Belleza didn't know where she was. On summoning the Red Gigas, a surge of flaming power roiled through her body and the world around her—the expansive Nasrean desert, the grand Temple of Pyrynn, her phalanx of soldiers and betrayed companions—melted away until there was little more than a hazy vermillion void before her. For a moment, she seriously considered the possibility that she was dead; she'd grabbed the Red Moon Crystal and in the course of summoning Recumen somehow given up her life essence. That didn't seem outside the realm of possibility for an Old World relic. It was only as the noise of the "outside" world filled her ears that she realized she was still alive. The rumbling sound of Recumen rising, yells of anger as Vyse begged her to stop what she was doing.
She couldn't stop. It was already done. Standing in the red miasma, the strange inner world she'd been transported to, it was clear to her that there was no way to place the Gigas back into slumber. At least not in this moment. It was awake and eager. So long had it slept, so forgotten and untended. There was a will at the center of the beast and it yearned to release its power on the unworthy. She felt its exhilaration at being reborn.
It terrified her.
"Why do you hesitate?" a voice whispered in her ear. Old and ancient. "Isn't this what you wanted?"
Suddenly, Belleza could see far more than the red realm she'd been ensnared in. She saw all of Nasr below her and realized instantly that she was viewing it from the perspective of the stars that had burst to life as the Gigas awakened. No, not stars. These were weapons. She didn't know how they worked but she understood inherently that all she had to do was make a wish upon one of these terrible stars and they would blaze with such fire that she could smite anyone under the Red Moon. With this weapon, with the threat of instant destruction in the palm of her hands, she could place the entire nation under her heel. Was this how the ancient Ardites ensured loyalty in their people? Was this why they'd been feared as both kings and gods? It had to be. Recumen wasn't simply a weapon for fighting off other civilizations who dared approach their lands, it was also a means for controlling the populous. Now, it was in her hands.
If she wanted, she could raze the capital to the ground or burn any strategic target she wanted into cinders. From the eyes of a tactician, it was perfect. Targeted attacks could strip the Nasreans of essentials until they begged Valua for aid or else she could place the entire nation at ransom. No more war ever again. No more battles that would claim fathers and mothers. There would be peace.
"No…" She whispered. "This is too much."
"It is exactly the power you've craved," the voice whispered back to her. "The power to unite all. A nation burning under the rising red suns. A new dawn. A red dawn. Unity. Order. Eternity."
"I never wanted this power for myself," she countered quickly. "It should be his. It should be Lord Galcian's to wield. With wisdom and proper judgement."
"Words of a sentimental heart," the voice replied. Belleza noticed that it knew her too well and suddenly felt a crackle of pain in her skull. "Words of a hypocrite."
"I want peace," she insisted. "I want an end to all suffering! But I cannot have this power; only he could use it as this age demands. Only my lord.."
"Can you really trust him?" the voice slithered in response. "Can you trust anyone but yourself?"
Belleza's heart skipped a beat as the words snagged on a thought she'd never dared before. Of course Lord Galcian could be trusted, she assured herself. He was a man of vision. No one else had his intelligence or strength of will. With the power of the Gigas, he could bring the Empress' dominion to all corners of the map. It would be a world united under one banner. Yet as she saw the cities below her and understood that each of them was teeming with life, she hesitated again. So many lives and she could snuff them out with even a stray thought. She didn't trust herself with that power. Could she trust him?
There was no good answer. If she couldn't fathom the power at her fingertips or trust in herself to hold it, the idea that anyone could grip one of the Moon Crystals and keep a pure heart suddenly seemed doubtful. That thought pulled at another impulse, a crueler and more immediate need. It was Recumen's desire for use and her own secret yearning to give into her lifelong yearning for vengeance. To cut Nasr into bits for all the pain she'd felt. The cold nights in the Lower City, the years hoping that somehow her father would return, her humiliations and struggles at the academy and all she'd needed to endure to earn her position as admiral. The pain in her skull crackled once more. All she wanted to do was burn it all down. Burn the world, burn everything in a cleansing fire that would somehow make everything alright.
"Now you understand," the voice crooned. "Glory, recognition, respect, love. In your hands."
Belleza did understand. With the Moon Crystal, she could have everything she'd ever wanted. The spark in her mind burned hotter, a link between herself and Gigas growing stronger as the creature laid deeper roots. It demanded violence; she demanded justice. The latter would not come without the former. That was the lesson Recumen was trying to teach. Did she believe it? It didn't really matter. Right or wrong, she was now one of the most powerful people in the world. Enough thinking, time for action.
But as her surroundings began to come back into focus, she was knocked to her side as an explosion of cannon fire rocked one of the nearby Valuan landing crafts. The red faded and she returned, ears ringing, to the real world. Where someone, a brave and foolish someone, was bearing down upon them all.
Vyse couldn't quite fathom what he was seeing. As Belleza called out to the Gigas, the Red Moon Crystal gave a surge of power that wrapped around the woman's body. Her eyes glowed with magick light and began to glaze over as if she was no longer aware of the world. The nearby statue heads rumbled, rising higher out of the ground. He could feel the sand shifting beneath them as Recumen began to awaken from centuries of slumber. It seemed fruitless but he called out to Belleza in the hopes that anything could reach her and bring her back to her senses. He refused to believe she'd give into the temptation to truly use the Gigas. Whatever fires burned in the creature's rising eyes, whatever death loomed in the skies above could be quelled if only he found the right words.
"Belleza! Please!" he begged, reaching towards the Valuan. "Think of your father! Think of the lives that the Gigas will take! Would he want this?! Do you?!"
The words hung in the air as the ground continued to rumble. They needed to get away from this place. As far as they could run and then further. His eyes shot to Aika and then Fina; there was no way he'd have it end here. He needed to find some way to stop Belleza. The rogue glanced at his cutlasses, which had been left to lie upon the ground nearby. He took a breath and exhaled. Belleza said nothing. She either couldn't hear him or didn't care to hear him. The rogue glanced at the Moon Crystal in her hand.
