To Rescue Tanelorn Read Online Free PDF Page B

towards them.
    In the fore of the battle, our cannon gouting and the whole ship reverberating with the mighty roar, we smashed full with our rams into a slender Eldren craft and broke it completely in two. I saw figures throw up their arms and I heard King Rigenos laughing behind me as the Eldren drowned, with few cries, in silence.
             
    Our ship moved through the wreckage it had created, surrounded by orange tongues of flame, shrieks and yells, thick smoke which obscured vision in all directions so that it was impossible to tell how the Fleets of Humanity fared.
    Rigenos pointed through the smoke, his eyes screwed up against its acrid blossomings: “There! The Eldren flagship. With luck that cursed servant of Azmobaana may be aboard. Pray that the Eldren Prince rides her, Erekosë, for if he does our cause is truly won.”
    I paid him little heed but shouted the order for grappling irons to be readied. Our vessel reared up on a surging wave and then rode it down towards the Eldren flagship. Our grapples were flung, we locked.
    King Rigenos bellowed across the narrow drop between our craft and that of the Eldren: “This is King Rigenos and his champion Erekosë. I’d speak with your commander for a moment, in the usual truce. If your master Arjavh of Mernadin is there let him come and do battle with the king’s champion!”
    Through the shifting smoke I saw, dimly, a pointed golden face with milky blue-flecked eyes staring strangely from the sockets of the slanting head. An eldritch voice, like music, sang across the sea: “I am Duke Baynahn, Commander of the Eldren fleet. I have to tell thee that our Prince Arjavh is not aboard. He is in the West, in Loos Ptokai, and could not get to Paphanaal for the battle.”
    Rigenos turned to his captain, Katorn, who bore a heavy crossbow. “Kill that one, Katorn,” he said quietly.
    Duke Baynahn continued: “However, I am prepared to fight your champion if…”
    “No!” I cried to Katorn. “Stop! King Rigenos, that is dishonourable—you speak during a truce.”
    “There is no question of honour, Erekosë, when exterminating vermin. That you will soon learn. Kill him, Katorn!”
    The bolt whirred from the bow and I heard a soft gasp as it penetrated the Eldren speaker’s throat. He fell. I was in a rage at the treachery shown by one who spoke so often of treachery in his enemies, but there was no time to remonstrate for I had to lead a boarding party and swiftly while we retained the advantage.
    I took a trailing rope, unsheathed my glowing sword and cried: “For Humanity! Death to the Hounds of Evil!”
    I swung down, the heated air slashing against my face in that swift passage, and dropped, with howling warriors behind me, among the Eldren ranks.
    Then we were fighting.
    My followers took care to stay away from me as the sword opened pale wounds in the Eldren foes, destroying all whom it lightly touched. There was no battle-joy in me as I fought, for no skill was needed for such slaying.
    The slender shark-ships seemed to hold more men than I had estimated. The long-skulled Eldren, well aware that my sword touch was lethal, flung themselves at me with ferocious courage.
    Many of them wielded long-hafted axes, swinging at me out of reach of my sword. The sword was not sharper than most and although I hacked at the shafts I succeeded only in splintering them slightly. I had constantly to duck, stab beneath the whirling axes.
    A golden-haired Eldren leapt at me, swung his axe and it smashed against my shoulder plate knocking me off balance. I rolled, trying desperately to regain my footing on the blood-smeared deck. The axe smashed down again, on to my breastplate, winding me. I struggled to a crouching position, plunged forward beneath the axe and slashed at the Eldren’s wrist. He moaned and died. The poison had done its work again.
             
    Now I saw we had the advantage. The last pocket of fiercely fighting Eldren were on the main deck,