The fog was thick in the
early morning, obscuring much of the coast and making anything more
than a few feet away invisible in the soupy gray. To Tobies, even the
top of the ship's mast was invisible, the fog covering it and the ship's
sail as if they weren't there. The rest of the small cutter looked
quite the same, with the crew moving about as half-seen ghosts once they
were out of his immediate vicinity. The paladin looked down, staring
hard into the rolling cloud banks around them, as if trying to see
through them to the coastline beyond. He brought a tin mug up to his
lips, taking a long sip of the steaming hot coffee the crew had made.
He'd set out before the sun had risen, taking a few of the Order's new paladin recruits with him. The ship had sailed in the early morning up the coast towards the shores that once were the domain of the human kingdom of Lordaeron, and now were nothing but lifeless Forsaken territory. After his discussion with Ady yesterday, it had seemed prudent to begin scouting so that they could plan their next steps.
It was time to put some more living dead to rest.
Tobies grinned, taking another sip of the black coffee and looking out in the clouds. Once they cleared with the morning's light, the ship would put him and his small group of men on shore so they could scout. They'd return via land to Refuge Point and he'd be back in Stormwind by the evening. It was a good plan, and now he just had to wait for nature to cooperate. Even as the thought passed through his mind, he heard a strange creaking in the mists around them, and he immediately tensed, turning to peer towards where the sound might be coming from.
He had only a moment to wait before a huge shape loomed out of the billowing clouds around them, a Forsaken warship drifting silently through the water towards them. It towered over the smaller alliance cutter, and Tobies immediately knew they were in trouble; there were likely over fifty seasoned fighters on a ship of that size. Even as the crew started shouting in alarm he turned towards the men he'd brought, his voice calm and controlled and cutting through the rising chaos with professional ease, "To arms! Two of you go release the horses below decks. We might need to swim for it and we'll need them! Go now!"
As the Order troops began to move, the Forsaken warship came up alongside the cutter. Hissing catcalls in gutterspeak rained down on the alliance crew as grappling hooks were deployed. The metal heads of the hooks struck the cutter's rigging and several objects on the deck, catching fast and pulling the smaller ship along the hull of the huge warship. Immediately Forsaken began to jump down to the smaller ship's deck and battle was joined in earnest.
Tobies was no green recruit; he knew that they were vastly outnumbered. If something wasn't done right away, the entire crew of the alliance cutter would be slaughtered and likely raised as new Forsaken. He had to act quickly before it was too late. Without hesitation, he drew his sword and shield, running along the edge of the deck closest to the Forsaken warship. He battered a few assailants out of the way with the huge piece of steel in his hands, running up to a point on the larger warship's hull. Due to its size and the way it was sitting in the water, one of the cabins was alongside the cutter. Its window was just about the right height and distance, and Tobies knew it was their only shot.
He jumped.
His body sailed through the air, colliding with the decorative glass window of the warship. The glass shattered around him and he rolled once on his knees at it clattered to the floor of the cabin. The room he'd entered was unoccupied, but he knew he had to move quickly. Behind him the shouts and sounds of fierce fighting could be heard through the shattered opening.
Rising to his feet, Tobies surged into the corridor outside the cabin, encountering no resistance. Immediately he spied what he was looking for; a ladder down. Without hesitation he jumped down to the floor below, not even bothering to use the rungs. His heavily armored body thudded onto the wooden deck of the ship's gundeck, where two Forsaken lounged around; the cannons had not been needed to attack such a small vessel.
Upon seeing the human, the undead yelled and began to draw their weapons, but they were no match for the seasoned fighter. Tobies rushed them, his shield leading and plowing into the closest enemies. It had about the same effect as a full grown horse running into a man, and the undead creature was hurled back. Tobies followed up with his blade, the weapon leaving a glittering after-image of glowing Holy Light as it cut through the air and into the second of his enemies, cleaving him nearly in two from the force of the blow.
