11. Home port
In the 18 years since sealing their alliance and finding their son, Atris and Asla had brought many islands and rival pirates under their control, the two now commanded vast fleets of warships and were quickly becoming the most powerful warlords on Krake. Legends spread far across the ocean of the terrifying Wolhark who tore his enemies to shreds with his roaring blade and the deadly Seeran who turned all who opposed her in to charred corpses and of course stories were told of their son. A giant who can walk the oceans as easily as he sails them, an immortal who can tear a battleship to scrap alone, unmatched in battle and strategy he was blessed by all the gods and none can match him. The spreading of these stories led to many islands and pirates joining them without conflict, afraid of the consequences, and a boost to their territory and forces.
The islands of Kasain were where the pirate lords directed and launched their forces from, it was where the two planned their raids and expansion and where they called home, it was constantly surrounded by a massive fleet and the islands also sported defensive emplacements. The northern most island of the three was a dedicated port and had hundreds of docks and dry docks dug in to it, there were large cranes for moving cargo, supplies and plunder to and from ships as well as large guns from old and disused ship, set to work as defensive turrets.
Ovis pulled the Wave breaker in to one of the many docks, the island was alive as an army of engineers and technicians swarmed the ships, assessing the damage and directing them to repair, refit or, if the damage is bad enough, scrapping. Ovis stepped off his ship and watched as the men ran about, doing a hundred different tasks to make even a single ship seaworthy, there were also sailors who had just arrived back and were heading to the central island to reunite with family and spend the plunder they earned on their voyage and there were also men preparing to depart, hyping themselves up with stories of the adventures and plunder they'll have. Ovis walked through the dock, those who recognised him, which were most people, were congratulating him and offering to buy him drinks and the primarch in return laughed and joked with them. The primarch could be quite charismatic when he wanted to be, although that only tended to be with women and those he called friends, but just about everyone who served his parents liked the boy and would follow him to the ends of the world.
"Finally back brother, I had heard you ran away from patrol, Kitla too much for you" A young man wearing an unbuttoned jacket that identified him as a captain walked up to the primarch, he was handsome; long dark hair, a winning smile and not a single scar or blemish on his face
"Little brother!" Ovis smiled as he pulled his brother in bear hug, "I didn't know you would be back so soon"
Sotris was the second son of Atris and Asla, and their only biological son, he wasn't as great as his older brother but at the young age of 17 he could be called the equal of both his parents, as keen minded as his mother and as ruthless as his father, if his brother hadn't landed on Krake he would have been the perfect heir to the two.
"I heard you fought some heretics and from what I can see not a single scratch on your ship"
"I did but how was raiding with Admiral Lusow?" The two brothers walked across the island together, "Still basically a corpse"
"I don't think that old man will ever croak"
"Then I'll have some company" Ovis laughed, "Anyway how did it go?"
"The same as ever, fought mercenaries, raided merchants" Sotris shrugged, "We plundered a village on the island of Lostwai, not much of a fight but the slaves sold for quite a bit"
"Well it's more exciting than patrol, are mother or father back yet?"
"No but I'm sure they'll have plenty of presents for us when they return, in fact I saved a few of the best slaves we captured for you" Sotris told his brother, "Well not the best I kept those as a present to myself"
"And I'm working on a present for you although I've not finished it yet"
Sotris' birthday was only a few weeks before Ovis' and so the two normally celebrated it together and being the sons of two powerful pirate lords meant they would normally receive quite lavish gifts. The two rode together to the central island and made the trek up the long dead volcano to their home. The two parted ways and Ovis made his way to his section of the palace.
The palace had many complexes carved in to the dead mountain, mostly for the most important officers and their families but also for storage and meeting places to strategize. Ovis, with the help of some slaves, had cut out a vast complex for himself and furnished it accordingly with the many treasures he had plundered over the years, the primarch had many interests and there were just as many rooms to accommodate them all. Ovis' office reflected his disposition; the walls were tiled with scraps of steel taken from ships he had sunk and there was little bare rock left, overhead was a chandelier made from gold and decorated with diamonds that hung from near invisible silk threads, dominating the room was a great wooden desk that had been a gift from his father and was carved with the story of the battle with Amason and how Ovis was born, the chair that sat behind the desk was big enough for the primarch and made from the struts of scrapped ships.
The back wall of his office was covered in a board that contained many calculations and designs. The primarch looked over them all in an instant and sought out any mistakes but like with most things he did he found none. He looked at the design that had arisen from his calculations and careful contemplation, no one knew he was making this but it would change warfare and possibly everything on Krake.
