The day strip, a band of the world too far from the north mountain; a place where the shadow of night can never touch. This was a part of the world unsuited to their passage, yet the ships continued. Five great gatherai, massive warships of wood and steel absent of sail and appearing much as a drifting cone of banded materials, crossed the great seas in a ‘V’ formation much like that of birds on long trips between the islands of the world. Above the water, the ships sported many a window, though most were covered from inside with a strange fabric. Such was the fabric that the wind could pass into and through the structure unimpeded, and one inside could see out easily, but the interior of the ship was flooded by a darkness that humans could only stumble through.
Embedded in the wood and steel of the interior of the ship, as if bejewelling the inside of a beautiful box, were thousands of gemstones. Each shielded window bore two Agate upon the sill, while Fire agates could be seen scattered about the hull, where one would be visible to each occupant no matter where they stood. Amethyst wands ran end to end, as if they were some form of a support structure, along the ceiling of the ship.
The sailors were possessed of a squat rounded form that was some strange alien imitation of a human’s. Their heads stretched out with a natural cap like that of many fungi, and in many places, the second layer of flesh had grown upon their bodies like armour. The strange fungus sailors wore fabrics of the quality upon their windows, though styled with roots and ore veins. These creatures, rjkari as the other races would call them, moved about the darkness with a grace unbecoming their frame.
These ships were a ‘greater pod’, one small group of the grand fleet of the mighty rj Empire from the undercity of Rytheqas. How they had come so far from home was a simple matter. The great mother had wished to know what lay near the edge of the world. Were there any places for a colony? But more importantly, were there enemies they must take care to avoid or cleanse as quickly as possible? Sadly, the answer to this question is why the greater pod numbered only five ships. They had found an enemy, not an advanced enemy but an enemy of great number.
Tammrit Fortengus had been one of the first of the fungal soldiers to have met this strange enemy. Though now, in their retreat, he stood upon the upper rear deck of the first ship on the left surveying the ocean. With a hand each on the two Agate of the windowsill he saw detail far further than one should, peering through fog and the reflection of the sun upon the water. The strange ships he could see so far behind them moved faster than the rj vessels. At least twelve ships bearing down on them from the island chain of the strange ceratogi enemy.
Releasing the bejewelled windowframe, Tammrit stumbled first one step backward before turning as quickly as he could to race down the stairs to the main deck. He hadn’t even thought to shout, they did not expect to be followed this far. The ‘job’ had suppose to be calm and soothing after the battles he’d survived of late. But no, now the poor rjkari was racing down stairs, weaving among his brothers to a room near the centre of the structure. The room was half bare, the only furniture being a large circular garden possessed of dirt and a tangled mass of mycelium. Nine elder rjkari stood about the circle, their hands resting on the stones as they spoke to each other, though their voices fell silent as ten now numbered the room.
“Young one” one of the mushroom creatures lifted its head to speak to him directly. “We converse with the mother. What is wrong?” He did not even had time to answer, another of the nine turned to the first.
“Look at their shoulders and stance.” All nine looked over as the second continued. “We have company. And it isn’t friendly.” Tammrit stepped out of the room, flattening himself against the wall outside as many of those within filed out. “Come” the second rjkari to speak almost barked at him as they passed, ascending the stairs and following the path back the way the Fortengus rjkari had come. The elder took the advance, leading up to the windows and only glancing out before turning back toward the ships interior. “Company!” the voice rang out, echoing off every wall and seeming to ring from diamonds randomly throughout the ship as if the stones mocked the announcement. “Battle stations”
All at once, Tammrit was left to his own devices. No further orders were given but the sailor sprinted to the side of the ship. Through another window he could see the strange ships once again. They sat low in the water with shapes like that of human ships but as if two were strapped together by planks, with a single mastless sail almost free-flying but for the ropes that connected them to the ship. None of the ships were particularly large, but neither were their crew. Shorter than even the rjkari, the rodent like ‘ceratogis’ swarmed across their ship like a violent mass of insects. The rjkari reached into one of the gill-like pockets between his body and naturalised armour and drew forth two stones; a yellow Labradorite and sharpened, almost dagger shaped sliver of Gaspeite.
With considerable force, the fungus pressed the Labradorite into the flesh beneath his left eye. Once deep enough, his skin lapped over its edges to hold it in place. “Show us please” he whispered to it. The rock feeling warm within him as he became aware perfectly of dozens of his kin about the various ships; seeing each of them as if he were them, completely aware of how they moved and their intentions in the battle. Though dozens more remained hidden to him, from the eyes of the kin who shared stones he could see enough of the battle to suffice.