"Aika…Fina…" he whispered beneath his breath as the Gigas gave a creaking sound. "I need you both to cause a lot of trouble."
"You're not gonna.." Aika muttered in reply, her eyes already glancing to her weapon as well.
"No choice," Vyse said grimly. "So make it loud."
If the nearby Valuans noticed their movements, it hardly showed. Most were transfixed with fear and confusion as they watched their admiral grasped in the midst of Old World magicks. Fina looked at Aika, passing a thought to her friend. A quick plan but one that could work: make it look like the Gigas. So as the ground shook and the light embossed Belleza further, Fina reached out to alter the winds. With a burst, they began to rush and swirl. The Valuan soldiers looked around, turning to each of Recumen's heads and in that moment, Aika slipped a hand into her pocket. Gripping her red moonstone, she began to channel a spell. Fina's hand touched her shoulder and suddenly, Aika felt emboldened. No need to chant, no forcing the magic. A surge of power ran from the Silvite to the pirate and a blaze of pyres magick caught upon the winds. A confluence of spells wrapping together into an inferno, all masked by the Gigas' waking. Sand kicked up and some of the soldiers covered the visors in their armets.
Vyse began to rush. He shoved the nearest Valuan guard away, picked up his cutlasses and ran as fast as he could at Belleza. If the Gigas was waking by her command, maybe it would fall again at her death. Damn it all, he wished for any other solution but couldn't think of one at the moment. So he ran at the admiral, prepared to cut her down. And as the fiery winds surged, the Gigas roared, and soldiers snapped to their senses at the sight of Vyse's rush…. the nearest Valuan lifeboat exploded into flames.
Vyse felt himself jolted to the side and saw as Belleza was tossed as well. The pair fell to the plaza's shifting stones and in that moment, the admiral was jolted from her trance. Her hands remained Moon Crystal until she spied the cutlasses in Vyse's hands. Her own hand darted down, snapping up the pistol at her side and aiming it at the young rogue. Vyse slapped the pistol with the tip of his cutlass right as Belleza pulled the trigger. He felt the bullet cut the side of his arm above the elbow—a flash of hot and biting pain—but it was a glancing shot. He turned and prepared to strike. More cannon fire rang out as shots slammed into the nearby dunes. Vyse and Belleza both turned to see the shots' source.
It was the Little Jack. And Moons be damned if it wasn't the most gorgeous thing Vyse had seen.
"Vyse!"
"Admiral!"
Two different cries cut through the assault. Aika beckoning her friend back and Belleza's contingent of soldiers moving to fall around her. For a moment, Vyse thought about reaching out and wresting the Moon Crystal from Belleza's grasp but decided to fall back as more and more soldiers rushed to her aid. The Little Jack's attack continued and Vyse could just hear a command to fall back "the Lynx" as he ran towards Aika and Fina. They immediately pivoted and began to run alongside him, on and on into the desert sands. A final explosion and massive rumble burst behind them as Recumen rose completely from the sand. Vyse turned to look at the Gigas. There was no simple explanation for what it was.
Recumen was Old World power given form. Recumen was the might of an entire dead people summoned back into being for another surge of violence and terror. Recumen was the screams of dying workers. Recumen was the indifference of ancient lords. Recumen was the Red Moon. Recumen was the dawning of a red sun. Recumen was power. Recumen was fear. Recumen was the end of all things.
The creature stood taller than even the Temple of Pyrynn. The four statue heads of the plaza had risen up high over the sands, balanced atop elongated necks of twisting magickal sinew that pulsed horribly with magickal vigor. They rested atop a curved body that looks almost like an old vase save for the lustrous sheen of an armored shell. That body was supported by four squat legs that bent in ways that legs should not bend. Its skin and shell and muscles were all bright red. Behind the Gigas, Vyse could see the remaining Valuan dropships speed off into the skies. The Gigas gave a bellow before a confluence of light filled in one of its mouths. Vyse felt his teeth start to tingle and immediately pulled his friends closer.
"Get down!" he managed to yell, diving to the sands before the light burst from Recumen's mouth in a shining beam of fire and magick that cut across the sands. A sound like a giant's sword being cut through the sky pierced the air, followed by another explosion as the energy smoldered into the earth.
Sands swirled everywhere as a shockwave rippled over the dunes. All the trio could do was cough and sputter as they tried to rise once again. Each of their hearts sank at the truth: with the snap of her fingers, Belleza could turn them into dust. Vyse spat sand out of his mouth, desperate to rise and be the rock his friends desperately needed in that moment. But before he could stand on his own, a strong and cold arm pulled him to his feet before moving to the girls and helping them up. Vyse turned and wiped his eyes.
It was Drachma. The Little Jack rested behind him, over a small dune. The two men exchanged a glance full of unspoken words. Hatred and anger. Doubt and regret. Something resembling thanks. Aika's face contorted angrily at the sight of the fisherman; she started stomping towards him before Vyse stopped her with a spread of his arm.
"Not now," he managed. "Not here!"
"Not when we're in the midst of Hell herself," Drachma agreed as they all started to run towards the Little Jack. "Now, let's scamper!"
Lifeboats streamed into the skies, speeding towards the Lynx and away from the astounding power of the Gigas. Belleza felt the spike in her mind burn for a moment, clinging to the boat's side for support before the air rocked and roiled in the wake of Recumen's errant attack. She had no clue if she had done that or if the Gigas somehow acted of its own willpower but she turned to see the result. The admiral had seen her fair share of violence out in the skies; pirate raids on stray merchants, Nasrean terrorists burning remote Valuan outposts, and even the might of the Armada itself. Nothing prepared her for this.
