Vabath Blackstrike, Satyxis Lieutenant, almost wished for something to reveal their presence to the enemy, to give some excitement to the raid.
Almost...
She had learned early on to savour an enemies dread and panic when the raiders showed themselves out of the gloom, as if appearing out of thin air like some of Lord Toruk's other soldiers. Besides, what was the point in launching the raid if she didn't get chance to actually kill something up-close, as all Satyxis preferred to?
She ginned, licking pointed canine teeth as she glanced around at her raider cohort. Satyxis sisters all around were checking their armour, sharpening horns and hefting the vicious lacerator chain whips which they favoured.
Their dark purple skin blending into the midnight gloom as well as any camouflage the humans might use, and she'd faced their ranger units before.
Oars rose and sank in the choppy waves as the slaves rowed to the quiet counting of the Quarter-Master, glaring icily at them whenever an oar make a noise in the water. To the left and right, three and four more landing boats respectively, surged forwards along with their own. The telltale green glow of Cryxian Bonejacks shone underwater as the amphibious contraptions made their way to shore, if you knew where to look.
Subdued under a heavy black tarpaulin, their own Slayer Helljack waited, chained to the deck lest it reveal their position.
A cry sounded from the shore, another and another. Then a series of flares were fired into the air and the garrison could clearly see the incoming raiders now. The dusky yellow light illuminating all ahead. Blackstrike saw a platoon of Long Gunners and several platoons worth of Trenchers sprinting for the defences. Somewhere a chain cannon started up and the bullets began to rip into the aves towards them.
“ROW!” The Quarter-Master bellowed, stamping his peg leg into the deck to keep time.“ROW!” His whip rose and fell, inciting shrieks of pain from the unfortunates it hit.“ROW! OR YE'LL BE FED TO THE EXHUMINATIONS CREW!”.The landing boat surged forwards like a horse kicked to gallop.
Blackstrike smiled and shuddered at the threat, knowing what horrors dwelt upon the decks of the Black Ship Exhumination. She glanced back towards their own ship from which they had launched earlier.
Black Ship Blood Tempest sat, silhouetted against the midnight blue sky. She lit up ghostly green as her cannon's roared towards the shore, the whistling munitions arcing overhead.
The Blood Tempest glowed green again. Her crew were well trained as any in the Black Fleet but they couldn't reload and fire that fast, Blackstrike thought, when she saw the second ship in the gloom.
The Widower, Pirate Queen Skarre was here!
“Sisters, our queen is here. Her word be law, an' she wamt this raid fast and bloody, an offering to the Dragon! Glorious Dragonfather, master of us all, eternal torment, AYE!” She cried, met with bloodthirsty cheers from her crew.
“YE WILL ROW!” came the call of the Quarter-Master...
Great stuff! Well done getting them finished!
ReplyDelete