LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 109: Chapter 109
(Lorna Crowley POV)
Lorna Crowley, daughter of the Northgate Rebel leader, Darius Crowley, was an auburn haired, lithe woman with sharp features, and possessed a confidence about her that others couldn't help but listen when she spoke.
Wielding an enchanted cutlass in one hand, and a Dwarven rune pistol in the other, her kit was topped off with an enchanted necklace of Elven make; it helped reduce the impact of kinetic or magical strikes.
Standing fearlessly on the deck of her ship, Lorna repeatedly took potshots at the Undead crew with her pistol.
Blue bullets erupted from the maw of her gun, each blue bolt-thick as a mans thumb-exploded where it landed.
After unloading six shots into the enemy, her pistol hummed and vibrated, hot steam escaped its chamber, and the lip of the gun glowed red.
Blue lines slowly began to crawl up the side of the gun as ambient mana in the air was drawn into glowing runes.
Every 30 seconds, a rune would light up, indicating that one bullet had been reloaded.
Whilst her weapon was recharging, Lorna didn't remain idle. Her crimson cutlass flashed through the air. Wherever she struck, red slices of energy swept at bullets and cannon shot, knocking them out of the sky.
However, for all her efforts, the enemy vessel packed some serious firepower, and inevitably, some attacks would get through.
"Aurgh!" One man-at-arms fell to the deck, he shakily looked at his missing arm, then passed out as blood leaked from him like a faucet.
Many others fell to the deck with minor wounds as tiny flechette wounds exploded when the wood and timbre of the vessel was struck.
"Priest, see to the wounded!" Lorn commanded.
Biting her lip in worry for her men, she cut a boulder in half that was tossed from the sea giant, but when she did, that left her ship open for retaliatory fire from the Undead.
"Captain, we cannot face both!" Her sergeant at arms took aim with his rifle, and popped a head, then ducked for cover.
Lorna knew that they were too far from port to try and break away, but they were close enough to land that some might be able to swim back.
Should she go down this route, over a hundred sailors would die, but if she fought until the bloody end, then all of them would perish!
Closing her eyes, and gripping her hands tight, she made the most difficult decision of her life.
"All hands, abandon de-"
"Reinforcements captain!" The sergeant roared, interrupting her.
Snapping her eyes open, Lorna witnessed a galleon sail at the Sea Giant, and open up with a volley of cannon fire.
Emerging from the fog, this new ship was like a phantom as it moved to flank the big teal menace. Smoke from the guns mixed with the shroud of white. The high level obscurity meant that Lorna could not get a good sight of the ship's colors, but that didn't matter.
They had been given a second chance!
The opening strike was followed up by a flaming meteor. Fiery orange-red streaked through the air, and forced the Sea Giant back.
Lorna felt her breath hitch at the sight. She knew she could slice that meteor in half, but it would prove challenging. Whoever that mage was, he was no push over!
"Dalaran's balls, they've got a powerful mage aboard!" The sergeant cheered.
"Belay that order! There will be no retreat, and we will give those grey skinned piles of bones a taste of vengeance! All hands, prepare for a boarding action! We're closing with the enemy!" Lorna ordered with determination, and a voice filled with fiery passion.
Her auburn hair covered her face, and heart, which had given up hope a moment ago, and had felt like it had been stabbed and torn apart once again yearned for victory!
She didn't know who captained the other ship, or if they were Royalists, but against the abominations, they were all Gilneans!
Cannon fire roared, and her ship took a pounding as they came closer, yet so too did the Scourge vessel take serious damage.
Planks were missing, and an explosion in the hull had caused the enemy ship to lose its way, it was moving at an incredibly reduced pace. They would make contact in less than one minute!
"Secure the cannons! Tie down the barrels, get your shut together ye scurvy dogs, move, move!" The sergeant roared, and pushed men around in a flurry of activity.
When most everything had been accomplished, Lorna raised her cutlass high to the air, and uttered one unifying word to address the crew.
"Gilneas!" Lorna roared at her crew as the ship teetered closer and closer to the enemy vessel.
"Gilneas!" Her men roared back, raising their weapons high into the air.
Every sailor had been whipped into a frenzy. They knew that this would be it. One final clash to end it all.
The time to close with the enemy was swiftly approaching!
Nodding her head at the fervor and patriotism of her fellow countrymen, she had one last task to accomplish before they boarded the enemy ship.
Prowling back to her cabin, Lorna slammed the doors open, and grabbed a robed teenager by the scruff of his neck.
"Come mage, time to earn your keep." Lorna brusquely demanded, and dragged him out of the room.
The trembling boy was 17, the same age as her, but his lack of enthusiasm made her scowl.
She almost wished they hadn't taken in some refugees from Dalaran. There were few enough magic practitioners in Gilneas as it was. Her fellow nobles feared that the 'up jumped peasants' would cause a revolution
She couldn't fault them for that fear, but as queer as the mystics were she could not deny their usefulness.
