Knights of the Nine - The Unborn Seed

Chapter 15: The Art of War (Part Two)

'Is that smoke? From a fire? On the shore?' the Roughneck named Sully Roman asked as he turned the big wheel of the ship leftwards.

'Aye, cap'n! Bastard non-humans are already waiting to attack.' A seamen called out to his captain.

Kyrus washed his face with the contents of a shrimp barrel - mind you, it was free of shrimp - and rubbed his eyes clean. He pricked his ears up to the voiced of Sully and the crew. Kyrus looked onward to see the smoke they were talking about, unsheathed his sword and started sharpening the already sharpened blade.

The water of the sea splashed up so high that some liquid hit the back of Kyrus's neck, he didn't mind at all, in fact it was quite refreshing to have something cool wipe his neck. He missed the tough of his wife, the laughing and giggling of his little sweet pea. He missed them so much that ever non-human to fall via his sword, would be in honour of them. Kyrus prayed every night aboard The Humbolt that he would come home to them winning the war and ridding Condor of the blight that was the non-humans.

Kyrus walked up over to the captain, Sully Roman. 'Estimated time we'll reach the shoreline? I'd like to meditate and pray to the Gods before we get fighting.'

Sully smiled at the new recruit of King Kahn the Third's elite squadron: the Roughnecks. 'Never took you's for a religious mate, Cyrus. And the answer to your idiotic question is, simply; no. I'm your cap'n, your commander, nay, your damned colonel! I need all of you's ready to attack, with or without the "Gods" on your side. The Gods never helped a man win a battle, you daft cunt. Get out on the deck with your sea-mates and practice... but not so hard! Need you's strength to be intact for whatever is waiting for us on the mainland.'

Kyrus sighed loudly. 'It's Kyrus, Ky-rus.'

'Get the fuck off me ship, mate.'

'What?'

'You's fuckin' heard me, mate! You's gonna talk back, you's swim with the blasted fishes!' Sully was bearing a grin which made Kyrus feel like it was a joke, but the tone made him reconsider the thought.

'I'm sorry, captain Roman. I shall go practice with the seamen.'

Sully scoffed as Kyrus walked down to the deck with the rest of the crew. Kyrus picked a sturdy looking guy with no shirt on - although it was hard to tell as he had fully drenched himself with tattoos of naked women, words of wisdom, battleaxes and other, mischievous thing.

*

The Humbolt anchored itself ashore, the Roughnecks and seamen were gearing up on rowboats to confront the four people at the shore. Kyrus was in the leading rowboat, captain Sully Roman in the one behind. The waves crashed, pushed awkwardly, making it hard for the oars to row.

The smoke blew from the coals of a once well built fire, it was dense and thick like plastic was tossed in previously. The four people; one in a long, silk robe with white dreadlocks and sturdy boots, another in no clothes at all, minus a cloth held up by a belt as underwear, with a semi-medium length beard and long blond hair, a Nordling in steel-plated Knight armour with a sword resting on his shoulder and a helmet in his hand, and the final person. A woman, with ashen-hair, a sword on her back and a scar on her left cheek, wearing nothing but panties and a bra with her shirt - or so it looked like - wrapped on her hips, leaning over to her thigh.

'They don't look like Elves or Dwarves, me cap'n.' A seaman said, although Sully wasn't in the same boat as him.

Kyrus shut his eyes and murmured a few blessings to his wife and daughter. Once he regained his vision, they were breaching the sands of the Jagged Ridge, also known as Ihiriox Xhama. It was a standoff, both parties weapons out and holding their ground. Sully rose up from the crowd of seamen and readied his voice.