Where there had been dunes, there was now a canyon. She couldn't tell the depth but it was there, cut across the sands. The sand had melted into glass walls and left a massive scar in the earth itself. It was like nothing she'd ever seen. The Gigas might as well have been sneezing and the result was a slice so deep and undeniable that it was now a historical fact of Nasrean geography. It would have a name and geological studies performed on it; arcanists and scholars would chip off shards of glass to study for ambient magickal energies. She knew it. With the smallest of blows, with what might have been a stray thought of her mind, the Gigas had irreparably marked the world. And this was just the beginning.
"Admiral! Look!" a soldier cried at her side, pointing beyond the massive beast at a small ship in the sky.
Belleza leaned forward in disbelief. It was Coldsteel Drachma's ship. A small, green hulled speck in the air hovering before a massive beast. It was the hovering that was the strangest thing. The ship was not speeding off into the sky like any reasonable captain might order. It was hanging before Recumen like a pesky fly. Belleza felt both a flicker of hope and anger in her heart before the fire in her skull crackled again. Part of her dared dream of an impossible victory, another pictured the ship's complete annihilation.
The Gigas only recognized the latter feeling. It only understood one thing: destroy, destroy, destroy. In that moment, Belleza felt whatever glimmer of hope she held secretly within her heart vanish. Recumen was moving closer towards the ship. One step and then another. Above them all, the sky grew red as whatever strange star was summoned with the Giga's birth burned with renewed hatred.
"Good luck, Handsome," she dared to mutter under her breath. "You're gonna need it."
"So that's one of 'em," Drachma said grimly from his post at the front of the Little Jack's helm. "A Gigas. Old World beast what's come t'wreck all."
Vyse nodded at his side. "We were tricked," he explained. "Admiral Belleza has the Moon Crystal; she summoned that.. thing without understanding what it is."
The two stared at Recumen for a moment before an errant pull turned Drachma around just in time for a harsh slap to cross his face. It was Aika. "You bastard!" she cried with burning tears in her eyes. "You left us! You left us alone with all of this on our shoulder! And why? So you could run off on your little quest?!"
Vyse looked sharply at Aika. He shared her anger but now was not the time to litigate the morality of Drachma's decision. Not when the Gigas was roaring on the horizon. He raise a sharp hand at his friend.
"Enough!" he called out. It was a sharp command stronger than anything his father or Drachma could have ever managed. Sufficient to bring Aika to a halt and have all eyes turn on him. "I'm just as pissed as you are, Aika. I really am. But if we don't pull everything together right here and now, that beast is going to blow us into splinters and bones. We can deal with it later."
Aika paused, her eyes filling with anger for a moment before the heat abated. Vyse was right. Of course he was; the stupid goofball always knew what to do. "Fine," Aika said coldly. "But after we kill that thing, we're all going to have a little chat."
"Kill the Gigas?" Fina parroted. It was clear by her tone that she hadn't considered it a possibility or even thought it was possible. "We're going to fight it."
"We have to," Vyse said plainly. "If that thing is allowed to walk free, hundreds of people will die. Maybe more. No way in all Hell I'm allowing that."
Aika nodded in agreement. "We have to try," she said even as her voice shook nervously. "We couldn't ever call ourselves Blue Rogues ever again if we ran away."
Fina looked at her friend's with amazement. The odds were slim, perhaps smaller than she even could comprehend. In the Old World, the only thing that could battle a Gigas was another Gigas. Now they were supposed to fight it off in some primitive wooden ship?
"It won't be easy."
"Nothing good worth doing ever is," Vyse said. He turned towards the forward port to look at the red monstrosity in the distance. "How you feeling, Captain?"
Drachma huffed. "I left Maramba lookin' t'hunt one monster," he said darkly. "Might as well test me luck on this demon instead.."
The makeshift crew began to shift to position as something resembling a plan formulated in their minds. Drachma moved aside to give Vyse the helm, a remarkable gesture given their circumstances but the boy had a knack for understanding the movement of combat. For his part, the old fisherman moved to the gunnery consoles and began to calibrate the cannons for maximum output.
"S'gonna be a daft fight," Drachma intoned. "Will take a mix of guile and guts with a helpin' of luck on th'side. But the Jack's faster than most anything else out there. Y'guide us true, lad, 'an we might dodge the worst dangers."
Vyse nodded. He looked at Recumen in the distance. "We can't even risk a single hit," he noted. "I'll keep her busy but that means…"
Aika sighed. "Engine output to the max," she agreed with some annoyance. "Can't believe I gotta grime up down in that small engine room again but someone's gotta keep us floating."
Drachma looked at Aika. "Ye've a knack," he said as a means to bridge their broken friendship. "We need ya there, lass. Jack all but sings when y'get it movin' apace."
"I know, I know," Aika said. "Fina, I might need your he-"
The Silvite shook her head. "Enchanting stones might give us a boost," she noted. "But there's only one weapon that might stop Recumen.."
"The Harpoon Cannon," Aika realized. "It's all about getting close enough to hit with that."
"That's right," Fina said. "And if we want to bypass any of Recumen's innate magickal defenses, I need to imbue the spear with the right frequency of Silver energy. Which shouldn't take too long but needs to be done."
Vyse clapped her hands at the ship's wheel. "Here's the play," he started. "I'll take us in fast and while we get Recumen's attention, Fina can channel her spell into the Harpoon Cannon's impulse converter."
"It would be easier if…"
"Ye ain't goin' out on the deck," Drachma said, cutting her off. "Feedin' the magicks through the converter on the console her will do. In the meantime, I ken rattle with with shot and the lass ken make sure we're moving fast enough that we ain't blow to bit. Provided Vyse dun guide it falsesome."
The young rogue laughed. "As if that would happen," he said before taking a breath and exhaling. He looked at Fina. "When we're charged, let me know. Recumen's body looks armored but we might be able to take a head or something. Knock it out."
Fina nodded. "Four minutes," she said. "Keep us alive for four minutes."
