard side of the twin masted sailing ship.
And the four sailors who were rowing it, tie it up to the cargo netting hanging down the starboard side of the ship.
Then they climb up the netting, they have to be helped over the starboard rail as they're so exhausted. As they rowed back to the ship a hell of a lot quicker than they did going through the reef, and into the lagoon.
"You four overboard" says Dalin to the four sailors he picked out to row the dinghy.
The four crew members climb over the starboard rail, and make their way down to the dinghy.
They're followed by the elf from the principality of Alínlae, and the fighting cleric from the kingdom of Nastell.
Two nations in the Southlands, which is on the otherside of the continent from the Sultanate of Dreese.
"Dalin and Beldane are going" says Jarjin Littlefoot the hobbit in the language of the halflings.
Next to the hobbit who was formerly an air sailor in the Viceroy's forces. Lord Farque slightly nods his full helmed head as the elven spy and the fighting cleric go over the starboard rail.
Then the undead warlord glances up into the midday sky. And a moment later, a couple of magetubes on one of the Sultan's airships fires down at the island of Solma.
"Tell those fucking idiots up there to stop firing" says lord Farque to the ship's spellcaster, who is here on the aft deck with the captain, and a few of the other ship's officers.
"They'll hit our men on the beach if they keep doing that" adds the undead warlord who is speaking in the local dialect. As the Dreesians find it easier to communicate in that, compared to the common language.
"If they want to keep firing, have them go around, and shoot down at the enemy further inland" continues the heavily armoured deathlord, who then silently, and dryly adds, i hope the fuckers get shot down as they do.
"Yes sir" says the spellcaster who is a sorcerer, who is thankful that he serves in the fleet. And is not one of the spellcasters in the Sultan's cadre.
The lord and ruler of the lands Farque. Who has ulterior plans for what's actually happening.
Wants the Sultan's army and detachment of personal guards, to take fairly heavy losses as they storm the island of Solma.
But he doesn't want it to be in a totally incompetent, and obvious manner. Like getting shot by their own airships.
He basically says as much, when he says to those on the aft deck with him and Jarjin Littlefoot "Thank fuck the Sultan has few magetubes". As there's only three airships in his fleet that does. And the most on one airship is a dozen.
"Or those silly fuckers up there will be shooting our own troops as much as the enemy" adds the lord of the death realm.
The ship's captain, his officers including the sorcerer, nod and murmur in agreement.
As they too can see that their own magetubes onboard three of the Sultan's airships. Are just as likely to hit their own troops as much as they would the enemy.
Lord Farque or Draugadrottin as he's also called by the people of his lands, notices Jarjin Littlefoot glance sideways, and up at him.
In the halfling language, which no one else onboard understands apart from the two of them, the heavily armoured deathlord quietly says "Have to make their losses look like hard work, fighting the enemy. Not fucking incompetence on my part, allowing their own airships to kill as many of their own, as much as they do the enemy".
The former air sailor in the Viceroy's forces, who in actual fact, is really a hordes outrider from the southern tundra by the name of Zubutai Timaginson, who just happens to find himself inhabiting the body of Jarjin Littlefoot.
Nods his head, as he knows that the undead warlord wants the Sultan's army and personal guards to take significant losses as they land upon the south side of the island of Solma.
The halfling from the mainland of the Sultanate of Dreese, along with the rest of the group of Southlanders.
Just don't know why the lord of the death realm wants the Sultan's forces to take some many losses. But they suspect it has something to do with the terms of their hire. And getting Mira Reinholt the mage back.
The former air sailor in the Viceroy's forces, and the heavily armoured deathlord look away to starboard after the captain says "Looks like that little island hopper is going for it".
The ship's captain asks the lord of the death realm "Think it will make it sir?".
"Maybe" replies Draugadrottin, who hasn't given any orders for the smallest of the sailing ships, that are known as island hoppers. To not attempt to go for the lagoon through the larger gaps in the reef.
He kind of hopes more of them do, and that they fail and end up on the reef.
"Let's see if they make it" says lord Farque, who has the elven name of Des'tier, which translates to, The Destroyer.
After getting through one of the gaps in the reef, and entering the wide lagoon here on the south side of the island of Solma.
Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy orders the sailors to row away to the right, and to keep parallel with the reef, that's a crescent shape, and goes nearly two miles in length, from end to end.
You can get around the east end of the reef. But it's so shallow there, that even dinghies and ship's boats would bottom out, hundreds of feet from the island.
You'd be walking a long way to get to the beach. Making you an easy target for the enemy on the beach, in their defensive positions behind walls of sand bags.