As his first opponent fell lifeless to the deck, the second Forsaken picked himself up and rushed the paladin. He was rewarded for his efforts by receiving the flat of the paladin's shield right to his face. Metal clattered as the Forsaken's body tumbled to the deck a second time, and this time a heavy greave rushed down onto the fallen enemy's neck, snapping it. Tobies stepped over his dead enemies, not giving them another thought as he eyed his objective.
In front of him, the door to the cannon armory was wide opened, barrels of gunpowder waiting to be used in the cannons. Tobies looked at them thoughtfully for a moment and then nodded, taking out a small silver flask. He smiled as he looked at it, "I'm sure Father Grigori won't mind me using a bit of his private stock for this."
With that the paladin upended the flask, spilling the high proof alcohol along the deck. After he'd made a nice puddle he slid the still open flask down the deck and into the armory, a trail of glistening liquid leaking out behind it. With a smile, Tobies took out a gnomish lighter and lit it. He let it slip from his fingers and into the puddle of spirits, watching as they ignited.
Then he ran.
His plate armor clanked as he pounded up the ladder and then down the corridor above. A foot lashed out and kicked open the door at the end, revealing the deck of the Forsaken ship beyond and the swirling melee on the alliance cutter below. Several Forsaken turned, drawing weapons to block the human's path as he surged from the doorway. Tobies grinned, calling on the Light to aid him as he charged forward. To the Forsaken, the man had an aftereffect of glowing wings trailing away behind him as the Light surged in him.
His body slammed into the nearest enemies, his huge form bowling them over like they were not even impediments. His blade came up, blocking a slashing attack at his unarmored head as his shield slammed into another enemy and threw them away. He was heavily outnumbered, but his objective was not to stay and fight, it was to get free. He ran past those he had knocked down, dodging a few more strikes and then leaping into the air towards the cutter below.
And then time ran out.
The fire burned through the casks of gunpowder on the deck below and the powder detonated. The deck of the Forsaken ship seemed to heave upwards as a massive blast hulled the ship. Tobies felt the shockwave behind him as he sailed through the air. It picked him up and hurled him far out over the cutter and into the swirling fog and dark water beyond.
As he plunged into the water, combatants from the cutter were hurled into the depths with him as the explosion sank the warship and flipped the cutter over. Supplies, equipment, weapons, rigging, and ship parts plunged into the water all around him. His plate armor dragged him to the bottom, and he immediately calmed himself and opened his eyes. Using the glowing orange of the burning enemy ship behind him as a guide, he began to walk and hop along the bottom of the ocean floor towards where he presumed the shore was. They had been close, and it was his only hope.
Just as he thought his breath was about to give way in the depths he felt the floor of the ocean rising. Hope surging, he quickened his pace and a few jump-steps later his head broke the surface of the water. He inhaled deeply, sinking back down and hopping further inland until he could walk and drag himself from the ocean. Behind him, the orange glow of the burning ships lit the mists as the two vessels burned and sank.
A few other ragged looking survivors of the cutter slowly dragged themselves from the water. Tobies was proud to see that three members of his Order had also survived, their black and gold tabards dripping water and the blood of enemies spattered on them. He nodded at them once as they began to pick other survivors and a few pieces of useful equipment from the sea.
A short time later a band of survivors had gathered on the sands. Looking them over, Tobies again felt a surge of pride. Both his own men and the crew had survived something that should have been their deaths, and they knew it. Each of them had a grim expression on his face, each held their weapon tightly, ready to defend their new-found second chance at life. He grinned and clapped the nearest of them on the shoulder.
"Well done men. That was a tight spot there, but we got through it," he said, his voice confident. "Now we've a long journey on foot, but we'll get there together, and no deader's gonna get in our way. Least not for long."
He emphasized this by raising his sword up above his head. The other men grinned and cheered, their own weapons held high. Beyond them, the sun had begun to rise, the first rays cutting through the gloom. The first sign of a new day.