Drachma huffed. "Right then, let's dance with Fate," he said with a wry smile. "Fer at least four minutes.."
The group began to split towards their stations. Aika started down the stairs but Vyse called out before she could make her way down to the engine room. "As fast as possible," he half-ordered. "Red stones while they last!"
Aika chuckled. "I made a bucket of a special mix before Clanky McJerkface left us in Maramba," she explained. "When the time comes, give the word. It'll be like nothing you've sailed before!"
At that, she scurried down the stairs and towards the engines. Drachma held a firm position at the gunnery console where he was joined by Fina. The Harpoon Cannon's impulse converter sat nearby, a sort of lattice weave of circuits that spiraled to a center point. That weave led out along the side of the ship towards the bow where the Harpoon Cannon's spear rested. While she'd been able to imbue the weapon by direct touch in Valua, this would be a safer alternative. Drachma gazed at her.
"Dun fret none but on yer magicks," he said with a surprising degree of reassurance. "We ken keep things floatin' 'til yer set."
"I know," Fina said before beginning to channel silver energy to her fingertips. It trailed off, shimmering through the air before the impulse converter started to absorb the charge. The priestess closed her eyes, mind entirely focused on her task.
"We're going in! Full fire when we're close, Captain," Vyse said. "I want that thing's attention!"
As if invigorated by its helmsman's brashness, the Little Jack gave a lurch and began to slice through te sky towards Recumen. The massive Gigas had begun trampling closer towards the ship although it proceeded at a slow stomp rather than a threatening scuttle. Why not? Of anything here, it was the most dangerous weapon. Neither Belleza's flagship or the Little Jack would stand against Recumen in a straight fight. Which was why they'd opted for speed and trickery over bombardment and traditional tactics. Get in close, daze it as much as possible, never slow down, and fire the clean shot when ready.
It didn't take long for the Little Jack to draw into an effective firing range. Aika had kicked the engines almost to maximum, blasting the fishing vessel at the Gigas with all the furious abandon of a racing yacht off the edge of Cape Claudia. Recumen's blast had utterly transformed the desert; there was no chance they'd risk discovering what a blast from the beast could do to the Little Jack. As they drew close, Vyse cut the wheel to the side, bringing the ship into a circling pattern around Recumen. They'd spin and twirl from potential strikes as they came. Attacks that would come quickly. He was bringing the Little Jack danger close to the beast. It was to the point that he could watch each of its mammoth heads turn, eyes lit with ancient rage, at the bothersome craft that had dared to face down its fury. Vyse glared back before raising a hand, preparing to order Drachma's first cannon volley.
"I have a hunch," Vyse half-muttered before leaning over to a speaking tube. "Aika? Can you hear me!?"
"Aye!" the redhead replied. "We ready?"
"A fresh shovel after the Captain's shots," he said before flicking his hand and giving Drachma the wordless order to let loose on the Gigas.
It was an easy process. The Little Jack's gunnery console was optimized for a single person's use and the standard firing pattern focused on brute power. After all, Drachma couldn't afford to play nice with Rhaknam. When the fisherman pulled on the firing lever, the Little Jacki rocked with a massive kick as a full broadside shot from the starboard side. Cannonballs and flak blazed through the hot Nasrean side and plowed against Recumen in a brash and smokey display of defiance. It wasn't much in the grand scheme of things; while it might've sunk an errant Black Pirate, they were dealing with a much different foe. Instead, Recumen rocked gently. A few of its heads jerked around like trees in a hurricane before the nearest snapped up. Its eyes burned scarlet before energy gathered within its mouth.
Aika was ready. As the volley concluded, the Little Jack shot forward with a fresh vigor. The moontstone engines rumbled under the strain before the sputtering gave free to a magnificent speed. It was perfectly timed; the energy in Recumen's mouth gathered into a sphere before blasting forward to slice through the sky with a resounding surge punctuated by a high-pitched whipping of air. The Little Jack swayed and the sky grew red for a moment. Drachma instinctively placed a hand out to brace Fina, that she might focus on her magicks. Vyse grinned like a madman. He wouldn't admit it to anyone else on the ship but he never felt more alive than the moments when death was tapping on his shoulder. This was his closest brush yet. A single mistimed adjustment by Aika, an errant turn of the helm, and the Little Jack would be dust. But they'd made it. Another volley dodged and a little more time bought would mean leave the Harpoon Cannon ready to fire. Vyse cut the wheel further, continuing to spin around the Gigas.
"Gorgeous stuff, Aika!" he called down to the engine room. "We're going in for one more and this time. Wait for the second volley and churn us out after. This thing is powerful but clumsy."
Drachma chuckled. "Just so," he grunted. 'But unlike the Jack, that beast ain't gunna run outta fuel or sputter rough on a stray hit. Could feel the heat from here. Iff'n that blasty beam gets too close, it might well overheat the engine and send us roundin' to the dunes."
"Those heads didn't take kindly to the first volley," Vyse noted. "Think you can aim the next higher? Keep it swaying so its aim is off?"
"I'll knock it daft," Drachma said. He started to punch in adjustments to the firing console.
"Fina, you doing alright?" Vyse asked with concern.
The mage was continuing to channel energy towards the Harpoon Cannon's converter. Sweat fell down her brow before Cupil swooped in to wipe it away with his tail. "I'm fine," she said, voice strained.
It was all Vyse needed to hear. A little more time was needed before they could fire the Harpoon Cannon. Which meant another chance to dance with Death itself. He drifted closer to the Gigas again. The guns on the Little Jack's side angled towards Recumen's many heads.
"We'll see how he likes this," Drachma grunted.
"Here we go," Vyse called out. "One more! Light that thing up!"
Blam! Blam! Boom! Thud, thud, thud!
A flurry of shot and fire railed and slammed into Recumen's heads, causing them to buckle and the create toe give a great roar. To Vyse's surprise, it actually stumbled a bit in the sand. The strike seemed to have dazed the Gigas. He braced for another blast of energy from one of the heads but nothing came. Instead, the sky grew a deep red.
