In the Wrong Place at the Wrong Time
The Never Ending Quest - Episode 39846
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The girls had chosen quite a pivotal time to take up residence in
Hofargh! It had never been a city renowned for it’s civility or class,
rather it was haven for all manner of nefarious individuals, both rich
and poor alike. And especially it was known for it’s lax stance on the
importation of raw goods, as overseen by the port-master (or customsman),
who was perhaps the most powerful man in the city and surrounding lands
(so powerful, infact, that even the improvident Prince Karo feared and
envied him, though they both maintained an outwardly cordial
relationship). In other words, Hofargh’s black market was
the hub of illegal trade on the eastern seaboard of
Havnheim. This, of course, meant that the nation of Hespan, the most domineering of all the sea-powers, was constantly on bad terms with the city and it’s denizens. Many of them, after all, were wanted criminals in Hespan proper and it’s numerous colonies. For years diplomats sent from the King of Hespan had warned of certain war looming on the horizon. Tonight was the night when that threat would loom no more. The port- city didn’t stand a chance against any kind of sizeable attack. The one thing that had kept it alive for time out of mind, it’s nominal alliance with Allaria, had recently failed. The reasons were complex, but you can bet somewhere a woman was involved. The noise from the docks got louder. Then the faint odor of smoke wandered into the holds. Then all hell broke loose. Something large struck the Nyriad, and the vessel shuddered violently. After the shock of the moment wore off, the girls scrambled back up to the deck. There they witnessed quite a spectacle. Innumerable fireballs dotted the night sky and were striking random targets along the wharf and all throughout the city. Offshore about 10 Hespanish warships were blockading part of the entrance to the port, each armed with a catapult.“No time for gawking, ladies!” the voice of Haljun startled them. “Get below deck before you get yourselves killed!” The girls obeyed, but not before they saw the damage inflicted to the ship, which was infact minimal. A fire had broken out near the hull, but the area where an obvious missile of some kind had impacted was still intact. The Nyriad was a tough boat to sink. The captain went back to flouncing about the deck, barking orders to his sailors like an angry dog. How they all had managed to escape gaol was a mystery now, but nevertheless Irix and Prince Karo now seemed to be the least of their worries. It was obvious the city was under attack by a much more powerful force than either of those pompous men could ever summon.Against all odds, it seemed the captain and his men meant to set sail and escape the city while they could. This could be a suicidal decision, but so could staying on land. It seemed the girls had a tough decision to make, and not much time to make it.
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Lost Soldier (the author formerly known as Ib)
3/12/2004 2:53:30 PM
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