And no quarter would be given!

The arrival seemed like pulling free from a storm.  Bjorn found himself standing back in the ship docks, on the edge of the Sea shore, with Quantx directly behind him in the distance. Soldiers, sea rangers and all manner of young recruits still in training were everywhere. Bjorn looked over to see Korok opening his eyes with a blazing smile.
His laughter rang out like a clarion.
“That was magnificent. I’ve never experienced anything like it.” He looked about and laughed louder. “Tell me, Mika, how did you do that? I want to learn.”
Mika smiled and waved towards the ships sitting in the harbor. “I couldn’t explain it to you Korok. You will indeed learn however, with me as your teacher, should you wish.”
“Most certainly,” Korok laughed, “ I want to learn to do whatever you have to offer me, if it means I can fly through space like that again.” 1

The three of them rushed on towards the ship yards and as they did, Mika did his best to explain the transporting and the web in simple terms. 2

“The body is made up of the same elements which make up the universe around us. The energy in our bodies is the same as the energy in the universe. Our bodies simply hold it in, like an urn. But, this urn, the body, can exist only as long as the energy which is our soul and our conscience remains inside it. Remove them and the body simply returns to the web as random elements. When I wanted to move us here, I scattered the elements and directed my thoughts to bring us all back here. Then I simply had to pull the elements from the universe around us and your consciences, knowing their own patterns, took the elements needed from the web and made your body reappear. Do you understand?”
Korok shook with laughter. “Not really, but I will certainly learn.” 3

When they reached their  respective companies  Commander Maltac was at the head of the mass of men.  He spotted the three of them and came at once.4

5

“Bjorn, good, you are here.” He clasped arms with Bjorn and turned to Korok. “Ah, Korok, your Biathon is moving out in a few minutes, you had better get something to eat before the departure, and it may be a long time before you have a chance to eat again. Take care of yourself son.” 6

Korok turned to Bjorn, taking a shoulder in each hand.
“Be strong and brave brother.” And, without hesitation, he hoisted a spear from a bundle of them and strapped on a belt with dirks and small axes already placed. “Take care of my brother, Mika. We’ll meet after this battle is through.” 7

8

Before Bjorn could ask how he happened to be there at the village, he was gone.  But, Mika, reading Bjorn's thoughts was quick with an explanation.9

“I was still fighting the fire along with the others, when the Eek warriors came up from the river. They were chasing some of the Kensen who weren’t fast enough leaving. Bjorn was leading a raiding party. When I saw them about to run into a trap, I moved a section of the fire to where there was a troop of Kensen in hiding and sent them to eternity. The rest trapped before the wall flame were no match for  the Eek warriors who finished them off quite handily. I decided to see what was happening then and left the fight long enough to speak with Korok. That was how I learned what had happened to the Jud and the Eek in their meetings. The teachers hadn’t time to explain and could only direct the fight. When the fire was finally arrested, I found you through linking to your thoughts and came to you. Korok was heading home to the Kingdom and he came along so that we could travel together. The people of the village say you were very brave staying in that inferno to save their homes.”
Mika recounted. “They will always consider you one of them now. It’s the Jud way.10

“It’s probably the best thing for me, Mika” Bjorn replied. “My own family suffered their deaths in the flames of another of the Kensen raids. Those pirates have no honor and no mercy.”  he shook his head as the ever recurring memories intruded.  He could not allow them to fog his mind now.  He had to be prepared.11

Bjorn and Mika gathered up weapons from the endless assortment before them. Bjorn took additional small axes, to augment his great axe, tucking them into his belt and pushed dirks into his boots. Both men took up bows and arrows and Mika armed himself with a quiver of short spears and a spear thrower.
They hurried to their assigned lancer and boarded. The commander was telling the crew the plan worked out for defense.12

“Listen up lads,” he began. “The ships of the new Kensen fleet are armored now and will be much more dangerous in battle. They’ve copied our design, but they haven’t the man power necessary to supply as many oarsmen, and they haven’t got Eek to do the rowing. We’ll have a decided advantage here. No one can match the Eek oarsmen for strength and stamina. Also, we have a surprise the Kensen know nothing about. And, few of you do either. Let me demonstrate.” 13

Commander Maltac strode to the end of the deck where a rather unusual looking device, resembling a heroic slingshot was set up. Beside it was a stack of balls. The commander hoisted one and set it in the sling. He pulled it back and cocked the sling with a long rod and another man, standing beside him, pointed a hose off the end of the ship. Two more men began to work pump  handles  fixed to a tank set into the deck and the hose directed a viscous fluid stream, violet in color, out across the water to where a small target vessel was sitting. The commander fired the sling and the ball slammed into the vessel exploding. The liquid suddenly burst into flame. 14

“The balls are filled with explosive red oar powder, mined by the Kellon Elves,” commander Maltac explained, “and the liquid is a combination of the same powder mixed with the blue stone of their cousins the Elosian. When combined the liquid supplies its own air so it will continue to burn even on, or under the water. We may not be able to penetrate the armor of the new ships, but once they are on fire the Kensen will not be able to remain on them, and we’ll let them burn till the crews are forced off from the heat. We intend to engage them on the shallows and force them off their ships.” He glanced about. “Are there any questions?”15

The men shook their heads, staring in awe at the target vessel. Even the armor plating could not extinguish the flame, though it oozed the sap. The ship finally began to list to one side as the heat lightened the other. Nearly standing sideways the target vessel slipped into the water.16

“Commander, why are we driving the pirates to the shore?” Bjorn finally asked.17

“We will have troops stationed along the shore to meet the pirates when they come out of the water,” the commander replied. “The pirates are good fighters on land or sea, but they will most likely abandon most of their weapons in their rush off the vessels. We expect little resistance. And, even if we’re wrong and they come out of the water fully armed and ready to fight, we will have enough archers and explosives planted in the banks to make short work of them, I can assure you.” 18

Commander Maltac tossed and caught it ball as he spoke, his voice nearly a growl. Bjorn had never seen him so angry. Something was decidedly wrong with this picture, he thought to himself. He had seen the commander in fights since the memorable one in the Inn when they had first met. But, he had never seen him so full of burning hatred. He wondered what it could have caused it. 19

“All of you men keep a sharp eye out for the enemy," the commander continued pacing the deck before them.  "Keep your nerves about you and don’t stop fighting, once we’ve engaged regardless of what happens. We need to destroy the Kensen fleet before they can retake the waters with these new vessels, or we may still lose this war. The Kensen are sending land troops for the first time in as many years as I’ve served the Sudra Kingdom, they mean business but so do we." he pounded his fist against the rail.  "We’ll have the full support of the Nartac legions and all the volunteers from all the tribes of the grass sea with us this time. I might add, they will want revenge in the worst way.”  His eyes burned like embers and the men began to growl with anticipation of the coming battle.20

21

Commander Maltac turned and shouted a single order. “Make sail and all oarsmen to your posts, now!” With that the ship sprung to life. And, as their ship began to move, so  did more than a hundred other vessels of all sizes at nearly the exact same time.22

The armada moved out of the harbor in columns of threes. Each group contained a Biathon flanked by two lancers with a third lancer, loaded with extra weapons and supplies, bringing up the rear. Bjorn moved to his place on the deck, a cross bow emplacement and looked out over the sea. The air was so thick with anticipation it fairly crackled. He wondered if he would live to see the end of this engagement.23


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