Ilus Rises: Chapter 16

Chapter 16:

Lord Osori hadn’t wanted to hear the various complaints from around the city, but with an elemental lord on his way he wanted to clear the path for their arrival.

Lord Osori held up his hand, halting the supplicant’s lasvicious story that amounted to ‘I don’t like that this other person has more than me, do something about it’.

“Cannons,” he tilted his head. The room silent as his eyes flickered upwards. Maybe he’d mishear—There they are again. A single shot.

“Why is someone firing cannons in my city?” He stood and walked forward, his guards moving to attend him.

“There shouldn’t be,” Nereus, once his first gunner, now the head of his personal guard. His ire coming to the fore.

The people parted for them as they reached a balcony that overlooked the city.

Osori drew out a spyglass, the mist diverted around him, falling on the balcony and into the gutters that would drain to collectors.

From here Misty Cove was hidden under its collectors.

A storm appeared between two of the larger docks sticking out of the city.

“Not natural,” Nereus muttered.

“No, not at all,” Osori manipulated the spyglass. One hell of a ship though.

She was a thing of beauty, her sails unfurled to catch the wind, her bow cutting through the waters as they rushed the iceberg the feezing chains had created.

Freezing chains that were thrown to the side by the unnatural storm that filled the ship’s sails and shattered the iceberg.

“Ready the ships to head out after them,” Osori said. “We’ll head down there.”

“To the docks?” Nereus asked, a mixture of wariness that held some hope.

“Yes,” Osori frowned as the ship passed through the two defensive towers at the end of the docks and didn’t fire.

“I’ll get everything ready my lord,” Nereus said, hurrying back into the manor.

I would have shot up the towers to make sure they couldn’t shoot me. Osori dismissed the thought. It mattered little. He was going to be hosting an elemental lord. This kind of stain on his reputation, on his city! There was still the matter of finding this Desari that he was looking for too.

He’d put out word to all of the guild halls, the taverns, inns and administrators.

First we’ll hunt down that damn ship.

He put the spyglass away and stormed into the manor. Guards were rushing about, readying for the excursion. Osori’s blood was moving a bit faster.

I am getting old if just the thought of me leaving the house is enough to excite me.

***

Lord Osori swept through the streets of his city, reaching the edge of the collectors. His guards moved around him. Armored in the bone of dread beasts from the depths of the sea. Their weapons different, whatever they were the most deadly with.

Each was picked for skill and loyalty. The Former over the latter. Skill could be taught after all.

“How long has it been Nereus?” Osori asked as he walked, crowds parting ahead of them.

“Near two decades sir.”

Osori held in the spit. “I miss the days when it was just captain.” He muttered so the sound would only reach his friend’s ears.

He grinned back at him. “Could always ditch the litter.”

“I’m a reformed family man now,” Osori said.

Nereus chuckled.

Osori sniffed the air. “Fire elemental?”

The crowd parted to reveal a scene.

Inspectors made to stop the guards, paled and quickly moved to the side. One scrambled and ran off.

It was simply a battlefield. Sections of the thick dock had been torn apart, dead were piled up, covered in some sailcloth. Lanterns turned the night into near day.

“Some kind of explosion there, mana based by the damage,” Osori muttered.

“Arcing over there, lightning?” Nereus tilted his head to the other side, lines burned through the wood, through the buildings.

“Shrapnel shot,” Osori pointed ahead.

“Peppered to shit,” Nereus agreed.

They both paused, looking at the singed building that was being put out, a line burned through it as thick as a finger.

“Four distinct attacks outwards.” Osori moved over to the building, rubbing his thumb over the burnt wood and the cleave through it. “Powerful ones too.”

Nereus grunted, sounding distinctly displeased.

Four attacks, a lot of bodies. He studied the area. Good place for an ambush.

An inspector’s body was hauled to the side, eyes glassy, shredded by round shot.

“My Lord,” One of the guards came up a wounded man in tow.

Osori raised an eyebrow.

“Dockmaster Krev,” The guard waved to the man.

Nereus moved to the side, hand resting on his sword, his hand tucked behind his back, looking distinctly relaxed while his hand was resting on a hidden dagger.

“My Lord,” Krev dropped to a knee and bowed his head, grimacing at his wounds. He coughed, trying to keep it under control.

He’d been hit with some shrapnel, his clothes half in tatters.

Osori sniffed the air. He’s had healing potions poured on him. “What happened here?”

“Pirates my lord.”

“Continue.”

“The Mesurial came in this morning. Massive ship, four cannon decks with hundreds of cannons and five masts.  Though it was only crewed by four people. It was odd, but they gave the name of a trusted merchant and we had them dock closer to the city so we might keep an eye on them.” Krev coughed, bringing himself back under control.

