And the Sun Rose

[Mikalae Gildar]

 OOC: If you wish to participate, please post an OOC in this thread or PM me.  Thank you.  Please please PLEASE, make this the best you can possibly can!

BIC:

There was a strange, gray darkness that enveloped the sea; this darkness seemed almost to swirl and spin in the deep grasp of the fog.  Here and there, a glimpse of metal was possible; but mostly the creaks and groans of a thousand warships echoed across the stillness.  There were but wavelets, as the wind was still as the grave, and the sails hung slack.  This fleet floated, unmoving, unwilling to start up the rowers.  A wildcat stood at the prow of his flagship.  He scanned the horizon with his glass, slowly turning until he had completely surveyed the waters in a circle around his vessel.  His captains paced the deck with slow, cautious steps,  cautioning the soldiers to keep their armor still.  The wood creaked again as the ship moved back to its original position, and the wave moved on.  Mikalae furrowed his brow and watched as the wave, which was substantially larger then the others, moved on.  Then he looked at the flag, which was moving weakly above him.

In the opposite direction of the wave!

He suddenly shouted to his men as he stepped to the wheel.

"Quick, to starboard!  They are trying to flank us!  Rowers, double!"

He spun the wheel and was rewarded by a sudden creaking as the ship swung about and headed straight for the enemy.  His other ships followed suit, and his captains shouted orders as the rowers began at double time.  The ship moved at a rapid speed, fairly skimming over the waves.  Suddenly, into view appeared the enemy: row after row of skiffs, built in the same manner as his own.  He drew his sword and shouted.

"For Ashyra, Mikalae, et fama gloriaque; pugnamus!"

(For Ashyra, Mikalae, and fame and glory; we fight!)

And the sun rose over the scene, which would soon erupt into deadly combat.

[Ashyra Nightwing]

 Ashyra slammed the spiked war helmet on her head, looked in the mirror, adjusted it slightly and stepped out into the open. Her warship, the Pentephraxis Pride, stood ready for her at the end of the jetty. She walked up the gangplank and onto the ship, taking her place behind the wheel. Already she could see Mikalae's skiffs. There were some others too, no doubt attempting to attack... They didn't know what they were attempting to do, that commander.. She smiled, and signalled for her commanders to launch her skiffs.

Ashyra was coming.

[Mikalae Gildar]

 "Put your backs into it!  Row, men, row!"

The oar-captains paced the belowdecks, lashing out verbally at their fellow sailors; unfortunate sailors who had the misfortune of being picked for oar duty.  The fleet headed rapidly toward the enemy, who by all appearances matched speed and flew towards their foe.  The groaning of wood mingled with the "heave, heave" of the Alliance oarsbeasts, the salty spray flew in the faces of the archers on deck, and the air of their passage blew past Mikalae, who stood firm on the upper deck, steering his flagship onward.

Mikalae had outfitted his hardened vessels with metal prows that sliced cruelly through the water, ready to impale the enemy's hulls on their sharpened steel.  These prows were slightly below the water, to hit and cause major, hopefully fatal, damage to the enemy vessel.  At a silent motion from Mikalae, the captains relayed the message to the oars: Increase speed!

On the sides of his skiffs, giant crossbows called ballistas were armed with huge steel arrows, pointed and attached to the skiff by a long rope.  They would be used to draw the enemy in and board her.  Mikalae laughed.

"We have them, boys!  Forward!"