"Riders on the right bank!" yelled Kaelen, the crew's scout, pointing a trembling finger toward the jagged cliffs.
Behind him on the deck lay the King’s Eternal Flame, a glowing, pulsing artifact contained in a heavy iron cage. It was the only thing that could save the capital from the encroaching frozen blight, and Silas had sworn an oath to deliver it. The problem wasn't the artifact; it was the river itself.
"Keep rowing!" Silas commanded, his voice cracking. "We cannot stop! If the Flame goes out, the whole kingdom dies with him!"
Silas didn't need to look. The whistling of primitive arrows already filled the air. Bandits. This stretch of the river was notorious for them. They didn't want the flame; they wanted the supplies, the wood, and the gold Silas used to keep this floating death trap together. "Shields up!" Silas roared. "Brace the hull!"
"Riders on the right bank!" yelled Kaelen, the crew's scout, pointing a trembling finger toward the jagged cliffs.
Behind him on the deck lay the King’s Eternal Flame, a glowing, pulsing artifact contained in a heavy iron cage. It was the only thing that could save the capital from the encroaching frozen blight, and Silas had sworn an oath to deliver it. The problem wasn't the artifact; it was the river itself.
"Keep rowing!" Silas commanded, his voice cracking. "We cannot stop! If the Flame goes out, the whole kingdom dies with him!"
Silas didn't need to look. The whistling of primitive arrows already filled the air. Bandits. This stretch of the river was notorious for them. They didn't want the flame; they wanted the supplies, the wood, and the gold Silas used to keep this floating death trap together. "Shields up!" Silas roared. "Brace the hull!"