Tobies smiled and let the light shine down on him before turning and leading the men inland. It was high time that the true owners of these lands, that real men, came and reclaimed what was theirs. He'd told Ady he would help her liberate her homeland, and no dead thing was going to stop him. It was only just beginning.
The Forsaken did not yet know the meaning of the word war. Tobies Mcmaren would show them exactly what it was.
He'd set out before the sun had risen, taking a few of the Order's new paladin recruits with him. The ship had sailed in the early morning up the coast towards the shores that once were the domain of the human kingdom of Lordaeron, and now were nothing but lifeless Forsaken territory. After his discussion with Ady yesterday, it had seemed prudent to begin scouting so that they could plan their next steps.
It was time to put some more living dead to rest.
Tobies grinned, taking another sip of the black coffee and looking out in the clouds. Once they cleared with the morning's light, the ship would put him and his small group of men on shore so they could scout. They'd return via land to Refuge Point and he'd be back in Stormwind by the evening. It was a good plan, and now he just had to wait for nature to cooperate. Even as the thought passed through his mind, he heard a strange creaking in the mists around them, and he immediately tensed, turning to peer towards where the sound might be coming from.
He had only a moment to wait before a huge shape loomed out of the billowing clouds around them, a Forsaken warship drifting silently through the water towards them. It towered over the smaller alliance cutter, and Tobies immediately knew they were in trouble; there were likely over fifty seasoned fighters on a ship of that size. Even as the crew started shouting in alarm he turned towards the men he'd brought, his voice calm and controlled and cutting through the rising chaos with professional ease, "To arms! Two of you go release the horses below decks. We might need to swim for it and we'll need them! Go now!"
As the Order troops began to move, the Forsaken warship came up alongside the cutter. Hissing catcalls in gutterspeak rained down on the alliance crew as grappling hooks were deployed. The metal heads of the hooks struck the cutter's rigging and several objects on the deck, catching fast and pulling the smaller ship along the hull of the huge warship. Immediately Forsaken began to jump down to the smaller ship's deck and battle was joined in earnest.
Tobies was no green recruit; he knew that they were vastly outnumbered. If something wasn't done right away, the entire crew of the alliance cutter would be slaughtered and likely raised as new Forsaken. He had to act quickly before it was too late. Without hesitation, he drew his sword and shield, running along the edge of the deck closest to the Forsaken warship. He battered a few assailants out of the way with the huge piece of steel in his hands, running up to a point on the larger warship's hull. Due to its size and the way it was sitting in the water, one of the cabins was alongside the cutter. Its window was just about the right height and distance, and Tobies knew it was their only shot.
He jumped.
His body sailed through the air, colliding with the decorative glass window of the warship. The glass shattered around him and he rolled once on his knees at it clattered to the floor of the cabin. The room he'd entered was unoccupied, but he knew he had to move quickly. Behind him the shouts and sounds of fierce fighting could be heard through the shattered opening.
Rising to his feet, Tobies surged into the corridor outside the cabin, encountering no resistance. Immediately he spied what he was looking for; a ladder down. Without hesitation he jumped down to the floor below, not even bothering to use the rungs. His heavily armored body thudded onto the wooden deck of the ship's gundeck, where two Forsaken lounged around; the cannons had not been needed to attack such a small vessel.
Upon seeing the human, the undead yelled and began to draw their weapons, but they were no match for the seasoned fighter. Tobies rushed them, his shield leading and plowing into the closest enemies. It had about the same effect as a full grown horse running into a man, and the undead creature was hurled back. Tobies followed up with his blade, the weapon leaving a glittering after-image of glowing Holy Light as it cut through the air and into the second of his enemies, cleaving him nearly in two from the force of the blow.
As his first opponent fell lifeless to the deck, the second Forsaken picked himself up and rushed the paladin. He was rewarded for his efforts by receiving the flat of the paladin's shield right to his face. Metal clattered as the Forsaken's body tumbled to the deck a second time, and this time a heavy greave rushed down onto the fallen enemy's neck, snapping it. Tobies stepped over his dead enemies, not giving them another thought as he eyed his objective.