The fabric of the window nearest him was slice open, ripped apart enough to be unable to slow any number that could fit through the frame. All at once, Tammrit was swarmed. Six of the strange ratlike creatures flooded in through the one window, as more clamboured in through every window he could see. “Though I stand not on solid ground-” the rjkari whispered to the Gaspeite blade “grant me the strength of the mountains. And the confidence of the caverns.” As if in answer, the small blade felt heavy and warm in his hand. The ceratogis carried swords themselves, more traditional metal affairs with a curved blade.
Their blades swung at him from all angles, none willing to fight alone and be the easy target. It was all the rjkari could do to twist his body at the right angle that the assailant blades glanced off his armour. Caught up on the feral spin, the rjkari’s arm outstretched, the green blade sliding only halfway across the chest of one of the rodents before the sheer force of the impact threw the small creature away to slam into one of its comrades. Another jumped on his side, forcing the defender to the deck, though his blade caught the shoulder of another and slowed his fall despite the massive gash it sliced through the boarder’s chest.
Another blade came for his face, this one finally meeting its mark and slicing cleanly through the soft flesh. It caught on the only piece of resistance it could find, but so fluid was the strike that the labradorite was ripped from his cheek and Tammrit was left isolated and alone and with no knowledge of his kinsmen. Enraged, the rjkari kicked out into the chest of one of the rodents as he pulled himself to standing. He had to find the others, or at least the stone. “You’re in my way” he snarled, though they showed no sign of understanding him. His violent swings aimed primarily for their blades, not out of some misguided belief that he could break them but in an attempt to disarm the invaders.
One sword was caught on the perfect swing, such that when it was thrown from it’s owners hand, he cut into the side of one of its own allies. He might have been winning. He theoretically could have won on his own. But at that moment, the ship was struck by something hard in the side. The entire deck lurched and Tammrit was thrown to the ground once again, though he slid out from under the seething mass as a result.
As if an answered prayer, more rjkari filed up the stairs onto the deck, themselves carrying either Gaspeite blades or stolen ceratogi swords. It was a massacre of the smaller creatures, though no-one seemed too pleased to celebrate in the sloshing pool of blood. “Something’s wrong.” one of the other rjkari muttered as they helped Tammrit to his feet. “Shouldn’t there have been more than that?”
Once on his feet once again, Tammrit nodded his agreement. Taking a moment first to recollect his labradorite, the sailor strode to the nearest window to assess the state of the enemy ships. Many were hooked on each other and half sunk. One of the small ships was clearly smashed against a superior rj craft, and a few were even wrapped around the rjkari ships harmlessly. He would have smiled at their victory, if this had been a victory worth celebrating. Several other ships were on fire and through the connection of the stone he could tell that not all had been as lucky as the crew he had signed with. Others had seen this and subsequently the ships were steered as near to each other as they could be with the ruins about.
rjkari scurried about their ships, moving free planks from lower decks up to slide out windows. With the boards connecting two windows, several heavily burned fungus men began scurrying from a tangled and burning ship toward safety. Safety only short lived, Tammrit came to realise, as in the distance, from around a small island came more ceratogi ships. Many more. The rj fleet was reduced to only two ships by a smaller force. Quickly, the sailor dug the labradorite out of his cheek once again. Whispering “show them” to it, he placed the yellow stone against the Agate in the window frame. Almost in an instant, all the rjkari began to move faster, more frantically. He could hear the shouting of the elders and the footsteps of brave rjkari on the hull scanning the water for their kin.
The almost thirty ceratogi ships were dangerously close already. There was no salvaging the damaged and burning ships in time. The few rjkari that remained to cross the planks to safety ripped whatever crystals they could from the hull in the moments they had to wait their turn before crossing. As the planks were withdrawn, Tammrit returned the stone to his cheek. With his expanded sight restored, he hung his head at a vision bestowed to him. Aboard the other ships, whichever elders remained to them stood in a circle around the mycelium pit, bearing torches. Out of respect, he removed the stone, sliding both back into the ‘pocket’ he had fetched them from.
The rj ship lurched into action, hard enough to unbalance all its occupants but not enough to actually trip any. He watched out the window as the ship began to turn away from it’s allies. Burning husks of wood and steel on the otherwise calm sea. He could see small signs of his brethren through the lower windows. Or were they the bodies of the ceratogi invaders? It didn’t really matter. What mattered would be outpacing the incoming fleet. Reaching somewhere safe so far from home.
The stationary ships began to burn more eagerly, great flames licking the sky while a cloud of smoke billowed out. He smiled gently at one sight though; a second rj ship sailing from the midst of the rubble. It bore no sign of damage as it turned to follow them. The point of the second cone shaped ship fell in line behind the ship Tammrit watched from. None of the windows visible from the front could be seen through, but something felt strange about the situation.
