|
|
| (9 intermediate revisions by the same user not shown) |
| Line 1: |
Line 1: |
| ===Chapter 14 - ===
| |
|
| |
|
| ''That's no flatdeck...''
| |
|
| |
| As Kaede examined the rearmost skywhale through her binoculars, she already began to doubt certain elements of the battle plan she helped Pascal create.
| |
|
| |
| The skywhale was the smallest of the four, noticeably shorter than even the merchant whale she saw two weeks ago. But unlike the cargo carrier, this one appeared more like a flying fortress than a dirigible airship.
| |
|
| |
| The massive steel 'gondola' it carried beneath the belly spanned over half the skywhale's total length. This vehicular compartment actually bulged outwards to each side, giving the impression of a lower hull widened by anti-torpedo blisters. The steel construction was longer than any basketball court and held three noticeable decks.
| |
|
| |
| A row of metallic hatches reminiscent of an ironclad frigate's gundeck marked the top level, which was probably packed with ballistae firing runic ammunition. The bottom floor had many small glass windows and two massive cargo doors which could be lowered into ramps, indicating its use for either storage or crew quarters. Sandwiched between these two was the largest middle layer, covered entirely by steel armor except for the massive, rectangular gap near the front -- an open-air entrance to the drakes' 'hangar deck'.
| |
|
| |
| Three massive steel bands wrapped around the skywhale, attaching the gondola tightly to the body of the colossal beast. These steel bands featured ladders and even a platform elevators rail, allowing personnel from the artillery deck to move up to the skywhale's backs. Crisscrossing rope nets filled the area between the steel bands, offering both additional support for the gondola and better footing for those on top of the whale. A narrow but sturdy walkway framed each side with eighteen scorpio weapon emplacements, manned by dozens of soldiers who kept vigilance over the skies.
| |
|
| |
| "<u>How does it carry that much?</u>" Kaede sent over the private telepathy channel with a mild dose of bewilderment.
| |
|
| |
| "<u>I imagine they would be trained from youth for increased levitation capacity,</u>" Pascal replied. "<u>See that metallic shine on their back? Armored skywhales have their upper hide reinforced by a constant 'steelskin' enhancement. Without that and their magically-reinforced bone structure, all that weight would probably break their backs.</u>"
| |
|
| |
| "<u>Can skywhales cast any spells?</u>"
| |
|
| |
| "<u>No. They only have three magical traits: levitation, steelskin, and flourish.</u>"
| |
|
| |
| ''Flourish?'' Kaede thought of the spellword Captain von Lichnowsky had used on her hair. "<u>Does it grow something?</u>"
| |
|
| |
| "<u>Those tentacles under its fins. It uses them to snatch food from the ground and deliver them to its mouth.</u>"
| |
|
| |
| Kaede shifted her binoculars over for another look at the side-fins. The short tentacles that peeked out from underneath seemed more like giant armpit hair than appendages for manipulating food.
| |
|
| |
| Nevertheless, she was only too happy to stay her distance. There were certain things Japan was too famous for. Growing up among high school boys gave Kaede a far too graphic view of their tentacles obsession... once.
| |
|
| |
| Once was enough to remember. Especially since ''he'' had found it kind of hot, which was more than a bit disturbing.
| |
|
| |
| ''Good thing I am NOT going anywhere near there,'' she shuddered a little.
| |
|
| |
| ''...Now stop thinking about it.''
| |
|
| |
| Kaede put down her binoculars and turned her eyes towards the northeast, surveying the cloud cover for any sign of the Weichsel attack force.
| |
|
| |
| As soon as the battle plan had been decided upon, General von Manteuffel detached the Knights Phantom plus some command personnel from the rest of the cavalry echelons and made haste back towards Nordkreuz. Their pace accelerated further after a message from the Capital informed them that the 'Eye' had detected the skywhale battlegroup pulling ahead of the main Skagen army.
| |
|
| |
| Then this morning, they received word that an intense air assault had struck the city of Nordkreuz. Kaede wasn't sure if Pascal's household was alright. All she did know was that they were now racing against time to sink the carriers before those air groups returned.
| |
|
| |
| When the General slowed the Phantoms down to reorganize their formations, Pascal had sent Kaede ahead of the main group to serve as a forward observer. She and the other scouts wore ''Camouflage'' spells that blended them into the low, dark clouds, making them nearly impossible to spot in the distance. In fact, her biggest worry so far had been bird familiars that flew too close. She already had to shoot down two large condors who had tried to attack her -- probably due to her small size.
| |
|
| |
| The same stealth could not be said for Weichsel's first wave, as she soon spotted the white-blue hue of an Oriflamme's glow among the distant clouds.
| |
|
| |
| ''Let the battles begin...''
| |
|
| |
| Kaede turned to locate the Skagen combat air patrol again. For nearly half a minute, the two groups of sixteen volcanic drakes each continued to fly slow circles around the entire skywhale battlegroup. Then, with the sound of several distant yells, both flights banked and turned towards the incoming attack.
| |
|
| |
| ''Thirty-two drakes, against nearly three hundred phantoms...''
| |
|
| |
| All military tactics could be simplified down to one concept: achieving local superiority of force at the decisive point of contact. Countless military treatises and doctrines have explored this in a myriad of ways, but Kaede always thought that a certain lamed conquerer had offered the most concise explanation:
| |
|
| |
| 'It is better to be on hand with ten men than absent with ten thousand.'
| |
|
| |
| Yet just after she thought that, Kaede heard a distant roar from the southwest -- the other side of those skywhales.