"What's happening?" he asked as a horrible feeling snaked through his stomach.
Drachma made his way towards the window and craned his head enough to see the red light's origin: it was one of the strange stars in the sky. He grunted with shock. "S'above us!"
"It's an iron star," Fina explained through the strain of her magicks. "The Ardites placed a sort of net above them during the Gigas War. A network of artificial stars that could attack anything entering their airspace with the same energy waves that Recumen uses. It was meant to drive off invaders.."
"If that's the case," Vyse said as he started to put it all together. "Then…"
He leaned towards the speaking tube. They were going to need more speed than he thought. "Aika! Next attack is from above us! Push it hard! We need to get away from the center!"
"You got it! Hold onto your pants!"
The Little Jack rushed with even greater speed. To the point that Vyse worried it might fall apart under the strain. Instead, the venerable vessel darted forward mere moments before a fiery beam, sent from Heaven itself, slammed into the space where they'd just been. Sand scattered everywhere as a massive explosion of magick flame billowed out. Wind whipped and the Little Jack rocked wildly as Vyse fought with the ship's wheel to keep level. Drachma stepped over to help brace it with his metal arm until they found a steady course again. As the sand and havoc swirled around them, Fina made one last push with her magic. The cabin filled with silver light before it was siphoned off. The spear at the Little Jack's bow shimmered with barely contained might. It was time to make the Ardite's self-made god bleed.
"It's ready, Vyse!" the Silvite called out. "The energy will release after the cannon strike! Sorry it took so long.."
Vyse shook his head. "You did great," he assured his friend. "Time to show this thing what we're made of."
He brought the Little Jack up through the sand and horrifying, heated air left over from the iron star's assault. Drifting back, Vyse turned the ship's bow toward the billow of smoke and sand where Recumen hid. The telltale glow of monstrous eyes gave away the beast's position and as the Jack pivoted into position, the Harpoon Cannon sparked with silver light. Fina's enchantment worked marvelously. But would the technological might of the cannon have any effect on the Gigas even with Silvite enhancement?
Well, there was only one way to find out wasn't there? Vyse grinned wide as the chaos faded and he saw one of Recumen's strange heads directly in the Little Jack's flight path. This was their moment. Time to see if the modern age could contend with ancient magicks and Old World beast-weaving. One way or another their conviction would be tested. Nothing else to do but attack with everything they had. All of their hopes carried on the tip of a magick-charged spear. He snapped a hand at Drachma, a powerful and confident gesture made all the more infectious for Vyse's eagerness. All or nothing.
"FIRE!"
At the Little Jack's bow, the Harpoon Cannon began to spin and whirr, silvery light shimminer off it like a fine mist. Round and round, it churned to life until the spear shot forward with all the might of the highest caliber Valuan cannon. The harpoon lurched forward at breakneck speed before slamming directly into one of Recumen's vacant-eyed heads. The monster lurched in pain and confusion before the silver magick in the weapon began to burn hotter and hotter. Eventually it exploded in a mass of death-bringing energy that burst Recumen's head into sinewy bits. The monster flailed for a time before slumping, red energies coursing through its body as it desperately tried to react to the devastation wrought upon it.
"Direct hit!" Dracham yelled as the weapon retracted and returned to the ship's bow. "One hell of a thing but by the look it ai-"
"It's not enough!" Fina called out, running forward to point back at Recumen. Aika rushed upon the stair behind her, trying to see what had happened.
"Did we get it?"
"We got it," Vyse said even as his voice sank at the sight before his eyes. "But there's a problem.."
Ahead of them, the magicks in Recumen's body arced and flow from the armored center and up its neck towards the place its obliterated head rested. Its odd red-shining skin was starting to reform as sinew and something resembling bone began to reform from tiny specs of Red magickal energy. Drop for drop, piece by piece, it began to reform. The head was growing back. Yes, they could blow it off again and if they were lucky maybe they could push Fina to her limit and charge the Harpoon Cannon enough to fire and blow each of Recumen's terrifying faces into shards but that was a long shot at best. No, they weren't simply dealing with some wild monster. It was a true terror of the Old World, nigh invincible.
"Fina, how was this thing stopped before..?" Vyse asked, his mind scrambling for a plan.
"You said a Silvite managed to stop the Yellow Gigas," Aika noted. "What happened after?"
"The Ardites temporarily disables Recumen," she noted. "The crystal-bearer put it into a sort of stand-by mode. Powerful enough to use the iron stars but little else."
"The crystal bearer," Vyse repeated. "Has anyone noticed that we've only been fighting the Gigas?"
Aika blinked. "You're right," she said, slowly starting to follow Vyse's thoughts. "Belleza's ship is right nearby. All she's done is watch… and she's the one holding the crystal."
"We've been fighting the wrong target," Vyse replied. "If we want that thing to stop, we need to make her stop it. One way or another."
"Targeting the crystal bearer.." Fina mused aloud. "It might work."
Drachma huffed. "S'better than fightin' this damn thing," he said. "Ain't no amount of damage we ken do what'll send it dead to the sands. Lad, change course. If we're gonna die today, let's take an admiral with us."
Vyse frowned. "Hopefully it won't come to that," he said darkly. "But aye, that's our course. Right toward Beleza and her ship. Surrender or sink, we'll have an easier time dealing with her."
"Right!" Aika said with a clap of her hands. "One toasty Valuan admiral! Coming up!"
Belleza's head was burning. It was as if someone had strolled right up to her, jammed a gun against her skull, and pulled the trigger. White hot pain crackled throughout as Recumen reeled down in the Nasrean sands beneath the Lynx. That tiny ship, the damned Little Jack, had done the impossible after all. They'd sailed around the mighty beast, cutting through fire and wind and old magicks until they blew one of itws heads clean off. A setback to be sure but one that would have been more bearable if Belleza hadn't felt the harpoon spike into her brain and the sizzle of Silver magicks roil through her body.
