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Norcross kept staring. “There’s no storm. It’s something else.”
Kenneth sailed swiftly toward the harbor. The bearded, shaggy-haired fisherman stood at the Daisy’s bow, trying to raise an alarm with his banging. Norcross remembered when Kenneth had intercepted the three sailing ships that carried General Zimmer’s expeditionary force down from Serrimundi.
The D’Haran ships were commandeered merchant vessels that had sailed through uncharted waters along the coastline, guided by Oliver and Peretta, the two young scholars from Cliffwall. The ships were led by Captains Mills, Straker, and Donell. At the moment, the three D’Haran vessels were anchored just outside the mouth of Renda Bay, too large for the shallow harbor to accommodate. Right now, with their sails furled, the ships were manned only by a skeleton crew who preferred to sleep on deck rather than in shared rooms in town. The three captains insisted on remaining aboard, unless they were called to important duties on shore.
By the time the Daisy reached the mouth of the harbor, with Kenneth shouting at the top of his lungs, Norcross had spotted the terrifying forms coming over the horizon, sleek attack ships with midnight-blue sails.
Beside him, Thaddeus swallowed audibly. “Those are serpent ships. The Norukai.”
Captain Norcross watched the sails appear, one serpent ship after another, six in all.
Thaddeus said in a low, shaken voice, “That’s twice as many as the last raid, and even with the help of the sorceress Nicci, we barely drove them away. How can we fight six serpent ships?”
“We’ll show you how,” Norcross said, his voice hard as iron. “We made plans day after day. We prepared the people, trained them. Your defenses are stronger now.”
“But, we’re not ready,” Thaddeus said.
“You are ready. Dear spirits, you have no other choice.”
Thaddeus turned and ran down the stairs of the lookout tower.
Norcross shouted for his D’Haran soldiers to gather in front of the piers and prepare to defend the town. He had only fifty soldiers. “Each one of you will have to be a commander,” he called out. “Take some villagers under your wing. You know that we have surprises for the Norukai this time. Let’s drive them away and convince them never to attack Renda Bay again.”
His men cheered, understanding the dire threat they faced. They didn’t doubt his confidence.
For his own part, Norcross felt very young and inexperienced. He was barely twenty-five years old and wasn’t ready for such a responsibility. He’d fought only twice in great battles. Now, he had a mere handful of men, each of them just as inexperienced and probably just as frightened as he was, and a large population of villagers who had been bruised and terrified many times before.
But none of them had another option. They had to be ready.
Norcross remembered that General Zimmer had also been young, promoted far beyond his ability or expectation, but Zimmer had shouldered his responsibility and become a genuinely inspiring leader. Now, Norcross understood that concept more than he’d ever wanted to. He wouldn’t let his general down, or Lord Rahl.
The Daisy docked in the first open slip on the pier. Kenneth threw down the hawser to one of the stanchions, quickly tied off the boat, and leaped onto the dock. His footfalls thundered as he ran to meet the soldiers. “Did you see them? Six serpent ships! They’re close behind me.”
“This town is ready to face them,” Norcross said. “We’re pulling together our defenses. Thanks to you, Kenneth. Your warning gave us an extra hour to prepare.”
Town leader Thaddeus stood beside Norcross, trying to match the D’Haran captain’s confidence. “Renda Bay will not be a victim again, not under my watch. The Norukai might expect us to be plump little lambs, but we know how to fight now.”
Soldiers rushed to prepare the siege engines. Workers filled carts with rocks and barrels of oil, then ran down the streets of Renda Bay and out onto the piers. More rowboats pulled out to the three anchored sailing ships led by Captains Mills, Straker, and Donell, which were now preparing for war. Village defenders stormed up to the high towers on either side of the river mouth.
Loud bells rang throughout Renda Bay in case anyone had remained unaware of the impending attack. Norcross stared out past the end of the piers, watching the ominous ships approach.
“We’re ready for you,” he muttered under his breath. “Come and learn your lesson.”
* * *
The nautical magic invoked from the serpent god pushed against the midnight sails, stretching the fabric and driving the Norukai vessels toward Renda Bay. The lookout on Kor’s ship had spotted the fishing vessel and snarled a challenge. Kor had shifted course to race after the fishing boat in hot pursuit, but somehow the man from Renda Bay either had magic of his own, the special favor of the Sea Mother, or just unexpected skills. His boat caught the right breezes, tacked from north to south, covering distance across the waves even faster than the raiding ships could. As the fishing boat dwindled toward the shore, the serpent ships could see Renda Bay not far ahead.
His first mate, a burly man with tattoos on his arms and neck, gripped the railing. “He will warn them, Kor. We shouldn’t have let him escape.”
“I didn’t let him escape,” Kor retorted. “Perhaps you’d like to swim after him, chase the sea serpents, then wreck the boat before he can deliver his warning?”
The first mate backed away. “No, Captain.” On normal voyages, such a challenge was an insult. Kor could have punched him, broken his jaw, and thrown the man overboard, but right now he needed every fighter. He would let the man die in the raid if he was meant to die.
In the two serpent ships immediately behind him, Lars and Yorik sent up signal flags, preparing for the wild raid. There was no military strategy. The raiding vessels would simply cr
ash into Renda Bay, and the Norukai would attack with landing boats. Some would wade to shore, run along the piers, and set fire to any intact structures. They would kill or capture every person they could. Anyone too worthless to be a slave would be slain outright.
This was a raid to acquire more walking meat to be sold elsewhere down the coast, but it was also meant to send a message. Kor had his orders from King Grieve. Renda Bay was to be left a lifeless ruin, with black smoke rising high into the sky for all other coastal towns to see.
Kor leaned forward at the prow, admiring the carved serpent head enhanced with iron spikes for ramming ships. Kor had seen the real serpent god himself, three times, and knew that no carving could match the majesty or the terror of the immense creature, but Kor and his fighters would inspire their own terror. Renda Bay didn’t need to fear the serpent god. They needed to fear the Norukai.
On the shore, villagers scurried about like terrified ants. Kor’s lips twitched in an imitation of a smile on his slashed cheeks. Salt spray crashed from the prow of the raiding ship. He narrowed his eyes as he looked at the helpless town. He felt hungry.
CHAPTER 25
After sunset the following day, General Utros surveyed his vast camp and his countless soldiers. The warriors lit campfires, not because they needed the warmth or to cook meals that they wouldn’t eat, but because it was part of their routine, as it had been since ancient times. Such a colossal army needed campfires as a symbol of camaraderie. In addition to the other effects of the petrification spell, Utros had noticed that his night vision and that of his soldiers was severely diminished, just like the sensitivity of his skin. He could see the fires blazing bright and defiant, but the shadows seemed to be deeper than before.
Over the days since awakening, as the news spread about how much time had passed and that Iron Fang’s empire had fallen long ago, a ripple of despair went through the countless soldiers. Utros spent the day walking among the troops, telling them that even though everything they knew was gone, they were still his army. “As my soldiers, you are always with your true family, and I will lead you.”
