laneys.info Beware of Yankees, drunks, and loose women.

Rolling green hills soon gave way to more majestic mountains than she had ever seen. Some of them white capped in these summer months and she knew an artist would love to have this reference for his masterpiece. Verdant and as untouched as the rest of this place, she hoped the vision of utopia was not a clever lie. The titan that once called this land her home was unknown until the singular volume few had ever known existed, surfaced.

"Could almost be a wonderful place to call home," Sir Felix interrupted her musings as Allaina stood quietly near the bow. "Certainly be a rich land." His observation gave her an idea which prompted a smile to crease her olive toned, wrinkled skin.

"Perhaps. Have a lot of work to do to clear it of dangers though. Not a task for the faint of heart, to be sure." She sighed and turned to him. "When they come, I'm going to create a protective shield, just tell your men to keep firing as fast as they can. Relay that to the Gunnery Officers as well."

"I will."

Blue eyes returned to the vista. "Until then, enjoy the scenery."

As the journey continued, days lingered in quiet contemplation over what she may find once they arrived at the ruined palace. If it was even still standing, that is. Allaina had already discovered the island nation of myth, but that wasn't enough. She had to find the source of power that she sought all her life and the ritual that had been perfected would assist in that goal. All they had to do was get there.

Resting after a long day of reading and writing in her journal, a knock at the door woke the archmage. "Yes, captain."

Maurice's voice replied through the door. "Madam, we have a problem, if you'd like to come up."

A sigh escaped her lips and she pushed herself up. Tired bones and muscles protested as she sat there for a long moment, then swung her legs out. Rubbing her left knee, the remains of that terrible fall still bothered her from time to time. Levitating her leather pouch to herself, she rummaged through it and found the elixir that made walking more bearable and drank from the small vial, then returned it to the bag.
Once dressed, she made her way up to the main deck and didn't have to be told what the problem was as she emerged and heard the thunder of water. Looking beyond the bow of the ship, the waterfall's long mane of white cascaded down a cliffside and appeared to be the end of the line.

"Hard to sail up that," Maurice's voice cut in as the crew tied up the sails on the various yards above. "You want to go on foot from here, I can lower the longboats."

Chewing her bottom lip, Allaina slowly walked towards the front of the ship as she pondered the variety of possible avenues here. One thing was certain, they couldn't linger here long.

"I'll gather a few men and scout for any paths up," Felix stated as blue eyes took in the problem before them.

"No. I've got a better idea." Left hand took his forearm as she supported herself on her cane and pushed her old body to crouch, then leaned the black wooden cane on her right shoulder and reached down to the oaken deck. Forefinger etched symbols into the surface as she chanted and soon finished, then glanced forward. "Tell everyone to hold on to something."

"All hands, to the deck and take a seat," Maurice bellowed. Once down and onto the deck, everyone eyed the older woman as she closed her eyes and poured herself into the spell and after several long moments, the ship began to lift into the air.

"By the Unity," one of them exclaimed.

Ignoring the concerns of the crew, she continued with the spell until the ship captain and her own general both yelled, "To arms!"

In midflight now, she pushed the vessel to rise faster as the realization of the danger was evident. Her enemy waited for this moment and she knew the next few moments could spell the doom of her quest. Opening her eyes, she continued lifting the ship upward as the sky darkened from large, purple wings. The first salvo of rifle fire burst from her marines as well as some of the ship's crew as the gunner's raced to their cannon. A wash of electrified, purplish energy raked the stern and consumed all it touched. Screams of those engulfed quickly silenced and she had only a little farther to push the ship to get it to the river above.

Sweat beaded on her body, soaking her undergarments from the effort as the dragon soared passed, then upward as it banked for another run. It was then that she had an idea. Slowly turning the Avesta towards the incoming dragon, she waited for the right moment as it's maw of jagged teeth opened, clawed hands raised in anticipation of the victory.

"Fire," the lieutenant yelled and she lifted the ship's starboard side upward slightly, angling the guns for a full broadside into the dragon. Smoke bellowed and obscured their view as some of the crewmen hit their knees from the sudden jolt upward. A screeching growl filled the air and she grinned to herself at the success, only to be quashed as the falling dragon slammed into the hull, knocking it from her control and downward. The impact sent her reeling across the deck and into the wooden wall that made up the port side, knocking her unconscious.

Colliding into the water below, both dragon and ship disappeared into a wall of frothy water, then slowly drifted with the current. Canvas, wooden shards and bodies littered the quiet blue, some collecting on the rocky shore while the rest that didn't sink, lazily floated away.