| |
|
| |
| Her binoculars couldn't pick out any hostile signs. But with her hearing boosted by both ''Mental Clarity'' and familiar enhancement, she could just barely pick out the sound of over two hundred flapping wings.
| |
|
| |
| "<u>Pascal. Their strike force... it's back.</u>"
| |
|
| |
| Kaede received no more than a mental nod in return.
| |
|
| |
| Pascal was at the heart of the command and control network, placed there to facilitate communications and coordination between three different groups. A situational change as drastic as this easily swamped him with work.
| |
|
| |
| ''We didn't make it in time after all,'' Kaede thought as she bit down on her lower lip.
| |
|
| |
| The Knights Phantom had rode all night and all morning for that opportunity. They were now tired without sleep, held up only by adrenaline and recovery spells.
| |
|
| |
| ''This is going to be one bloody fight.''
| |
|
| |
| Her one consolation came from the knowledge that the unfolding engagement was merely a feint, albeit an expensive one they couldn't afford to discard.
| |
|
| |
| Kaede still held mixed feelings towards Sylviane, but she nevertheless prayed that the admirable Princess and Pascal's future wife would emerge safely and without harm.
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
| <nowiki>----- * * * -----</nowiki>
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
| At the same moment, Asgeirr Vintersvend was also observing his foes. Although he preferred the traditional telescopic spyglass over more modern binoculars.
| |
|
| |
| The Admiral was not standing in the enclosed bridge, but looking out from the port-side entrance of Polarlys' hangar deck. As a fleet commander, the bridge might offer better communications. But as an archmage, he needed direct access to the open skies.
| |
|
| |
| Putting down his spyglass, Asgeirr then turned to shout into a nearby communication tube:
| |
|
| |
| "Thirty degrees to port. Clear for broadside action."
| |
|
| |
| "Aye aye Sir!" the echoing voice of his longtime friend and First Mate replied. "Thirty degrees to port! Staggered line formation!"
| |
|
| |
| Hours ago, Asgeirr had taken a risk and sortied his air groups for an early strike on Nordkreuz. He had hoped to not merely destroy the city itself with a full aerial bombardment, but also to eliminate as many of the troops gathered there as possible. With any luck, there was even a chance the attack might kill King Leopold himself.
| |
|
| |
| Weichsel's Crown Prince was currently little more than an infant. Competing against two royal uncles and a General whose ambition was renowned even in Skagen, the fearsome Black Dragon might just suddenly collapse into Civil War.
| |
|
| |
| Which, of course, would be perfect for Skagen's interests.
| |
|
| |
| Asgeirr had no way of knowing yet if he had struck gold. But the rest of the gamble seemed to have paid off. His son Thorsten was returning from a victorious assault that destroyed most of the city, just in time for a decisive air battle that could seal Weichsel' fate for this entire campaign.
| |
|
| |
| Sure, Thorsten's drakes could use a rest from the morning attack. The hangar deck wasn't merely an extradimensionally-expanded chamber to land and park in. Magic also regulated the rear compartment to offer the sulfur-rich environment of the drakes' home habitat. The volcanic gases back there were terrible for unprotected humans, but it was not only preferred by the drakes but also essential for refueling their breath weapons.
| |
|
| |
| The Admiral was actually worried that events were progressing a bit too ideally. He roughly estimated that the attacking force was around half of Weichsel's air cavalry. Did the other units fall behind during their retreat from the peninsula? Or were they still out there in the clouds?
| |
|
| |
| ''It doesn't matter,'' he quickly decided.
| |
|
| |
| Asgeirr had placed two hundred experienced Västergötland adventurers and his half-brother Eyvindur's best company of runebolt archers on top of the skywhales. Combined with hundreds of the new 'Living Runes' that fortified their backs, the anti-air defenses protecting his skywhales was more than sufficient to take on a few hundred more Phantoms.
| |
|
| |
| To split his Drake Outriders for defense at this point would not be caution, but cowardice instead.
| |
|
| |
| "Order the combat air patrol to merge into one and engage the enemy right," Asgeirr bellowed into the communication tube again. "Do not wait to regroup with returning drakes. In fact, tell Thorsten to stay hidden in the clouds for as long as he can. I want him to charge in after the Wickers' formations have already been disrupted. Until then, Master Gunners have discretion to fire broadsides at will at the enemy left wing!"
| |
|
| |
| By attacking from the northwest first, the Admiral hoped to use the flow of battle to tilt Weichsel's formation towards their right flank. This would not only present the skywhales' ballistae a semi-enfilade angle of fire, but also expose the Wickers' rear to Thorsten's drakes coming from the southwest.
| |
|
| |
| ''All that remained is to impede and deceive the Wickers until then.''
| |
|
| |
| As an archmage worthy of the claim, Asgeirr not only had the expertise to craft the most difficult spells, but also invented spells of the highest tier on his own. Out of three personal creations, two of them were made to support major battles and fleet action:
| |
|
| |
| One was ''Storm of Deliverance'', or simply 'that acid rain spell' to everyone else.
| |
|
| |
| The other was a wide area effect he named ''Mantle of the Stormlord'', because it literally smolte their enemies with lightning from the skies.
| |
|
| |
| While Asgeirr pulled two hand-sized runestone tablets out of his belt pouch, his thoughts went back to his brother's joking words days ago.
| |
|
| |
| ''Admiral Vinegar, right? Maybe these civilized folks would appreciate their meat marinated before being crisp-fried in lightning.''
| |
|
| |
| "Vinaigrette first it is," the Admiral commented dryly as he activate the ''Levitation Flight'' rune on the tablet, causing it to zip into the skies.
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
| <nowiki>----- * * * -----</nowiki>
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
| (Sylv is next)
| |