She must have screamed. Everyone on the bridge was looking at her in confusion. A few even cast their glance towards the moonstones. The most bold of them, her Vice-Captain Valeria, had taken a step closer as if she was going to remove the Red Moon Crystal from her commander's grasp. If it was causing such pain and distress, if there was a risk that Belleza might die attempting to command Recumen then surely it was Valeria's duty to save the admiral regardless of what it meant for the Gigas.
Belleza dismissed the Vice-Captain with a tired wave of her hand. "It's fine," she breathed raggedly. "A set back but nothing the Gigas can't recover from. That boy and his friends are fighting a losing battle. Not matter how hard they fight, there's no wa-"
"Admiral! Ahead of us! Right off the bow!" Her helmsman took a hand off the wheel and point forward.
It was something that Belleza hadn't expected, which was a rare thing indeed. She imagined that Vyse would stubbornly fight the Gigas until a stray bit of magick cut his ship in two or else fly until his engine could handle no more. That was not the case. The Little Jack was making a direct line for the Lynx. Belleza cast a glance towards the Red Moon Crystal, thinking of that desperate moment outside the temple when Vyse rushed at her. His eyes brimmed with determination and sadness. He might've killed her if his steps were a little faster. Now? He was rushing at her again.
"He wants to disrupt my connection with the Gigas," Belleza realized. She smiled. "He really is something else, that silly boy.."
Vice-Captain Valeria chuckled beneath her armet before focusing on her commander. "Orders?"
"Ready the cannons," she said deliberately. "I want the magick cannons online and operational by the time he's in range. Start with a wevles volley to knock them astray, then an electrum burst. Let's see if we can disrupt their systems. Perhaps force them to give up the fight entirely."
Valeria snapped a salute, nodding at the bridge's communications officer. They relayed the order down to the gunners, chattering over a small device that carried his voice down to the crew. An affirmation reply crackled over a small speaker. "Charging!" it called out.
Belleza grinned. "Alright, Handsome. You want to dance? I'll show you what it really means to go toe to toe with Valua."
The Little Jack's course was set. Vyse knew it was hardly an even match. Belleza's ship—Drachma had reminded him it was the Lynx —was a highly advanced ship. If there was another Scorfly -class ship in the Armada, he hadn't heard about it. Perhaps there was a good reason for that; although the Scorfly was a sturdy craft with powerful engines and versatile guns that covered multiple angles, it was apparently very expensive. Looking forward at the Lynx's glistening hull, there was no doubting it was an impressive vessel but it was a damn large ship. Why bother with a few strong ships when you could fill the skies with Spectres and other patrol craft that could easily best pirates and expand your empire's boundaries?
Of course, there was a problem at play and everyone on the Little Jack knew it. While the Lynx was no Gigas, they were still outgunned. It was larger, more armored, and better equipped. The Little Jack was no slouch but its only real advantage was being a fast, difficult target to hit. Much like their tangle with the Gigas, if they wanted to succeed they'd need to leverage every bit of the Little Jack's agility. Vyse exhaled for a moment, a shuddering thing that drew Drachma's attention but before he could speak up, the young pirate found his voice. He was assessing the situation and determining the best course of action.
"We need to attack where the armor is lightest," he noted as he examined the Lynx. "That side plating looks thick and there's plenty of moonstone running through it. Maybe even a magickal buffer. Which means we could try to get behind her.."
Drachma grunted. "Belleza ain't some chump what the likes of Baltor," he noted. "She'll have studied firm and know whatever weaknesses she has. 'An she's right clear in the head 'bout the damage the Harpoon Cannon could cause."
Vyse nodded. "Which means simply circling around won't work," he mused. "And if we try to cut the engines so she flies ahead of us, she might come to a full stop of her own."
Aika called up from the engine room. "Could we chip her out?" she asked. "Speed out of her effective range and shoot at her guns until we can make an approach?"
Fina hummed in thought. "Her cannons look pretty big.."
"Certainly a sight more power 'hind 'em than we've got," Drachma noted. "Dun think it'll work. Vyse, draw m'in closer 'an we k-"
WOOOOOOSH!
With little warning, a gale roar to life along the Little Jack's starboard. Vyse did his best to brace the ships wheel but the impact was too much. He called out to everyone. "Hold tight!"
Simple advice but important. The ship began to spin about clockwise as the starboard aft took the brunt of the swirling winds. Blue clouds fizzed near the "impact" point as the Little Jack turned and twisted. Vyse could hear Aika swearing down in the engine room as wrenches and moonstones clattered about. Meanwhile, the trio on the bridge held firm to whatever was closest, Fina nearly stumbling to the ground before Cupil slipped around her wrist and then extended, whip-like, to cling on a beam overhead. Vyse half expected another gale or even a blade from the Lynx taking advantage of their frazzled state but nothing came and in a few moments, he was able to put the ship back on course.
"The hell was that?!" he asked in confusion. "Was it the Gigas?"
Dracham grunted. "No but that weren't not cannon shot either."
It was Fina who had the answer. Disentangling herself from Cupil she moved to stand next to Vyse and pointed at the Lynx where a telltale hint of bluish smoke billowed from one of the main cannons.
"It's magick," she indicated. "That was Blue Magic. A concentrated wevles burst. But that's… I thought your ships were too primitive for that sort of thing."
Vyse stared at the Lynx in shock. "It fired magick at us? Without any mages on the deck?"
"Experimental work," Drachma grunted. "Were a rumor what I heard when we were in Valua 'bout magick'd cannons what could bring new innovation to scuffles. But ain't no one were sellin' any."
Fina looked at the Lynx more closely. "Old World ships only used magicks," she explained. "There wasn't anything like cannonballs or… or… Vyse!"