Ovis left his office and retreated to his workshop where he would spend the next few days. A week after Ovis had arrived, his mother docked but he still didn't leave his workshop and only Sotris went to greet her.
Asla was starting to grow old but her beauty hadn't faded and she was far from being an old woman, she still had her lithe and deadly figure and her near flawless features. The pirate lady smiled when she saw her son waiting for her at the bottom of the ramp, she descended quickly and welcomed him with a hug, seemingly trying to break his spine, "Where's your brother?" she asked as she broke the hug and looked up at him
"He's been locked in his workshop building something for week, hasn't eaten or washed, I'd hate to be in there" Sotris told Asla, "I think it's a present for me but he's also requisitioned some engineers and slaves to build something on the side of the mountain so I'm not sure"
Asla could see what Ovis was having built from the harbour, it just looked like a ramp leading from near the peak of the mountain and out in to the air, the pirate lady wasn't quite sure what it would be used for but she trusted in her son's intelligence.
"So what have you brought me?" Sotris asked, clearly excited
"I still need to finish it but I know you'll love it" was all his mother told him before she headed for the boats to the central island
Less than a week later Atris returned, he was clad in gold chains and came with stories of islands he conquered and rivals he routed, the pirate lord was starting to grey slightly but that seemed to make him look better, he still only kept stubble on his chin and his muscular physique hadn't atrophied with age yet.
With everyone important gathered, preparations for the celebration were put in to motion.
The streets of the town at the foot of the mountain was filled with colourful decorations as the people living under the rule of the pirate lords were given a reason to celebrate and tables and food were brought out in droves for a feast. Near the peak, Asla worked to get their celebration ready; having just about every different fish or sea creature on Krake prepared in equally as many ways, getting dancers, musicians and other forms of entertainment and most importantly ensuring there was enough alcohol for everyone.
The party started when the sun set, the roof of the palace at the peak of the volcano was lit by many great torches and filled with the officers present on the island and their families as well as dancers and musicians moving through the crowd. The two brothers entered the party to cheers, Sotris went through the crowd and thanked people for coming while Ovis moved right to the alcohol.
The party went on for hours, people were drinking, singing, eating and dancing, and as time went on and everyone drank more things got even rowdier. Sotris was telling the story of battles he had fought against pirates and mercenaries to enraptured children and his brother did the same although his crowd was mostly the young daughters of officers and some of their wives.
"HEY!" Atris jumped up on to a table and silenced the crowd, he looked unbalanced and was obviously quite drunk, "We're here to celebrate my sons, I remember when they were born, one cost me half a freighter of loot and the other cost me half a year of peace"
Everyone laughed as the pirate lord held up his goblet, "But who could ask for better sons, I know Admiral Strass' son can't even walk"
"He broke his back fighting for you, you ungrateful coss" Strass laughed as he shouted from the crowd
"And I'm still a better captain than you" the aforementioned son heckled from his chair
"Disputed but we should move on since there are two better captains than all of us here" Atris waved his two sons forward, "They've become men and have fought bravely on behalf of me and their mother so besides all the gold and glory and women they get we should reward them, I'd do the same for all of you"
Ovis and Sotris made their way to their father as he climbed down from the table, "Ovis, my boy, you grew too big too fast, making clothes for you has been a nightmare but you've only had that sabre for a bit too long" Atris snapped his fingers and two people brought a large box over and presented it to Ovis, "I hired the finest weaponsmiths on Krake and kidnapped a few others, I'm sure you'll love it"
Ovis opened the box and laying inside, wrapped in cloth, was a bolter more than large enough for him to wield. It was beautifully crafted, one side had a life like picture of a Wolhark etched in to it; the sleek body, razor sharp bone fins and knife-like teeth captured in amazing detail. On the other side of the weapon was a Seeran; its spear like tentacles, gaping maw and rows of needle like teeth etched in so much detail that the primarch almost expected it to screech like a Seeran too. Ovis moved it in his hand and tested the weight of it, it would be far too heavy for a normal man to shoot but it felt just right for him. He pointed it off in to the night sky and pulled the trigger, a great boom, almost like a ships cannon, echoed across the island as a bolt flew from the gun and in to the sea.