His nervous fears were answered when the following ship did something no true rj vessel would do at this point; it began attempting to sail beside. So massive were the ships that any help breaking the waves was always appreciated. They would leave the wake to attempt to sail beside unless they wanted to board.
As the ship moved aside, he could actually see slightly behind it. A collection of the small ceratogi ships followed the grand rj vessel, tethered to it by cords attached to the back. “Incoming” he shouted, taking only the briefest moment to look away from the infested ship to search the waters for the remainder of the ceratogi fleet. The mass of thirty ships was passing through the fire and smoke, though some seem to have stayed to explore the dying ships.
Abandoning his post, the sailor slid down the stairs as fast as he could in order to find the steering chamber. A round table sat in the centre of the room, surrounded by many small, flawed stones of various types. A single rod stood beside the table, atop which sat a quartz wand with Labradorite impurites. A rjkari stood beside the table, their left hand clasped about the gemstone rod as they watched stones move apparently of their own accord across the various lines of the table.
After only a glance at the table, Tammrit seized a chunk of orange crackle quartz and swapped it quickly for the clear quartz so close to the centre of the table. The second stone took over moving as if it were the first immediately. The helmsman looked up at him, missing the movement of over a dozen more orange quartz around the edge of the table to enter from one edge. The ship lurched again however, hard left as the stones on the table seemed to slide and turn away from the centre to the right. The armada of small orange stones was nearing the centre of the table, and the orange quartz was turning to head back to the middle as well, increasing its pace as best it seemed able.
One of the elders strode into the room in short order, glancing down at the map before looking at the helmsman proper. “Landfall spotted off the Port.” their eyes returned to the map as the stones began to move into a tighter bunching. A set of metal plates, with blue agates set in their centre, slid onto the table, arranging to the shape of part of the coast of some island. But it wasn’t an unknown location.
The Helmsman’s head lifted and they finally spoke, “We can’t.” Tammrit had seen the same thing the helmsman had. But could see the fear and anger in the elders eyes. The taskless sailor slipped from the room, running the moment he was free of that situation. He had to find someone he could make listen. From the forward windows he could see the ship was turning to a straight path to the island.
“I beg your pardons.” he panted, approaching the first elder he could find, who turned and smiled.
“Rest, Soon we’ll make landfall, and we can fight in a proper rj manner.” The elder’s hand rested gently on his shoulder, a smile in their eyes that slowly faded as the fear in the sailor’s became more apparent.
“We enter Einodian waters.” He panted, ignoring the sensation of the hand that now gripped his shoulder plate and the emptiness of the elder’s eyes. At once, Tammrit was sprinting again, now following rather than searching.
“Endrykk” The elder almost shouted as they neared the door to the helm. The ship seemed to rock once as if struck by a strong wave as the door was wrenched open. “Endrykk we can’t! This is Einode.”
The map once again showed the individual movements of the many ships surrounding them as well as a collection of plates that signified the cape of the island they approached. The elder Endrykk ignored the newcomer at first, focusing on advising the helmsman on movements to try and get the ceratogi ships to group together tighter.
“Turn us from this place, helm” the elder shouted, only for Endrykk to rescind the order.
“Look at the stones, Mortylar, the enemy refuses to approach too close to landfall.” Endrykk was smiling, both hands on the table as they leaned forward to get as good a look as possible.
“There’s a good reason for that.”Mortylar grabbed Endrykk’s hand and pulled them away from the table slightly. “This is Einode. We have to leave.” The ship rocked again, another large wave from coastward struck the ship. “Before we run out of warnings!”
Endrykk bore a strange smile before furrowing their eyes and nodding for a moment. “You’re right. You take charge of the course, Mortylar. I shouldn’t be here.” the elder wrested their hand free and turned from the room. Elder Mortylar’s eyes locked with Tammrit, before glancing after Endrykk. The sailor nodded once and left the room to follow the elder. “Ready the cannons!” he could hear them shout. “Both sides, ready fire at the water!”
All it took was a single volley. The moment the cannonballs struck the water, chaos erupted. The ship was struck from beneath by some massive force. Wakes on the water’s surface followed invisible opponents that came from apparently no-where; spawning in the water and rocketing toward any ship nearby. The closest ceratogi ship was sliced cleanly in half, like a tree sundered by the axe of a giant lumberjack. As one wake slid along the edge of the rj ship, strange lights appeared in the vessel. They popped in and out of existence simply floating in the air. The few that flickered into existence where someone stood, ripped and distorted the flesh before removing the chunk from existence when they winked out.
