Cool water licked in placid fluctuations upon the bowsprit of the Äsolm-êxo. The still waters reflected the image of their captain, scowling with an angular brow at the clarity of his own image. The suns hung midway over the horizon, dimming as they began their descent beneath it. Within a few breaks, red skies would be visible for as far as the horizon stretched. Vethril shrugged, and spat over the figurehead of his bowsprit, a solar sculpture in ironwood.
He stepped down from the prow, skirting the sides of the ship as he rejoined the rest of his crew. There was little enough to do when a calm was upon them, so they wasted time how they willed. Telling stories, throwing dice, swapping comparisons of their flames back home. Drinking was not allowed on the Äsolm-êxo, by Vethril's orders. It was enough to have fights breaking out every other night. Stray blood shed over a trifle could start a conflagration that sank their entire ship, licking upwards of the sails and grounding them interminably.
Discipline was paramount on a ship such as this. The aukari sailing upon it would sink or swim on the integrity of their restraint. One would've hoped the Spire would teach them to control their flames enough to not get tied up in trifles. But then, some diversion couldn't be avoided. Gambling in itself had the potentialt o break into a fight. A small match fire here or there. Allowing spirits aboard would be akin to pouring whale oil over that match fire, and watching it burn their world away.
The Aukari captain had gathered a dozen of his kind who were able-bodied from the lower dregs of Faldrun's Spire. Young blades who'd given up a chance at any of the more prestigious companies of Yaralon. Vethril made use of the ones that were not able bodied as well. So long as they could stand upright and spit over the bannisters, that just about qualified them to work on his ship.
He knocked the butt end of his spear against the deck as he passed his men. To remind them that he was nearby, and would not brook their frivolity for much longer, before he required their aid to try and catch a wind out of this damned calm.
The man looked at each other, and before raising the stakes, thought better of it, and came away with the nels and bartered value they'd put on stakes and slinked to their tasks.
Within a break, the suns had begin to kiss the waters of the horizons, sending its rippling silhouette against the waters. Deeper it went, until they disappeared, leaving only the stars to light their way. If only they had drive to catch wind or a current to hitch their fortunes to. These calms had been more and more frequent over the coastline of Martyr's Landing. It seemed every other voyage into the area, searching for slavers and pirates to plunder their treasure... Was becoming more costly in terms of time lost alone. The restlessness of the crew was a consequence of that. Their aukari discipline could only carry them so far, before turmoil boiled over into calamity.
Nevertheless, Vethril drove them to make their way about their tasks. To search for disturbances along the lights on the water, and find a place where the wind might blow, or the current might take them further out from the calm.
As Vethril was ordering several of the hands to lower the sails, a cry came out from the crow's nest. "Slät-movat!"Shadow Boats""
Vethril twisted his head to look in the directions they'd called out.
"Têskêth."Shit."" Vethril spat. He readied a nearby javelin in one hand, while bracing himself with a boarding pike in the other. Then the men were joined where they gathered in ranks on the starboard flank of the ship. The Shadow Boat was gaining on them swiftly. It's upper deck ensonced and covered by a clam-like shingled roof that offered shelter to the shadow women who dwelt within, and their fighting thralls. The shade would seem uneeded in this gloom anyway, but then the added darkness made counter boarding a difficult proposition.
"We are Yari!" Vethril shouted across the throng of warriors gathered. "Show them that they have chosen the most deadly of targets."
He couched the boarding pike in the crook of his left arm, as he took a step forward to toss the javelin into the cluster of augiery warriors assembled on the broadside of the shadow boat. He could just about see their eyes gleaming through the dim shade of their ship's canopy. As he reached the apex of his throwing motion, he let loose the javelin. It flew wide of the opening beneath the canopy, dipping below that and impacting on the hull with a dull ring, hitting the copper plating of that ship.
With a mutter he doubled back to fetch another javelin, hopefully would have time to send another one over the water before the two forces, one of fire and one of shadow met in the middle.
They were near enough noww, about three meters of water separating their hulls, and gangplanks were already being readied by the other ship. They had galley slaves rowing for them, which made it possible for them to even maneuver in this dead calm. That was good, perhaps they'd earn a shipment of flesh for Yaralon, on their way back from this battle.
They only had to kill their mistresses. A tall enough order, as there appeared to be an equal number of them, and Naerikk were not to be trifled with even one on one.
Another javelin sailed as it shot from Vethril's hand. It sank with a wet thunk into the darkness, perhaps hitting one of them. He didn't give it much thought, but doubled back for one more volley.