In front of him, the door to the cannon armory was wide opened, barrels of gunpowder waiting to be used in the cannons. Tobies looked at them thoughtfully for a moment and then nodded, taking out a small silver flask. He smiled as he looked at it, "I'm sure Father Grigori won't mind me using a bit of his private stock for this."
With that the paladin upended the flask, spilling the high proof alcohol along the deck. After he'd made a nice puddle he slid the still open flask down the deck and into the armory, a trail of glistening liquid leaking out behind it. With a smile, Tobies took out a gnomish lighter and lit it. He let it slip from his fingers and into the puddle of spirits, watching as they ignited.
Then he ran.
His plate armor clanked as he pounded up the ladder and then down the corridor above. A foot lashed out and kicked open the door at the end, revealing the deck of the Forsaken ship beyond and the swirling melee on the alliance cutter below. Several Forsaken turned, drawing weapons to block the human's path as he surged from the doorway. Tobies grinned, calling on the Light to aid him as he charged forward. To the Forsaken, the man had an aftereffect of glowing wings trailing away behind him as the Light surged in him.
His body slammed into the nearest enemies, his huge form bowling them over like they were not even impediments. His blade came up, blocking a slashing attack at his unarmored head as his shield slammed into another enemy and threw them away. He was heavily outnumbered, but his objective was not to stay and fight, it was to get free. He ran past those he had knocked down, dodging a few more strikes and then leaping into the air towards the cutter below.
And then time ran out.
The fire burned through the casks of gunpowder on the deck below and the powder detonated. The deck of the Forsaken ship seemed to heave upwards as a massive blast hulled the ship. Tobies felt the shockwave behind him as he sailed through the air. It picked him up and hurled him far out over the cutter and into the swirling fog and dark water beyond.
As he plunged into the water, combatants from the cutter were hurled into the depths with him as the explosion sank the warship and flipped the cutter over. Supplies, equipment, weapons, rigging, and ship parts plunged into the water all around him. His plate armor dragged him to the bottom, and he immediately calmed himself and opened his eyes. Using the glowing orange of the burning enemy ship behind him as a guide, he began to walk and hop along the bottom of the ocean floor towards where he presumed the shore was. They had been close, and it was his only hope.
Just as he thought his breath was about to give way in the depths he felt the floor of the ocean rising. Hope surging, he quickened his pace and a few jump-steps later his head broke the surface of the water. He inhaled deeply, sinking back down and hopping further inland until he could walk and drag himself from the ocean. Behind him, the orange glow of the burning ships lit the mists as the two vessels burned and sank.
A few other ragged looking survivors of the cutter slowly dragged themselves from the water. Tobies was proud to see that three members of his Order had also survived, their black and gold tabards dripping water and the blood of enemies spattered on them. He nodded at them once as they began to pick other survivors and a few pieces of useful equipment from the sea.
A short time later a band of survivors had gathered on the sands. Looking them over, Tobies again felt a surge of pride. Both his own men and the crew had survived something that should have been their deaths, and they knew it. Each of them had a grim expression on his face, each held their weapon tightly, ready to defend their new-found second chance at life. He grinned and clapped the nearest of them on the shoulder.
"Well done men. That was a tight spot there, but we got through it," he said, his voice confident. "Now we've a long journey on foot, but we'll get there together, and no deader's gonna get in our way. Least not for long."
He emphasized this by raising his sword up above his head. The other men grinned and cheered, their own weapons held high. Beyond them, the sun had begun to rise, the first rays cutting through the gloom. The first sign of a new day.
Tobies smiled and let the light shine down on him before turning and leading the men inland. It was high time that the true owners of these lands, that real men, came and reclaimed what was theirs. He'd told Ady he would help her liberate her homeland, and no dead thing was going to stop him. It was only just beginning.
The Forsaken did not yet know the meaning of the word war. Tobies Mcmaren would show them exactly what it was.
No comments:
Post a Comment