The Jewel of Turmish - Mel Odom [115]
Haarn glanced at Druz, who stood beside him. The warriors-men and women, humans and elves, with a few dwarves thrown in-all yelled threats at the approaching ships. It was a primitive defense,
Haarn knew, one that was ingrained into every species: act louder and bigger than the opposition, hoping to scare them away.
But how did they hope to scare dead men?
"This is wrong," Haarn said, loud enough to be heard over the crowd.
Druz looked at him from beneath the armored helm she'd been given. Tf it's the crowd you don't like____________________"
Haarn shook his head. The crowd made him claustrophobic, but that wasn't the problem.
They're forgetting that they're not fighting flesh and blood men," Haarn said, glancing around.
The warriors had gathered with the druids, all of them figuring that a show of combined force would bring a swift end to Borran Kiosk.
"Itll work," Druz said.
Haarn knew she was wrong. He looked over the heads of the warriors in front of him. The two small ships that had been hidden away at the sides of the inner harbor broke cover and raced to overtake the bigger ships. Only a handful of men crewed each of the small ships.
The Elder Circle had conspired with members of the Assembly of Stars based in Alaghфn to put the plan into operation. Shinthala Deepcrest had scried a glimpse of Borran Kiosk at the Whamite Isles. They knew from her sighting that the mohrg had recruited troops from the sea zombies dwelling in the waters surrounding the island ruins, but it was only two shiploads. The general consensus was that they were hardly a threat, even though the zombies were difficult to kill.
A familiar scent stirred the air.
Haarn identified it almost immediately as the scent of the skeleton that had almost killed him. They'd never found its trail again, but it would be no surprise that the creature had made its way to Alaghфn to be with its master.
A rousing cheer went up through the crowd as the two small ships closed quickly on Borran Kiosk's pirated vessels.
Putting his doubts aside for a moment, still curious about the scent of the skeleton, Haarn urged Broadfoot forward, breaking the line of warriors ahead of him so he had a better view.
Only a few feet away from the zombie-filled ships, the crew of the two smaller craft set fire to the oil-soaked pay-loads of tinder and pitch that they carried. Flames raged from prow to stern on the two smaller craft, sweeping as high as the masts, catching the oil-drenched sails afire as well.
As heavily laden as the two zombie ships were, they couldn't have taken evasive action even if skilled human crews had been aboard. The two ships careened forward, driven by the wind and tide. The crews of the fireships abandoned their vessels just before impact, diving into the water.
Smaller and lighter than the stolen frigates, the fire-ships struck and broke apart, smashing against the hulls of the bigger ships. The flames spread across the water, floating on the surface, and clung to the bigger ships.
Another rousing cheer went up from the warriors gathered along the dockyards.
"Haarn."
Turning, Haarn found his father standing behind him. "When this happens," Ettrian said, his face grim, "stay close to me."
"Borran Kiosk isn't going to stop," Haarn said, looking around at the cheering crowd.
"All he wants to do is find the five skeletons that carry the jewels," Ettrian said, "and he's going to kill as many of these people as he can to do it."
"We need to warn them!" Haarn shouted over the bedlam.
"There's no way," Ettrian said. "Not over this."
A thousand questions flooded Haarn's mind, but there was no time to ask any of them. He scented the air again, realizing that he had the skeleton's direction now, but he couldn't take his eyes from the carnage about to be unleashed on Alaghфn's dockyards.
Borran Kiosk stood prominently on the flying deck of his commandeered ship.