"There's one" says Beldane the cleric who points to a soldier floating in the water.
They row towards him. As they do, the spy Tanith looks back, out to the open ocean, and says "Looks like one of those coastal huggers is going to go for it".
"Good luck to them" says one of the sailors manning the oars, who continues with "They're going to need it".
While one of the other oarsman says "I'd rather chance it here in the lagoon in a dinghy than go for a gap onboard one of the island hoppers".
The other sailors nod in agreement, and after they get to the soldier floating in the water, who they find dead.
They all look back at the small sailing ship, that's moving towards the reef, as it attempts to enter the lagoon.
"Looks like they're going for the same gap we came through" says the sailor who questioned the spy Tanith when they were onboard the twin, masted ship.
They continue to watch the progress of the small single masted ship, the coastal hugger, or island hopper as they're commonly referred to.
As Dalinvardél Tanith directs them towards an overturned dinghy, that's been hit by some rocks flung by an enemy catapult, and has a soldier, and a couple of sailors clinging to it.
As they haul the soldier, and the two sailors onboard. One of whom has been bitten on the right leg by a small reef shark. Which the cleric in the church of Glaine quickly attends to.
The island hopper approaches the gap in the reef, that they themselves came through in their dinghy.
"If they get a good wave, a long roller, they might get through unscathed" says one of the sailors manning the oars.
A few moments later, even from where they are. They hear a loud scrapping sound as the small, single masted ship hits the reef.
The vessel, that's under fifty foot in length. Briefly comes to a sudden stop, throwing some of the soldiers, guards and sailors on it, overboard.
Before momentum pushes it through the gap they were attempting to go through.
The island hopper makes it into the lagoon. It's listing badly to port, and fairly soon by the looks of things, it will be on its side.
The soldiers and guards onboard, are abandoning ship, as the island hopper lists further and further to port.
"So much for getting through" dryly says the spy Tanith, next to him on the center bench. Beldane who has just healed the soldier they got out of the water, who was bitten by a small reef shark.
Nods his head in agreement with his fellow Southlander, who adds "Now that ship is blocking that gap in the reef, and we'll have to find another way out onto the open water".
"Should we go over and help them?" asks one of the sailors rowing the dinghy.
"No" says the elven spy who served in one of the more prominent noble houses of his homeland, before he joined the group.
"Definitely not" adds Dalin, who before the sailor can ask him why not? The spy Tanith says "Because of that".
As a missile shot from a ballista on the beach. Slams into the bow of the crippled island hopper, that's continuing to list to port.
Another shot from an enemy ballista, slams into the mast and rigging. Hitting a few people still onboard it.
While rocks shot from a catapult up behind the beach, pepper the front of the small, single masted ship. And the water infront of it. Hitting many in the water who were flung from the ship, and others who have jumped overboard.
"Definitely that's why we're not going there" says Beldane the cleric as he reiterates what the elven spy just said.
The powerful spellcaster from the kingdom of Nastell, points away to the west, the direction they're heading, parallel to the reef.
And he says "There's more in the water that way" followed by "Let's see if we can help them".
"Well, they sure fucked that up" dryly says lord Farque as he looks at the coastal hugger that's dead in the water, listing more than forty five degrees to port, as it's just barely into the lagoon.
The undead warlord looks away to the right, and spots the dinghy that Beldane the cleric and Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy are in.
And see that they're sticking fairly close to the reef as they move parallel to it. Keeping well out of trouble. And not staying still, so they're not a target for the enemy on the beach. And those up amongst the trees behind the beach.
As one of the two ballistas up on the bow shoots off another missile towards the enemy on the beach.
Aiming for one of the structures that's not directly under attack from the Sultan's soldiers and personal guards who have made it onto the beach.
The undead warlord turns and looks back up into the sky on this warm, tropical summer day here in the islands off the coast of the mainland of the Sultanate of Dreese.
"What is it?" quietly asks Jarjin Littlefoot, who after spending a brief amount of time forward with Tovis the war engineer on the bow deck. Is back aft, with the heavily armoured deathlord, the ship's captain, the ship's spellcaster, and some of the officers onboard the twin masted sailing ship.
"That fat cunt and his ship are coming in" quietly says the lord and ruler of the lands Farque in the halfling language.
Draugadrottin switches to the local dialect, and says to those here on the aft deck "The Sultan and his ship are approaching".
They all look back to the south in the sky. And see the flag ship of the fleet, approaching the island of Solma.