"I, I need more time to prepare, I-" The mage stuttered, only to be pushed out into the cold, foggy morning air.
"We are seconds away from collision, freeze the ships together, we need a bridge head!" Lorna brooked no arguments, and said in a no nonsense tone of voice.
The mage caught sight of her eye, and must've sensed her willingness to mete out violence, because he was quick to shut up, and approached the side of the ship.
Lorna nodded her head, thankful that she didn't have to resort to anything more drastic than some harsh words. Every second she delayed would mean her men would die.
As captain of this crew, she would not allow the inaction of one man to jeopardize the lives and trust her crew had placed on her!
"Ten seconds! Brace! Brace! Brace!" The sergeant roared.
Men and women held tightly onto ropes, railing, anything that could secure themselves for the oncoming collision.
Lorna held onto the mage with one hand, and the railing with another.
A second later, a mighty collision resounded in the air.
"Do it." Lorna ordered.
The mage was shaking, yet he began a chant. Blue light colored his eyes, and coated his hands.
A moment later, frost left his fingertips, and the two ships were locked together.
Falling to his knees, the mage was panting from mana exhaustion, but Lorna couldn't afford to spare him any more attention.
"Forward!" Lorna ordered, then charged and led the vanguard.
Her cutlass sliced through a rusted sword, and diced a decayed arm, then entire body from top to bottom.
Twin halves of a corpse fell rotting to the deck, but she paid it no mind, and moved on to the next opponent with speed and precision.
Ducking a musket shot, and the stab of a spear, she began to cut, parry, and sliced her way forward.
Soon, the thumbs of boots jumping on the deck followed after her, and her crew joined the melee.
Anarchy ensued as men bled out, and skeletons were crushed under foot.
A group of 6 Elite, plate wearing Death Knights marched towards Lorna. Their enchanted weapons cut through her ranks like butter.
She took aim with her pistol, and unloaded all 6 shots on a singular Death Knight.
The Elite blocked two of the bullets, brother precision and accuracy outskilled him, and they got through. The first two ultra hot blue bullets clashed with a barrier of frost, then popped it. The next bullet scorched the heavy plate helm, and the last bullet penetrated the scorch mark, and exploded inside.
Her pistol hummed as it recharged. Holstering the marvelous Dwarven weapon, she prepared herself for some intense close quarters combat.
The sergeant pulled up next to her alongside 4 other Elites from House Crowley. They too were decked out in plate armor, and wielded enchanted weapons.
"Ready, sergeant?" Lorna smirked.
"Ready as I'll ever be, captain." The sergeant gruffly replied, and banged his longsword against his buckler shield.
"Good, we wouldn't want to bore you!" A cultured voice spoke from behind the Death Knights.
Emerging from their ranks, an unhealthily pale, dashing man dressed in violet colored, noble attire smirked.
His long black hair, mustache, goatee, and great coat all fluttered as a cool seabreeze passed through.
"Cervantes." Lorna frowned.
"The very same." The debonair man tilted his tricorn hat in greeting.
"Even the Scourge can get to pirate scum like you, huh?" Lorna mocked.
"What can I say, my dear? Immortality was such a tantalizing offer. I can share it with you, Lady Crowley. Think of it, no more hunger, no more pain, no more fear of what comes next. It is an astounding experience." Cervantes slowly edged forward, his twin swords glowing ominously.
The sound of his boots on the deck seemed to pull Lorna into a trance. Her focus on the rest of the battle, the sound of swords clashing, and men screaming all faded away.
"Snap out of it, captain!" The sergeant urged.
Shaking her head, Lorna felt herself getting pushed back, and a pair of gor tipped blades pressed mere inches from her face.
Blood sprayed onto her clothes as she watched her loyal sergeant gutted right in front of her.
Shock.
Horror.
Rage.
It all bubbled to the surface as she witnessed her faithful companion fall to the deck, dead.
"Pity. I thought you'd fall for that. Oh well, you'll join him soon enough." Cervantes shrugged his shoulders, and spoke with a calm casuality as if he had done something as simple as taking out the trash.
Flicking his blood tipped blades, Cervantes lunged at her.
Lorna pressed back, and a duel ensued.
Her cutlass marched his twin swords blow after blow.
Swiping at his head, Lorna tossed a zombie into his oncoming attack, and forced the dread pirate back.
Pressing forward, she scored a few nicks and cuts on his outfit, and even managed to snag a pair of fingers, weakening Cervantes's hold on his left sword.
"A drunken fool who only ever wielded his blade against peasants and commoners. Today marks your end, scum!" Lorna scowled, and batted away his sword, then drew her pistol ready to blast his head off.
However, the black haired Undead pirate smirked at her.