Ovis smiled as he placed the bolter back in to its box, "Thank you" his father gave him a pat on the arm before turning to Sotris
"Do I get a giant gun as well?" he asked sarcastically
"Kinda, Sotris, my lad" Atris looked his son in the eyes, "You've captained small ships for far too long, it's no place for a son of mine, so while I was kidnapping those weaponsmiths I also captured some shipwrights"
A giant grin spread across Sotris' face as he realised what his present was, Atris grinned back at him, "I had built for you a great ship, the latest technology and most advanced weapons money could buy, it's down in the harbour right now, you can take it out after the party"
Sotris pulled his father in to a hug, they stayed like that for quite a while until Asla came in and broke them up, "Alright, your father has given you fine gifts but I am sure mine are better"
"Do you know how much those cost me, I doubt your presents are better"
Asla grinned at her partner before turning to her sons and the crowd, "I told everyone I was out raiding for the past 4 months but I was really doing the one thing my partner hates doing… fishing"
Atris laughed, "So where you the one who caught this feast we're eating? That is a nice gift"
"I was not fishing for Hacot or Dalmo, I was fishing for Gagaradon" The crowd fell silent at the name of the beast and Atris' grin dropped
Gagaradon, the black beast of the deep, was a feared creature of the sea that had jaws that could snap a battleship in half and tentacles that had pulled many ships and their crew down to the depths of Krake's oceans. They normally grew to be as long as battleships and while they mainly ate smaller fish they would also target ships, their black scales were so hard and their skin so thick that not even the largest ship cannons can put a hole in one, the only way people have managed to kill one is by burning out its insides and that is not easy. Dies is slightly misleading since the Gagaradon is also called the undying beast as the thing never truly dies and armour made from its scales has been know to heal itself after receiving damage.
"I lost many ships in the fighting but I got one" Asla clapped and two servants brought out two more boxes
The two brothers looked at the boxes before them with disbelief, they opened them and each pulled out a long coat made from a scaly looking black material, they both quickly ripped off the jackets they were wearing and put the coats on. The material was thick but felt quite breathable, it flowed down their bodies to about half way down their shins and wasn't at all restrictive.
"But that's not all" Asla clapped again and platters filled with black meat were brought out, "Don't want to waste such prime meat"
Atris chuckled, "I never I never thought my hatred of fishing would be the reason I'm bested"
"Alright, alright, calm down everyone!" Navis Kismet stepped out before the crowd as everyone went to try the rare meat
Kismet still worked as Atris' first mate and was the pirate's closest council, even closer than Asla. It was clear to everyone that, besides the added strength given by Asla, the skills of Kismet had allowed Atris to expand his control and power and that was why the pirate lord always kept him close at hand. This constant proximity to Atris had allowed the first mate to become like a second father or uncle to Atris' two sons and he had raised them just as much as his captain.
The crowd quieted down as Kismet paced in front of the boys, trying to figure out what to say, "I've known you both since you were born and since the gods only gave me daughters, I think of you as the sons I never had"
Kismet made a signal and several servants wheeled over two things, they were taller than Ovis and both covered in tarps to hide what they were, the servants soon ripped the tarps off and revealed two beautifully crafted ship figureheads.
The first was a hooded man who had his features obscured, with only a cunning smile peaking out from the hoods shadow, his left hand was a large and almost monstrous claw that he held out stretched in front of him with gold chains flowing between his fingers like sand. The figure held his right hand at his side with a large sabre in his grip, as if he was striding forward about to strike.
The second figurehead was a sea creature, frozen as it burst from the waves, its smooth domed head rearing up as it held its massive jaws wide to show off its razor sharp teeth and eat the several small ships that were frozen mid fall in the creature's maw, giving a sense of the immense scale of the thing, it had two webbed fore limbs that ended with 4 needle like claws, around its shoulders and down its back were several hundred tentacles that seemed to flail as if they had a mind of their own.
The brothers looked at the two statues, in awe of the meticulous craftsmanship, Ovis broke out of the trance first and pointed to the second one, "I'll take the Krake" he claimed it from right beneath his little brother's nose
Sotris snapped out of his trance at that moment, "Oh come on, the other one is literally you, the Krake is mine"
The first figurehead was a representation of the god, Ovis, the God and patron of all pirates and raiders on Krake. The claw that is his left arm is said to be a curse given to him by Zortris when he was thrown from the heavens, he uses it to easily catch the loot given up in his name and uses the sword in his right hand to take what should have been given if it is not, his features are always obscured except for his smile to represent his cunning nature.