Vyse saw it too. Another charge of energy around the Lynx, another confluence of magickal energy preparing to fire. Instead of swirling blue winds, the enemy's cannon crackled with electricity and enervating light. Yellow Magick, charged and ready to fire. "I see it! Hold on!"
He cut the wheel again right as the Lynx fired. Electric energy snaked and streaked through the air and even though Vyse had begun evasive maneuvers, it seemed to change arc direction and snapp towards the Little Jack's armored hull. The Yellow Magicks smashed against the ship, causing lights to flicker and consoles to dim. The ship's wheel remained fine and the engine, thankfully, did not seem affected but everything else was sluggish and dealing with the ramifications of the strike. So much of the Little Jack was modified for one person to captain the vessel: consoles linked and firing mechanisms tied to single levers. If there was any chance the strike damaged internal systems, they were in trouble.
"I need a report, Cap'n," Vyse called to Drachma. The old man was hovered over the gunnery console with pure frustration in his eye. He slammed a fire down.
"Fried the firing lines," he said with an angry spit to the floor. "I gots two cannon up but the rest are acting dodgy. Even iff'n we approach closer.."
"It won't be enough to do much damage," Vyse said. "Which leaves a few spare shots and maybe the Harppon Cannon. So what we need to…"
The young rogue's eyes chanced to look down towards the desert sands, even as he guided the Little Jack out of the path of a small blasting volley from the Lynx's traditional cannons. Recumen was still down there. Dazed, confused, angry, and all too reactive. Every time they'd attacked, it had replied with attacks that burned the land and threatened to turn them to dust. Suddenly, he had the solution.
Leaning to the speaking tube, he called to Aika. "You still have the special moonstone mix, Spitfire?"
"Right here," Aika answered. "We callin' it a wash or something? Speeding away?"
"Not quite," Vyse explained. "Treat it like last time. When the cannon's fire, I need you to give us a kick like nothing we've had yet."
"Standing by, Dreamer!"
Drachma turned towards Vyse with a raised eyebrow. "The hells on yer mind. We cannae dent that thing!"
"We can't," Vyse agreed. "But the Gigas can."
"Ye serious?"
"As I've ever been," the young man replied. "I'm going to take us towards Recumen. When we're in range, fire at the heads one more time. After that, we're heading towards the Lynx. "
The old man seemed to understand. He smirked. "Yer a moron," he said with a grunt. "But have moments."
"Then let's make this our moment," Vyse replied. "Here goes!"
At that, he turned the Little Jack about and cut it away from the Lynx. The fishing vessel slipped out of gun range and dived down towards the dunes. Low enough that sand was blown in their wake as the Jack sped towards the slowly healing Gigas. Closer and closer and closer. They only needed one or two good shots to rile the beast. From there, it would be a matter of speed and positioning. If they failed, they'd be dead but if this worked, it would be unlike anything the world had ever seen. At his side, Fina leaned towards the window. Her eyes locked on the Gigas. That Old World beast might be their salvation.
"Strike the same spot," she said confidently. "If it can't react with its own weaponry…"
"It'll need to use something else," Vyse confirmed. "And we're gonna make sure it doesn't hit us."
"In range, lad!" Drachma's call rang out as the Little Jack came alongside the Gigas. It's decapitated head was still reforming with winding links of sinew and magickal wiring forming into a fresh configuration.
"Fire! Aika, this is it!"
Drachma pulled the lever on his console. The remaining cannons along the Little Jack's sides sputtered into life. One shot and then another and another. Enough to hound a simple vessel but hardly anything that could harm the Gigas. Yet, Recumen gave an odd groan as the strike landed. It's half-formed head lurched about while one of the others turned just enough to spot the fly that dared bite at it. The sky grew a deep red. Fina exhaled sharply at the influx of magickal energy. She nodded at Vyse.
"Now for some real Spitifire!" Aika's voice cried out over the speaking tube and the Little Jack blazed into life. Vyse though the ship had managed to go fast before but this was something else entirely. He pulled Fina close to his side to keep her from stumbling as he cut the ship's wheel and turned towards the Lynx.
They flew low, keeping close to the dunes and continuing to kick up sand in their wake. The timing would need to be perfect but somehow Vyse could feel everything intuitively in his gut. A few more seconds. One, two. The Little Jack shot onwards, underneath a blast of pyrum magick fired by the Lynx's magick cannons and then beneath the Lynx itself. And in the moment, the sky erupted as the iron star overhead opened fire. Pure energy blasted down from the skies, rushing towards the Valuan warship.
The Little Jack gave another burst. It was just in time; the Gigas' attack ramned down into the Lynx and it didn't merely damage the ship. It nearly snapped it in two like a child's modely toy. The magickal energy crashed into the dunes below and a fresh eruption burst through the desert. The Little Jack moving only a few yards ahead of the blast. A narrow escape and a perfectly improvised end to Valua's venerable warship. It took a moment for the sand and chaos to settle but when it did, the Lynx rested in a flaming wreck on the desert floor.
Aika scampered up from below decks and peered out at the Lynx. "Oh geez," she said with a snort. "They really aren't coming back from that."
Drachma gave something resembling a laugh. "Surely not," he said. "Leaves the problem of yer crystal though.."
Fina nodded. "We need to get it. Which could mean a fight."
Vyse shook his head. "No," he mused. "I think this proves the point. Aika, step on the deck and grab the flags. Signal to Belleza that if she doesn't surrender, we'll open fire on the Lynx."
The redhead hesitated. "They're defeated," she said. "We're not Black Pirates."
"And I don't expect Belleza to resist," he said calmly. "If she wants this to end well for everyone, she'll stand down. This isn't Alfonso we're dealing with. She's not unreasonable."
"Guess we'll find out," Aika said as she stepped out onto the deck. It took only a few moments after her signal for the Lynx to fire off a flare. The dunes rumbled and Recumen began to sink back into the sand.
They'd done it. Against all odds, they'd won.