His face of confidence clued her in that something wasn't right. She tried to turn around, but the hand she had severed gripped onto her ankle, pulling her back.
Black tendrils entered her leg, and she cried out in pain, and fell to one knee.
Emerging from the ongoing melee, two blood drenched Death Knights tossed the corpses of her House Elites to her feet.
"You see luv, I may not be trained in yer fancy noble artes. But the sea be my mistress, and she taught me all I needed to survive." Cervantes leered down at her in triumph. His mouth opened wide, and revealed a hole full of rotten black teeth, and worms.
Lorna recoiled, and dumped the stored bullets into the pirate captain.
"Hahaha. It's over, Miss Crowley! You are mine! Welcome to the Midnight Howl, I be treating you real nice!" Cervantes howled with laughter as he blocked each of her bullets, and the Death Knights moved to stab her in the back.
"Father, Sergeant Lucas, everyone…I'm sorry." Lorna bitterly muttered to herself as she mustered up what energy she had left, and intended to resist until the end.
She parried one sword, cutting off one DK's knees, she then rolled, dodging a cleaving slice, and tripped the last DK, ending him with a quick cut to the neck.
However, the black splotch on her leg was festering, and the Undead hand was digging malignant fingernails into her flesh. Every second that ticked by, she felt herself die little by little.
The pain and poison entering her system was so severe, she felt as if she could barely move.
"Blasted wench.' Cervantes raised his blade to finish the job, when a sudden crash rocked the boat, and caused him to miss.
"Avast, House Vanhook has joined the battle!" A manly voice called out.
Through her fading vision, Lorna saw a swashbuckling young man run at Cervantes, blade in hand.
Besides him, a paladin shining in Holy Light wielding a massive sword swung at the Undead.
A flash of flame and a bright light swept before her eyes. She felt hot air, then nothing as the ever pervasive fog reentered the battlefield.
She heard the groans of the wounded, meaning the reinforcements had made it in time, they had won!
Forcing her eyes open, she got a good look at the man who had saved her crew. She at least wanted to lay eyes upon the one who had avenged her before she died.
It was a lithe, young man with shaggy brown hair, and blue eyes. By the look of it, he was probably no older than his early 20's. He had an arrogant, perhaps cocky smile on his face as he peered down at her.
"Well, well, well. Look at you!" The man clapped his hands and laughed.
Lorna wanted to scowl. She was dying here, and the man had the nerve to laugh!
Dark splotches coated her eyes, but she mustered up some final effort to say something, to get some last message to her father.
The information they had been seeking was true. The Scourge had begun to take over, and construct ships. The wall that Greymane was so proud of would count for nothing if the enemy could invade by sea!
"Take. Take wo-word to Crowley, the Scourge. They-" Lorna barely got out with great pain, but the blasted young man simply put his hands on his hips and laughed some more, interrupting her dying breath.
"She really thinks she's going to die, huh Ro?" The young man turned to a large red headed muscular man.
"She will pass if she is not seen to, my Lord." Ro responded.
"Oh yeah." The man shook his head as if he had forgotten something, and snapped his fingers.
A second later, golden energy suffused her body, and Liadrin sucked in a breath as her heart and lungs got back to normal, and the disease left her system.
Standing angrily to her feet, Lorna moved to grab the surly fuck by his collar, only to catch a blur of motion as the silver armored paladin decked her across the face.
Rolling to her feet, Lorna wiped blood from her chin and growled.
Some of her surviving men witnessed this, and stepped beside her, weapons held at the ready.
"Easy now, easy. The wife doesn't like other women touching the merchandise. You're lucky all you have is a bloody chin!" The handsome man raised his hands in calm, and exclaimed in surprise.
"What is the meaning of this? Are you a servant of Greymane, or do you stand with Northgate?" Lorna pointed her cutlass at them.
"Neither really, but I've been away for too long up in Quel'Thalas. They drove the Scourge out of their homeland, so I figured now would be a good time to return to Gilneas and see how things have transpired. Honestly? Not impressed." The man said with a shake of the head.
His tone of voice and impermanence was aggravating to no end, but he did save her.
'Damned man!' Lorna internally seethed.
Yet eyeing Cervantes's rotting corpse lying still on the deck, she had a newfound appreciation for this maddening man.
If what he said was true, then perhaps they could see a new ally against the tyrant, Greymane.
"Hmph. Fine, I'll accept that answer. But I believe introductions are in order. I am Lorna Crowley, daughter of Lord Crowley. And you are?"
"Thought you'd never ask! The name's Vigo Vanhook. Pleasure to meet you!" Vigo slightly nodded, and flourished his feathered cap.
Lorna closed her eyes and sharply inhaled.
This handsome bloke was trouble, but in desperate times like these, madmen like Vigo were a needed commodity.
"Welcome Vigo. Let us retire to my cabin, we have much to discuss. Many things have changed since your departure for Quel'Thalas."
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