Haldan kicks a jagged boarding hook from the gunwale, his face a mask of desperate concentration. He does not wait for Ben to react, instead lunging toward the rail to hack at a rope ladder before more Guild soldiers can swarm the deck.
Haldan
Stay sharp, Ben. If they set foot on this deck, we lose more than the ship.
Ben
I have the axes ready, Haldan. Just keep them off the planks.
Haldan
These bastards are persistent. If we do not break their resolve now, the sea will be our grave instead of theirs.
A desperate Guild mercenary vaults over the rail, his blade swinging wild. Haldan pivots, his sword clashing against the iron in a shower of sparks that cut through the salty mist.
“I swing my axe and cut the rope connected with the hook.”
SUCCESS (Great Ranged Combat, rolled +2)
My eyes lock onto the tension of the hemp line. I release the axe with a fluid snap of the wrist.
The heavy iron head whistles through the damp air, slicing clean through the rope with a sharp, resonant thwack. The boarding hook clatters uselessly against the side of the cog as the severed line recoils into the dark water. The mercenary loses his footing, stumbling back against the gunwale as his momentum carries him toward the churning sea instead of the deck.
Ben
That was a clean throw. If I can keep this up, we might actually make it out of this harbor with our skins intact.
Haldan
Nice shot, dwarf! Keep them off balance while I clear the rest of these hooks.
More Guild soldiers scramble up the netting, their faces twisted in snarling fury as they ready their boarding pikes. The wind howls through the rigging, masking the sound of incoming cannon fire from the port.
“The wind is blowing and the ship sails faster than I thought.”
SUCCESS (Good Health, rolled +2)
The cog surges forward as a sudden gust catches the main sail. I lean into the tilt, compensating for the swell with a dancer's grace. The movement is unnatural for my stocky build, yet I find my footing instantly.
Ben
The wind is with us. These fools expect a static target, but they have never chased a craft helmed by a master of the seas and axes.
I whip my second axe from my belt, my eyes tracing the trajectory of a soldier swinging toward the mast. I release the iron. It spins with a lethal, rhythmic hum, burying itself deep into the wood just inches from the soldier's gripping hand. He shrieks, his glove pinned to the mast, and he dangles helplessly as the ship violently yaws.
Haldan
That is it! Keep them pinned to the rigging! If we can reach the fog bank, they will lose our trail for good.
More shadows emerge from the mist, crossbows raised and leveled at the deck.
+ Scene Quest Added
Cut the final mooring line to escape the harbor
“I swing my axe to cut the final mooring line”
SUCCESS (Great Ranged Combat, rolled -1)
I see the final rope straining against the block, a thick, hempen vein tethering us to our pursuers. With a roar that echoes against the rhythmic slapping of the waves, I wind up and hurl my last axe. It arcs through the salt-heavy air, a blur of silver, and bites deep into the knot with a spray of splintered fibers. The line snaps back like a coiled viper.
Ben
Finally, the leash is broken. Now we see if their speed can match their arrogance.
The cog shudders and peels away, the gap between our hull and the pursuing vessel widening rapidly. A Guild archer atop their bowsprit looses a bolt, but it whistles harmlessly into the churning wake as we slide toward the embrace of the gray mist.
Haldan
Hard to port, Ben! We hit the fog bank now, and they lose the line of sight!
Quest Complete
Cut the final mooring line to escape the harbor