“Then the merchant that they had used as a reference appeared on his ship. He’d defeated pirates and then this crew swooped in, used some magic to store the ships and then headed off. It was through luck that he arrived here at Misty Cove. He brought the issue to my attention. If they stole two ships, they probably stole others, including their own ship.” Kreve raised his head slightly, ducking before he reached Osori’s eyes.

“We gathered our people to arrest them so we might investigate this all. The merchant brought his people to help us too. He died in the fighting.” Krev shook his head.

Osori didn’t sense an ounce of sadness in the man, frustration and anger—yes.

“So this is where you and your people moved in to, arrest them?” Osori fought to keep his voice light and not reveal his thoughts.

“Yes my lord, we had no idea that they were as strong as they were.”

“How many ships did the merchants have?”

“Two my lord.”

“Number of cannons?”

“They had seventeen on a side. Though they had artifacts they were looking to sell!”

“And the pirates, ships and guns?”

Krev coughed, though it seemed more of an act. “I think two were stolen and I’m not sure of the number of guns but they were of a size similar to the merchant ships.”

What Pirate is going to do any less than stuff a cannon into every bit of decking they can.

Osori looked over the people. Dock workers, Inspectors, sailor. “Bring that man to me.” He pointed to the man putting an arm under a sail with a grim look.

A guard broke off and walked over to him.

Four people, in a perfect ambush location. Three ships on the line. Osori closed his eyes against the rage running through him. Trying to look contemplative. He heard the slight sound of Nereus loosening his blade from his sheath.

His own damn dockmaster, someone that was supposed to oversee the entrance and exit of those to his realm. Someone corrupted by greed.

Oh how he wanted to strike the man down. There were witnesses from across the city, and the plane here. They’d see it, then they would know the truth, the corruption that had spread through the docks. Who knew how far it went.

He opened his eyes, there would be a reckoning, he would see his city cleaned up.

The sailor was brought over and pushed to his knees.

“The pirates that ambushed you, how many of them and how many guns?”

The sailor was fatigued in the way one might be from battle. He didn’t even notice Krev shooting a glare.

“Three of the bastards,” The man shook his head, a soul weariness to him. His arm bloodied from a wound. “There had to be dozens of cannons each deck.”

Osori looked at the guard and gestured behind him with his chin. The guard nearly picked up the sailor, taking him away.

Someone muttered to Nereus, if it was important he’d tell Osori. He gripped onto the belt of his yukata, running his thumb over the sword and dagger’s hilts. Taking in the scene once again.

Bit off more than they could chew.

Four fighters that could put down the inspectors and the dock workers. The Inspectors trained to deal with multiple fighters to board ships and acted as a policing force.

“And the name of this ship was Mesurial?” Osori asked.

“Yes sir,” Krev said.

At least its not a well known one.

When did he start having to make these calculations?

They’d probably saved the merchant, who chased them back to Misty Cove, spun up this story and when it blew up it was now on his face, in his city.

“Mister Krev I think it would be best for you to get your affairs in order. I do not want to be hearing that you are doing anything beyond your responsibilities. Am I understood?” It was all he could do to not grit his teeth.

The little worm was going to get away with it.

“Yes my lord,” Krev dropped his head to the deck.

“We have the man that met with Desari.” Nereus said in his ear.

At least there is some good news this night. He didn’t dismiss the dockmaster, making him more uncomfortable didn’t bother him in the slightest. How he wished he could do more.

He pushed the thoughts from his mind and turned to face a man brought forward, taking him in. A bean counter, someone careful and soft.

“You found Desari Haker?”

“Someone by the name of Desari came to my counter today asking about passage to the material plane my lord.” He gave a perfect bow despite his belly.

“Oh? Do you know where she is staying?”

“She uhh,” The man shifted awkwardly, looking at Krev and then away, talking to the dock. “Well she said she could be found aboard the ship Mesurial.”

Osori’s mind ground to a halt.

“Bring that sailor back,” His voice deepend, water shot out between the dock’s slats, wrapped around Krev and slammed him against the dock, his face pressed up against it so he couldn’t talk.

The sailor was dragged back.

“Describe Desari,” He waved to the toll booth worker.

“She was an intense woman, above normal height, slightly tanned, hair as black as night. She wore leather armor made from some kind of sea beast I don’t know.”

“Was there anyone with her?”

“A man, dark brown hair, touched by the sun, older in experience over years I would think. He had a green scarf, wore a sling on his belt.

“That’s them,” The sailor said, bowing his head.

“Do you know who’s protection their under?” He turned to look at Krev, his eyes wide, pressed against the dock, unable to speak.

“The Elemental Lord himself.”

Krev wriggled and tried to escape his bonds.

“Send a message to the chase ships, they are not to engage, try and pass a message if they can.” Osori gripped his sword and dagger’s hilts.

“Well this is a bit of a mess.” Nereus muttered.

“Heading back out to sea never sounded so damn good.” Osori looked out between the docks and the water beyond.