"Can't you stop it fucking raining?!"
A wave as tall as the ship's central mast crashed over the deck sending sailors sprawling and a few unlucky souls completely overboard. Houri barely managed to keep her hold on the railing she had been standing against but as the ship righted itself she managed to get her feet back under her, though her boots slipped a few times on the water-slick wooden boards. She pushed her hair out of her face and opened her mouth to reply to the quartermaster who had been yelling at her to stop the bloody storm since it first began, but he was no longer there. She leaned over the railing and peered into the churning sea below but grimaced when she spied his hat already rushing out with the tide.
IT IS GOOD. HE SHOULD NOT BE YELLING AT US!
Houri sighed and wiped a hand across her eyes in an attempt to remove some of the stinging salt, but soaked as she was it did very little good.
IF HE HAD CONTINUED I WOULD HAVE KILLED HIM MYSELF!
"Just focus on the storm," she muttered and stumbled her way on towards the steps up to the top deck. The Captain stood at the wheel grim faced and white knuckled but he spared a glance for the initiate as she slipped up and down the stairs before finally making it to his side. Even shoulder to shoulder they had to shout over the noise of thunder and roaring waves.
"Still no luck lass?" Unlike the Quartermaster the Captain had seemed to understand that when Houri had said she couldn't stop it, not when somebody else was already controlling it, she had meant it. However, that just made it even more upsetting when disappointment flashed across his face when she shook her head in answer to his question. "Never mind, I've sailed through worse," he shot her a grim grin. "Not far to go anyway, up ahead. Look!" Through the foam and spray a few odd flickering lights could now be seen quite clearly and if she squinted she could make out the difference of the castle's grey walls with the bleak storm-churned sky. Fort Dramur loomed out of the waves like one of the many jagged pillars of stone that surrounded it. Every now and then a ball of fire was fired from within and hurled across the sky in a great arc towards the enemy ships floating not far away. That was why they were here.
Word had come that morning that a large force of foreign ships had engaged Fort Dramur with magics the likes of which the Guardsmen had only seen in Dreadlords before. They were holding - would hold - but they needed reinforcements. With the large portion of the Anirian Navy on the furthest shores of their territory, the Academy had been closer and able and willing to give aid. There was a mix of Dreadlord, Guard and Initiate alike aboard. As many as they could cram into the relatively small merchants boat. A large warship would have been sighted and instantly set upon, the Proctors had reasoned, a smaller ship would be able to slip through the hazardous rock formations and dock at one of the secret cove entrances.
"Look, they must have seen us," the Captain pointed to a small flame where water met rock. From their position they could only just make it out, but the enemy ships would have no idea.
Clever.
Houri nodded in agreement.
"Prepare to dock!" shouted the Captain and the deck was suddenly swarming with his crew as they tried to prepare the ship for their turbulent docking.