Savage Messiah

"Steer north by northeast!" she ordered Scars. As the giant spun the wheel, Tyra

"Send thirty of your fastest messengers to each of our other vessels," she ordered him. "When they see Reprise turn due east, they are to do the same. Once our line has formed east to west we will turn due south, to trap the Black Ships against the other half of our fleet. Then the circle will close."

Worry crowded her face. "Go now. We have no time to lose!"

As K'jarr ran off to follow his orders, Tyra

"Yes, that's right," she whispered, as she looked though the glass. "Keep on coming, you dark bastards. Soon you'll all know the sharp, unmistakable kiss of Minion dreggans." Unlike Tyra

"Your orders, my lord?" Merriwhether asked.

Smiling, Wulfgar shook his head. "The other captains of the Black Ships have been commanded to do exactly as we do, isn't that right?" he asked.

Merriwhether nodded.

"Then I have no additional orders," Wulfgar said softly. "Watch and learn."

The two lines of Tyra

"Their warriors will to try to board us," Wulfgar said calmly. "Make sure the demonslavers are ready to welcome them."

When the first Minions arrived, they were met by rows upon rows of battle-hungry demonslavers banging their weapons against their shields. The rising cacophony was deafening.

Wulfgar turned to Merriwhether and nodded. Then, slowly-almost lazily-the Enseterat and his dark servant raised their arms and began blasting Minion warriors from the nighttime sky. When Tyra

Faegan had warned them of this possibility, and yet he had refused to come along, insisting that he stay deep in the Redoubt with Jessamay to continue their research. As Tyra

Damn your eyes, Faegan! she thought. We need you now!

As the Black Ships approached, Minion warriors were blasted from the sky in staggering numbers. For each one who fought his or her way down to the enemy decks, four or five more burst apart in midair. Others were burned so badly that they crashed helplessly into the sea. As Tyra

Looking up at the crow's nest, Tyra

The privateer and the princess held their breath as literally hundreds of the sisters' bolts screamed across the waves. Surely nothing can stand up to that, Tyra

But to her horror, as the azure bolts struck the Black Ships they flattened out and fell away, sizzling harmlessly into the sea-almost as if the enemy vessels wore some kind of endowed armor. Over and over again the acolytes tried, but each time it was the same. The Black Ships were so close now that Tyra

Tyra

Her face grim, Tyra

Tyra

She looked out across the sea. Even without her glass, she could see the other half of her fleet taking a line on the port sides of Wulfgar's vessels. There was no going back now. She turned to Scars.

"Steer due south-hard to starboard!" she shouted.

With a massive groan, the Reprise came over hard, the vessels following her quickly doing the same. Tyra

As Tyra

The Black Ships rose higher into the air and their speed increased dramatically. The western ends of Tyra

As they soared overhead they blotted out the moonlight. Tyra

Then, standing by the enemy gunwales, Wulfgar and his captains cast azure bolt after azure bolt down upon the westernmost vessels of Tyra

The stricken ships immediately burst into flames. Crewmen and Minions jumped overboard to quench the flames that burned them. At least a third of Tyra

Tyra

With a tortured groan, the entire mainmast and all of her accompanying sails crashed to the deck. The mast bounced once and then split in two, crushing crewmen and warriors to death beneath its weight. The crow's nest and the top half of the mast exploded against the gunwale, to lie awkwardly over the side and droop toward the sea. Sister Adrian was nowhere to be seen.

Tyra

Tired and beaten, the privateer and the princess looked out over what remained of their smashed fleet. Fire and smoke ruled the waves as still more of their vessels went down. The remaining ships hurried to help those in need. The water was crowded with Minion dead and dying, but there were very few demonslaver corpses to be seen. Tyra

The privateer sheathed her sword. The crew worked to bring the fires aboard her flagship under control, but it would be many days before the Reprise could be made seaworthy again. Tyra