The Sultan of Dreese and his airship has been back out of the way, a few miles south of Solma. Now the fleet's flagship is coming in.
"Think he'll have his spellcasters join in?" asks Jarjin aka Zubutai Timaginson in the local dialect.
"Maybe" says the lord of the death realm, who continues with "I sent them a message earlier to come in once they think it's the right time to do so".
The deathlord of Farque shrugs his broad, heavily armoured shoulders as to what he thinks the cadre of the Sultan's spellcasters will actually do.
For though Des'tier is basically in command of the Sultan's forces as they fight against the Viceroy and his forces.
The undead being from the otherside of the continent has absolutely no control over the Sultan and his cadre of spellcasters.
The lord and ruler of the lands Farque says to the sorcerer here on the aft deck of the twin masted sailing ship "Keep an eye out for when they do something" as he nods in the direction of the Sultan's flag ship.
"I can't exactly control what they do" dryly says lord Farque, who continues with "And if they decide to attack the enemy on the beach directly, then there's fuck all i can do for our troops on the beach already".
Next to the helmsman, the ship's captain winces, as do a number of the officers.
As they know the mercenary they call the dead man speaks the truth. As they've all seen in the past, including during this campaign against the Viceroy and his forces.
That the cadre of spellcasters under the control of the Sultan of Dreese. Are just as likely to kill those on their own side, as they are the enemy.
At least in the last two battles on islands further south. The Sultan's cadre of spellcasters directed their energies and spellwork at enemy airships, and no one else.
But as of yet, they've seen no enemy airships on the south side of Solma. So there's a good chance that the Sultan's cadre of spellcasters could very well endanger their own troops if they decide to attack the enemy on the beach, and amongst the trees up from it.
"Move the ship to starboard so the catapult can get a clear shot without that damn piece of shit in the way" says Des'tier to the captain as he gestures at the island hopper, that's almost over on it's port side now, as it wallows in the shallow waters of the lagoon, just over on the otherside of the reef.
"Yes sir" says the ship's captain, who then starts calling out orders. And a few moments later, the twin masted sailing ship starts drifting to starboard.
As it does, and as more dinghies and boats make their way out of the lagoon, and return to the open water of the ocean.
Jarjin Littlefoot, who is a member of the personal council to the lord and ruler of the lands Farque, quietly says in the hobbit language to the heavily armoured deathlord "Not much in the way of spells being cast".
"Typical battle magic" says the lord of the death realm in the same language "No one really wants to cast and make themselves a target" adds Draugadrottin, who then mutters "Fucking pussies".
The undead warlord, then looks back to the south, then quietly says "Though that could very well change any moment now". As the Sultan's airship is less than a mile away. The flagship of the fleet will soon be here, and anything is likely to happen when it gets here.
"How's your wards?" asks lord Farque in the local dialect as he looks at the sorcerer standing next to the captain, who is behind the helmsman at the wheel.
"Fairly strong" replies the spellcaster who is an officer in the Sultan's sea going fleet.
"Think I'll need to put them up infront of the bow?" asks the sorcerer, a man like the ship's captain, is typical of the people of Dreese, not particularly tall, and is olive or tan skinned.
"Not infront of us" says the undead being who absolutely towers over everyone onboard.
Des'tier as he's known in the elven language briefly pauses, before he points straight up, and says "Above us".
The sorcerer grimaces as he quickly catches on to what the lord of the death realm is referring to.
"I'll see what i can do" says the ship's spellcaster as he contemplates protecting the twin masted vessel from his own Sultan, and the cadre of spellcasters the Sultan of Dreese has at his disposal.
"Prepare to go overboard" quietly says lord Farque in the halfling language to Jarjin aka Zubutai the son of Timagin.
"I don't trust that fat fuck one bit" continues the lord of the death realm, who then tells the former air sailor next to him "I wouldn't put it past him, to attack us directly, and call it a fucking mistake as often happens in battle" he then adds "Which could very well happen anyway, considering the way those fucking pet spellcasters of his act in battle".
"Hell" mutters the halfling from the mainland of Dreese, who doesn't fancy going in the water any time soon.
Though he doesn't like getting attacked, accidentally or otherwise. By twenty spellcasters who don't have full control over themselves, as they're under the control of the Sultan of Dreese.
Lord Farque doesn't even look back, as he senses the Sultan's airship picking up speed.
"They're coming in quick" says the undead warlord to those on the aft deck with him and Jarjin Littlefoot.
"Get ready for anything" adds the heavily armoured deathlord, as the flagship up in the midday sky quickly approaches the south side of the island of Solma . . . . . .