Michael Chatfield

Ilus Rises: Chapter 11 Part 2 of 2

She let the wind pick up around her, making conversation hard as one got close, at the same time she made a funnel between her and the inspector leader.

“—bastard. Anything with the gold for it he lets into the damn cove. Kren cares only for the gold that’ll line his damn purse! I know that it was one of the ships he let in that brought that hacking cough plague.”

“Be careful Lirina. He’s already got most of the docks under his control. He acts as if he has no care in ...

Ilus Rises: Chapter 12 Part 1 of 2

Chapter 12:

“Are you sure leaving the ship without a guard is wise?” Desari asked as they walked down the dock towards the island.

“Its got at least one big guard,” Mya sniggered to herself.

“Should’ve seen what Mesurial can do with an anchor,” Valter said.

“huh, look at that, the ‘land’ is basically a bunch of buildings filling in the spaces between the docks,” Petor waved ahead of them.

The buildings subtly rose and fell ...

Ilus Rises: Chapter 11 Part 2 of 2

She let the wind pick up around her, making conversation hard as one got close, at the same time she made a funnel between her and the inspector leader.

“—bastard. Anything with the gold for it he lets into the damn cove. Kren cares only for the gold that’ll line his damn purse! I know that it was one of the ships he let in that brought that hacking cough plague.”

“Be careful Lirina. He’s already got most of the docks under his control. He acts as if he has no care in ...

Ilus Rises: Chapter 11 Part 1 of 2

Chapter 11:

Petor scanned the horizon from the crows nest, the merchant ships had fallen away a few hours ago.

“So, about the pirate ships. I was wondering if you’d be willing to sell them to me,” Mya’s voice coming through the wood.

“You asking all of us or just me?” Petor asked.

“I’m asking all of you,” Mya said. “See with all the goods I figure that they’re probably worth Seven hundred, and ninety three thousand gold, give or take a few thousan...

Ilus Rises: Chapter 11 Part 2 of 2

She let the wind pick up around her, making conversation hard as one got close, at the same time she made a funnel between her and the inspector leader.

“—bastard. Anything with the gold for it he lets into the damn cove. Kren cares only for the gold that’ll line his damn purse! I know that it was one of the ships he let in that brought that hacking cough plague.”

“Be careful Lirina. He’s already got most of the docks under his control. He acts as if he has no care in ...

Ilus Rises: Chapter 11 Part 1 of 2

Chapter 11:

Petor scanned the horizon from the crows nest, the merchant ships had fallen away a few hours ago.

“So, about the pirate ships. I was wondering if you’d be willing to sell them to me,” Mya’s voice coming through the wood.

“You asking all of us or just me?” Petor asked.

“I’m asking all of you,” Mya said. “See with all the goods I figure that they’re probably worth Seven hundred, and ninety three thousand gold, give or take a few thousan...

Ilus Rises: Chapter 10 Part 2 of 2

“I’m good at fighting and I think that I’m just looking for something else that I could be as good at.”

Desari turned thoughtful, her eyes dropping to the deck.

Petor checked the progress on the rowing boats and the ships.

“What about you? Why do you do this?” He turned his head to look at her.

Desari bit her lip, inhaling and looking up at the top of the nearest mast.

“I’ve been fighting for all of my life. I think that there was a time ...

Ilus Rises: Chapter 11 Part 1 of 2

Chapter 11:

Petor scanned the horizon from the crows nest, the merchant ships had fallen away a few hours ago.

“So, about the pirate ships. I was wondering if you’d be willing to sell them to me,” Mya’s voice coming through the wood.

“You asking all of us or just me?” Petor asked.

“I’m asking all of you,” Mya said. “See with all the goods I figure that they’re probably worth Seven hundred, and ninety three thousand gold, give or take a few thousan...

Ilus Rises: Chapter 10 Part 2 of 2

“I’m good at fighting and I think that I’m just looking for something else that I could be as good at.”

Desari turned thoughtful, her eyes dropping to the deck.

Petor checked the progress on the rowing boats and the ships.

“What about you? Why do you do this?” He turned his head to look at her.

Desari bit her lip, inhaling and looking up at the top of the nearest mast.

“I’ve been fighting for all of my life. I think that there was a time ...

Ilus Rises: Chapter 10 Part 1 of 2

Chapter 10:

Petor landed on the deck of the Spindle and came up to standing.

“I can help with the wounded.”

The crew looked at him as if he was a demon from the deep, their weather beaten faces pale as they studied him in his full armor.