Some ceratogis leapt into the water to escape their suddenly burning and extremely damaged ships. Their muscles seemed to flick about the moment they touched the wake, their bodies being thrown through the water by an unseen force. The water itself seeming to slice through their skin and flesh. Tammrit ran through the bowels of the ship, looking for anyone who needed his help as the ship was violently jostled from side to side. As he turned down one hall, the hull breached. Water itself cut through the wooden exterior, though it turned from the strange bladelike substance to normal water inside. Still, the hull haemorrhaged into the hall. The ship was struck again in the side as the water lapped at the rjkari’s feet. At that moment it was as if a great force pulsed through his body. It was a paint he’d never felt before that ripped through every inch of him. So immense was the force that he was thrown clear of the pool at the breach, slamming his back into the wall near the ladder up to the next deck.
Anyone left down this deep, would be beyond his help. Or at least that was the sailor’s reasoning as he scrambled back up the ladder. Frightened and enraged ceratogis were clambouring through the windows. Groups pushed the cannons away so as to swarm in to safety, fighting against lone rjkari who desperately put their weight into holding the cannons in place. Another hard strike against the hull, the whole ship lurching to one side and even slightly drifting in the waves from the impact. The cannons on one side sliding away from the windows more easily, despite the best efforts of the crew. But that wasn’t what caught his attention most however.
A giant fracture snaked its way up the hull, branching out like lightning as it seemed a combination of a brutal impact and the trail of some strange worm of fire across the wood. Grabbing a fellow rjkari, Tammrit frantically pulled them to standing as the two rushed toward the windows that had been vacated of cannons. As his hand gripped the sill, the ship was struck again from the other side. Such an intense force, he could feel the ship almost be thrown aside. The hull was finally breached as a strange creature battered its way into the room. The amethyst’s along the ceiling of the room seemed to drip as if melting. The bloody, breaching water swirling with a glittering sharpness as if a hurricane of razors. The inner structure of the ship stood no chance, being easily ripped apart by the violent force.
He only saw the briefest glimpse of the creature. Some immense sea serpent, as round as he was tall and apparently covered in a strange kind of armoured plate unlike any scales he’d ever seen. As it’s mouth closed about his comrade, the rjkari pulled himself through the window and out onto the hull, scurrying toward the top of the ship from outside.
To Tammrit’s surprise, as his eyes swept the water surrounding him; he could see people swimming among the carnage. rjkari and ceratogis alive swimming furiously to land once it became clear that none of the ships were going to be able to sail. The strange serpent creature was inside the rj ship at that moment, it’s movements jostling the structure beneath his feet quite violently. Timing it best he could the sailor threw himself off the ship and into the water, using the ship lurching in that direction as a slight boost to his momentum. The strange fibrous body of the rjkari made it relatively easy for them to float, the problem would have been swimming against any current. But the ships were close enough to the island for the current to carry him how he wanted to go.
He had dove into an area filled with a beautiful coral reef. Thousands of beautiful rocklike plantlike materials created razor sharp obstacles to his swimming to shore. He could see some strange armoured fish in the water all around him, though many kept close to the coral. But he could see a small ridge ahead at the land. As if a cliff had been filed down to only an arms reach above the water. Three rjkari were ahead of him, one ceratogi was keeping pace with him. He didn’t care, he’d make it work with whoever made it to shore. All that mattered right now was survival. Survival of whoever could make it.
There was a short scream from ahead as a rjkari was suddenly pulled under the water. There had been no strange wake, no strangely forceful water. Indeed he could still hear the strange beast destroying the ship they had come from. Unperturbed, he powered onward toward the shore. He watched as another rjkari managed to grab a hold of the small cliff before being ripped away and dragged under the water.
“Though I stand not on stone. Grant me this strength.” He whispered between strokes as he grew near. “Cut into me if you must, but grant me this strength to save a life.” Tammrit stopped swimming, planting his feet into the coral and feeling the sharpness slice into his flesh. His upper body twisted as he turned to the right. His right arm grabbed the ceratogi by the fur near its waist, while his left arm seized it’s throat. Twisting back, he could feel the Gaspeite blade slice through his chest at the poor movement, but he threw the ceratogi from the water and clear toward land.
It was only from his peripheral vision that he saw movement in the water. A strange tentacled fish creature was rocketing toward the surface. With no time to actually think about what he was doing, the rjkari dove forward. His left shoulder slammed into the creature as it threatened to breach the surface. The water covered his face and plunged the rjkari into a moment of blindness. The next thing he felt was colliding with something far more solid than any creature. The sharpness of the coral slicing at his cap and the creature against his shoulder squirming furiously as it cushioned his blow against the reef.
Something was poking him from above, a hard and inflexible tendril extending into the water from beyond. It poked furiously until he seized it with his free right hand. The moment he gripped the branch, someone at the other end began pulling. With only a little climbing, and some help, he was finally onto the relative safety of shore. But with those things in the water. What lived on the land of this place?