Chapter 40 - Dockside fight
Even though Lysandra's glare hurt, he held it in to escape Kael's taunts. This was worth it. Kael took a step forward. His brown skin sparkled, and his green eyes looked at him with a smile.
"Break?" Whoring while the people are counting on you? "Eryndor's hero doesn't slack off," he said, mockingly. The sea wind carried his jab.
Shouts broke, the port turned red, and screams cut through the air as flames licked the ships. Dockhands ran away, crates crashed, Lorvayne was under attack. Liam's hand gripped steel, Kael's taunt drowned, and the fight was called.
"Finally—blood time!" Selene grinned, flicking her tail and shining her crimson eyes. Without warning, she sprinted towards the docks.
"We have to Protect the city!" Kael shouted. Liam and Lysandra followed—boots hammering stone.
The docks erupted in chaos as a band of thirty pirates, clothed in black iron armor and wielding shining axes, surged in, setting ships fire. Splinters flew as they tore through the area.
Liam led the charge, his sword slicing through a one's throat, sending blood flying. Kael fought at his side, his longsword cutting through the air, removing an arm and spilling guts onto the crimson-soaked planks.
Lysandra moved gracefully, her blade piercing chests with lethal accuracy. Selene entered the fight, her claws tearing into her opponents' faces, as Erynn swung her staff, the crack of impact booming across the mayhem.
Kael shoved past, bumping Liam's shoulder. "My lead—Eryndor's way!" He said in a sharp voice, slashing two pirates.
"Fuck your lead," Liam growled, thrusting back and sinking his blade into a gut. Blood splattered, disrupting Kael's stance as the fighters clashed, their movements tangled.
The raiders pushed forward, axes swinging wildly. Liam dodged a strike, while Kael deflected another, the loud clash of steel ringing out. The dock creaked and swayed under the chaos, flames creeping closer. Lysandra's voice cut through the mayhem—"Focus, damn you!"—as her silver blade flashed, cutting down three foes. Her fierce glare burned with intensity, but the raiders continued to advance, gaining ground as the battle raged on.
A pirate charged, axe raised high, but Liam swiftly sidestepped. Kael swung his sword, missing the pirate's and instead grazing Liam's arm, leaving a shallow cut. Blood seeped as Liam shouted, "Watch it, prick!" his voice rough with anger, shoving Kael aside.
The pirate laughed, swinging his axe, but Kael spun around, driving his longsword into the his gut. As Kael stumbled, a dock plank snapped beneath him, the dark water churning below.
Selene leapt into action, her claws slashing and tearing through pirates, her crimson eyes blazing. "Idiots—fight them!" she snarled, ripping out throats. Erynn struck down a pirate, her staff cracking a skull, its faint glow flickering. "Together—please!" she pleaded, her voice strained. The raiders closed in, circling them, as Liam and Kael's missteps fueled the chaos. The dock burned fiercely, and ships sank into the fiery waters.
Liam's temper erupted, his sword slashing wildly, cleaving through a pirate's chest. Kael shouted, "Green fool—form up!" as his bronze blade gleamed, severing another's head. The two shoved back-to-back, their blades clashing dangerously close.
The pirates pressed in, an axe grazing Liam's thigh and denting Kael's pauldron. Lysandra darted through the fray, her silver steel flashing as she cut down two more.
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"Enough—win this!" she commanded, her voice sharp and commanding. Selene laughed, her claws dripping red. "Fuck form—bleed 'em!" she snarled, tearing through flesh. Erynn swung her staff, smashing it into a raider's skull, dropping him instantly. "Stop clashing!" she yelled, her green eyes blazing with intensity. The dock trembled under the chaos, but the numbers dwindled. The tide of battle peaked—then finally broke.
Liam roared as his sword plunged into the last pirate, the final foe collapsing. Kael slashed, sending a head rolling across the blood-soaked planks. The dock smoldered, flames crackling as silence descended, broken only by the groans of the wounded. Bodies lay piled, blood pooling beneath them. Lorvayne had held—barely. Ships smoldered in the harbor, and the surviving dockhands cheered, their voices hoarse. The pirates were gone.
Liam panted, clutching his bleeding thigh, while Kael stood nearby, his bronze armor scratched and his green eyes hard. "Your fault—messy win," Kael said, his voice tight with frustration. Liam spat back, "Yours—Eryndor's 'real' tactics lost us ground," his voice rough, fists clenched. The sea air stung their wounds, the victory tasting bitter. The crowd watched, uneasy, as the raw rivalry between the two simmered in the aftermath of the battle.
They sheathed their weapons, boots crunching over ash and debris. The dockside reeked of charred wood and blood, the aftermath of battle thick in the air. Lysandra wiped her blade clean, her silver eyes cold and calculating. She turned to Selene and Erynn, her voice low and urgent. "They'll kill us next time—we've got to settle this," she said, her hair whipping in the wind, frustration sharp in her tone.
Selene grinned, her tail swaying slowly, crimson eyes glinting with mischief. "Fun chaos—still dumb. Fix 'em how?" she asked, claws flexing, amused but firm. Erynn nodded, her golden curls damp with sweat, green eyes steady. "They won—but not like this. No clue how," she admitted, tapping her staff lightly, her voice soft but resolute.
The three girls agreed—there was no clear path forward. Tension hung heavy in the air as the dock smoldered behind them. Lorvayne breathed uneasily, the victory feeling hollow. Kael and Liam's clash lingered, unresolved, as dockhands hauled bodies away and the sea lapped against the shore. The girls watched, planless, as the looming shadow of Maltheris cast its presence over the uneasy win.