Oath-Graven Diamond:Act7
Venusday, 20th of Ascending Wood, RY 768
We left Wormwood before dawn in Hazaad's ships, not beautiful, but servicable. The morning dawned a dusty red, as it often does in the south. Hot as it was, I decided to leave my armor off until shortly before the attack. We sailed south from Chiaroscuro, along the course of the convoy, and finally sighted their sand plumes in the distance. As Hazaad brought us in behind the ships, we noticed a sandstorm brewing behind us--the raid would have to move fast.
Hiding in the sand plumes until the last moments, the galleys had but little warning when his two trailing ships grappled the hindmost galleys -- depositing my allies on those ships in the process, with the intent to leap to the escort ships -- while I remained aboard Hazaad's sandship to storm to the lead galley. I immediately cut the mast to slow them, then used it to sweep the deck of resistance.
Within seconds, however, the escorts each released a Fang of odd hovering vehicles with an amazing turn of speed. I later learned they are called "Swift Riders", essence-powered attack vehicles designed during the First Age. I hurled the broken mast at them, but they simply leaped over it with no apparent trouble. As they flew onto the deck, the riders rolled off their vehicles and the long spears they held fired bolts of intense fire at me, hotter by far than Eino's firewands. Though I managed to block the blasts by smashing up some deck planks I knew I must avoid being hit at all costs. I abandoned the deck for one of the Swift Riders and launched a bolt of solar fire at one of the riders. He was blown clear of the deck by the force of my blow.
The Swift Rider came alive in my hands--not unlike guiding a docile horse, albeit one who goes only where you guide it. I rolled beneath the Swift Rider to pick up the fallen flame lance; though I would never replace Ten Thousand Falling Tears, I am intrigued and would examine these artifacts more closely.
I impaled another rider from his mount, collecting his spear in the process as well. The other rider I could see performed some motion and blurred into invisibility as he dropped into the sand, and then the sandstorm was upon us. I made for the nearest ship and left my Swift Rider tangled in the rigging while I cut through the deck to escape the stinging sand--and landed among the slaves in the hold. It was the work of moments to cut the bars from each cage. What monstrous men could keep their fellows in such conditions--fellows who have done nothing wrong besides lacking the protection of the Realm?
I began to arm the dhala from the spears I had brought along, but quickly ran out. I had not expected so many. They are resourceful people, however, and armed themselves from the fallen guards, the cut iron bars, anything that could be pressed into service. Together we quickly stormed the craft. As we battled, however, a series of loud blasts overwhelmed the roar of the storm. Eino had detonated several barrels of firedust. The brilliant beacon shining through the sand was the caravan captain, I later learned, blazing like the sun himself as he battled Eino on deck. Then, all at once, the sandstorm was blown apart as Eino hung in midair, his hand clasped with the dragonblood's as he sealed an accord. The battle was over.
I let my anima flare in greeting and stepped from the disabled ship. Our anima banners still danced as we collected the surviving Guildsmen and dhala between the ships, and I stood to speak upon a dune beside Eino and the caravan leader while Fox joined the throng below.
"In the beginning..."