Well played, Handsome.
Those were Belleza's first words following her defeat and Vyse's arrival upon the Lynx. There was no scowling or fighting except perhaps the groans and protests of various soldiers as Drachma went to work exploring the vessel for spare parts to haul over to the Little Jack. Instead, Belleza and her Vice-Captain had met with the group and graciously handed over the Moon Crystal. She'd made her moves and her gamble nearly succeeded but Vyse had proven the better of the two. There was no shame in admitting defeat. Even as she imagined whatever harsh words Lord Galcian would have for her, Belleza could do little more than smile curiously as the band of pirates that had achieved the impossible.
After some time upon the Lynx formalizing her surrender and turning over the crystal, Belleza followed the young heroes out into the dunes. It would be easier to chat there, far from the prying ears and eyes of her soldiers. She looked at Vyse, at the reckless young man who defeated her, and somehow felt a swell of pride. It was that pride that compelled her to speak up with fresh warnings.
"You won the battle," the admiral said with approval. "But you're far from winning the war. There's still five more crystals. The Empire won't quit. One wrong step, one bad play? It's all over. You know that's true."
Vyse shrugged. There was not a single hint of worry on his face. "It's not like we're going to underestimate you the way we did this time," he replied with a smirk. "No more games, no more tricks. We beat you here and we'll deal with whatever else comes our way."
Aika took a step forward towards Belleza. "I need you to know," she started nervously. "I'm disappointed in you. For all your talk about ending wars, when you had the chance to wake the Gigas there was hardly any hesitation."
Belleza paused. She nodded in agreement. "Those crystals are dangerous," she finally allowed. "They whisper in your ear and play on your desires. I wanted an end to all conflicts and had the perfect tool in my hand.."
"If you agree they're dangerous, why even stay with Valua?" Fina asked the question innocently but it seemed to pierce through to Belleza's core.
"Because there's still good people there," she replied. "People struggling who need to be protected, men of reason that could help bring a better kind of empire to the world."
"People like the prince," the Silvite mused. "He wasn't anything like his mother."
Belleza hesitated before nodding again. "Like the prince," she repeated. "Or his uncle or even.." She didn't finish her thought. "I can't give up on my country even knowing the danger these crystals possess."
"So we're at an impasse," Vyse said sadly. "It's a shame. You have a decent heart, Belleza."
"We still friends, Handsome?"
Vyse took a moment to think it over before smiling. "I think so," he offered. "Even after all this, even after what you might have done… I can't hate you. For you sake, I hope this better empire you dream of is possible. Even if I think you're on the wrong side of things."
"You know what's funny?" Belleza started with some secrecy. "Even if it's just this one time? I'm glad you won. I wasn't.. myself. I didn't understand what I was dealing with. Thanks to you all? My eyes are open."
Aika sighed. "I'll believe it when I see it," she said with some derision. "To me? You're still a damned liar."
Belleza shrugged. She's certainly been called worse. Instead of worrying about Aika's barbs, her mind was more focused on Vyse. "What's next? Where will you go?"
Fina spoke up before her friend could. "East," she said confidently. "To Ixa'taka and the lands under the Green Moon. A long journey perhaps but that's where we'll head."
"You know about the Green Continent," Belleza said, slightly impressed. "Then you must realize that our people are already out there. Getting your next Moon Crystal won't be easy. Assuming you can even reach Ixa'taka. The South Ocean has a strong headwind. You'll never make it in that tiny ship you have."
"Ain't gonna be a problem," a voice called from behind them all. Drachma walked out onto the sands, carrying a strange looking box and tagle of wires in his metal arm. "Seein' as I've stripped your ship fer what's needed."
Vyse looked at the captain curiously. "What's that you got?"
Drachma half-shrugged. "S'a talkin' box," he explained. "Newer Valuan ships use 'em to talk over distances in the sky."
Belleza gave a double take. "You're taking one of our radios? The only people you'll be able to communicate with are Valuan ships."
Aika chuckled. "Makes it easier for us to demand your surrender," she said. "Instead of having me wave semaphore flags around and hoping you catch the message."
"Took the regulator cap and purple moonstone coil off yer fancy engine too," Drachma explained. "Extra output should make it such that the South Ocean winds ain't a problem. 'An I scooped the rune circuits off that big cannon you had."
"You've been here for maybe two hours," Belleza said in utter dismay. "And in that time you disabled my engine, stole the main component of our magick cannon, and now you're taking our radio? How the hell are me and my people supposed to get out of the desert? We're scuttled!"
Aika gave a mischievous cat's grin. "Consider it payback for tricking us," she said with an edge to her voice. "As for getting back, there's this Nasrean saying I'm fond of: Only those who have walked through the desert can truly know its size."
The admiral looked well and truly sick to her stomach. "You want us to walk?"
Vyse jerked a thumb towards the east. "There's a few minor villages out that way," he noted. "Or else you can wait for some Valuan patrol to pick you up. Makes no difference to us."
Belleza chuckled. "Guess I might learn how big the desert is," she said before cutting a glance from Fina to Vyse. "Listen, Handsome. What you're about to do won't be easy. Survival is slim."
She chanced to take a step forward. "There's time to reconsider," she said seriously. "If we both went back to Valua and explained exactly what the Gigas could do… I could pull strings. Make sure you all kept your heads. Then we could find them all and lock every one of them in a vault."
Vyse shook his head. "Can't do it," he said. "It wouldn't be right. Besides, I want to see the world.I'm not going to rest until I've left my mark on it, and I won't let anything or anyone stand in my way."
He paused before staring Belleza directly in the eyes. "Not even your little empire."
The admiral gave a hum of approval. "I understand," she said. "I guess this is where we part. I can only hope you survive long enough for us to meet again."
Vyse gesture to Fina and Aika. He even nodded towards Drachma, who'd already started hoofing his way back towards the Little Jack. "With these folks at my side? I think I'll be alright."