The second figurehead was of something equally as sacred, the legendary Krake, known as the world beast, the Krake is said to swim at the very floor of Krake's oceans and the tail of the beast trails just in front of its nose. It is believed that when the gods see fit to destroy the world of Krake they will call the beast up from the deep to swallow all the land on the world, some others believe that the world and the beast are one in the same and they live on the back of a slumbering Krake, or even one of the beast's eggs, and one day it will wake, or hatch, and end their world. The Krake was the ultimate symbol of power on their world.
"If you take the one with Ovis then I'll always be with you no matter where you go" the primarch reasoned as the two argued over which one would get the Krake figurehead
They debated for a few minutes before Sotris relented, knowing his brother wouldn't be persuaded against something once he had set his mind on it. The two brothers received many other presents from the assembled officers as well as absent officers, rulers of islands under their parents' control and the people of the town at the bottom of the mountain. It soon came time for the two brothers to give each other a present and Sotris was faster than Ovis for once.
"I got you all those slaves that helped build what ever that is on the side of the mountain but I also got you this" Sotris had servants present another box to Ovis
The primarch opened it to find a giant gold-plated harpoon gun in the shape of a Wolhark, it was about as long as a man and shot harpoons of about equal length, he could probably use it to spear ships just as well as any Whal.
"I could probably make harpoons tipped with the Gagaradon's teeth" Asla noted as marvelled at the craftsmanship
"You should have kept this for yourself brother" Ovis smiled as he pointed the harpoon gun at various things
"You think I didn't get one for myself as well" Sotris chuckled, "Now what is my present? Is it that ramp to nowhere?"
Ovis threw the harpoon gun to a servant, "The ramp is part of it, so follow me"
Ovis led the party back in to the palace and down the mountain. Just under the palace, Ovis had built a long deck that stretched for just over 200 meters and ended in a ramp in to nowhere, he had also excavated a large cave that went deep in to the mountain side. The cave was almost perfectly square and had semi circular rings of seats carved in to the back, all centred around something covered in a tarp. Everyone took a seat as Ovis prepared to show them what he had been working on.
"So you got me a strange room, good present brother" Sotris joked as he sat up front
"This is not just a present for you but for everyone here, it will change warfare and life as we know it on our world!" Ovis ripped the tarp off
The thing underneath was something no one present had ever seen, it was shaped like a large torpedo with a propeller on the front, a glass canopy over the mid-section and a tail on the back end, sticking out of either side of it were wings and it was angled up slightly by two sets of wheels just under the wings. Although no one had ever seen anything like it, it was obvious to some what it was for.
"Is that thing supposed to fly?" Atris asked as he noted the similarities it had to a bird
"No, it will fly and it will change how we fight" Ovis was confident in his calculations and designs, even if he's never tested the actual thing
Kismet stood up and examined the aircraft, "Who ever uses these will be fighting on a completely different plane to their opponents, they could avoid shells and bullets"
Atris and Asla also moved forward to examine the new machine, "I'm sure we could make a high enough calibre gun but the development of it will take time" the pirate lady mumbled as checked out what it was made from
Sotria and Atris were looking at the propeller and engine as others come to wonder at Ovis' miraculous invention, "It's good to look at but does it really fly?" Atris looked at his son, he didn't doubt for a second but he just had to see it fly
"This is my present to my brother" Ovis pulled back the canopy showing a cockpit big enough for three people or one person and a primarch, "You get in the back, I'll fly"
Sotris climbed in without complaint as Ovis started it up and everyone moved back. The engine roared to life and the propeller spun up until it was just a blur, Ovis grabbed the control stick and drove the craft forward, gaining as much speed as possible until the ramp threw them off in to the open air. Sotris was clearly tense as they were thrown off the ramp but Ovis showed no sign of discomfort or doubt.
"If this thing crashes I'll haunt you"
Everyone watched as the plane dropped for a second before pulling up and in to the air, they stared in wonder as they watched it climb higher and higher over the island. Inside Sotris looked out of the canopy and could see almost the entire island, the torches that lit the roof of his home, the many lights of the town and the reflection of the two moons on the ocean. Once they were in the air it was quite calm, except for the loud engine noise that filled the cockpit, Ovis angled them down and flew them down the island and skimmed them over the surface of the ocean.
"This was a good present" Sotris didn't need to raise his voice over the engine noise, he knew Ovis could hear him
"With the power of flight, no one will be able to stop us" Ovis' voice was powerful enough to be heard over the engine
"Yes, now let's land this, the night is still young"
"Ah, about that"
Next time: Embrace the innocent, kill the guilty