“Wounded, now.” He used the tone he might with gawping idiot privates.

“Get them up on deck!” A larger man with a large brimmed black hat said, a rag around his upper arm and blood on his face.

Ilus Rises: Chapter 10 Part 2 of 2

“I’m good at fighting and I think that I’m just looking for something else that I could be as good at.”

Desari turned thoughtful, her eyes dropping to the deck.

Petor checked the progress on the rowing boats and the ships.

“What about you? Why do you do this?” He turned his head to look at her.

Desari bit her lip, inhaling and looking up at the top of the nearest mast.

“I’ve been fighting for all of my life. I think that there was a time ...

Ilus Rises: Chapter 9

Chapter 9:

“Mister Zilthor sir, permission to render aid to the Spindle?” Crixim asked as politely as possible.

Zilthor wrung out his hands, glancing at the various ships.

“There’s no one in the rigging of the big ship. I can just see four people moving around,” Caelum said.

Idiot boy. Crixim held himself back from glowering.

“Only four?” Zilthor’s voice becoming sickly sweet as he stared at the ship, holding out his hand imperio...

Ilus Rises: Chapter 10 Part 1 of 2

Chapter 10:

Petor landed on the deck of the Spindle and came up to standing.

“I can help with the wounded.”

The crew looked at him as if he was a demon from the deep, their weather beaten faces pale as they studied him in his full armor.

“Wounded, now.” He used the tone he might with gawping idiot privates.

“Get them up on deck!” A larger man with a large brimmed black hat said, a rag around his upper arm and blood on his face.

Ilus Rises: Chapter 10 Part 1 of 2

Chapter 10:

Petor landed on the deck of the Spindle and came up to standing.

“I can help with the wounded.”

The crew looked at him as if he was a demon from the deep, their weather beaten faces pale as they studied him in his full armor.

“Wounded, now.” He used the tone he might with gawping idiot privates.

“Get them up on deck!” A larger man with a large brimmed black hat said, a rag around his upper arm and blood on his face.

Ilus Rises: Chapter 9

Chapter 9:

“Mister Zilthor sir, permission to render aid to the Spindle?” Crixim asked as politely as possible.

Zilthor wrung out his hands, glancing at the various ships.

“There’s no one in the rigging of the big ship. I can just see four people moving around,” Caelum said.

Idiot boy. Crixim held himself back from glowering.

“Only four?” Zilthor’s voice becoming sickly sweet as he stared at the ship, holding out his hand imperio...

Ilus Rises: Chapter 8 Part 2 of 2

Mya drank in the smell of powder as they cleared the plume of gunsmoke.

“Nothing like powder in the morning!” Mya called out. The oars set back to their normal pace instead of their cannon rows, counteracting the recoil of the cannons.

Not a bad shot all by myself. Bedrick would be near beside himself for the first half dozen shots that she’d used to range her shots.

Parts of the first ship rained down on the water.

Petor and Valter worked the cannons, a...

Ilus Rises: Chapter 9

Chapter 9:

“Mister Zilthor sir, permission to render aid to the Spindle?” Crixim asked as politely as possible.

Zilthor wrung out his hands, glancing at the various ships.

“There’s no one in the rigging of the big ship. I can just see four people moving around,” Caelum said.

Idiot boy. Crixim held himself back from glowering.

“Only four?” Zilthor’s voice becoming sickly sweet as he stared at the ship, holding out his hand imperio...

Ilus Rises: Chapter 8 Part 1 of 2

Chapter 8:

Petor staved off a yawn. He’d empowered Desari till he went to sleep some seven hours ago. Three hours into his watch he looked through the masts, the sails pulled up and stored away.

Something caught Petor’s eye in the near-morning sun.

He focused on the area where he’d seen it, almost like a flash of-there!

He pulled out Mya’s spyglass.

Light reflected off the bottom of clouds. Lightning? No, lightning went through clouds, t...

Ilus Rises: Chapter 8 Part 2 of 2

Mya drank in the smell of powder as they cleared the plume of gunsmoke.

“Nothing like powder in the morning!” Mya called out. The oars set back to their normal pace instead of their cannon rows, counteracting the recoil of the cannons.

Not a bad shot all by myself. Bedrick would be near beside himself for the first half dozen shots that she’d used to range her shots.

Parts of the first ship rained down on the water.

Petor and Valter worked the cannons, a...

Ilus Rises: Chapter 8 Part 2 of 2

Mya drank in the smell of powder as they cleared the plume of gunsmoke.

“Nothing like powder in the morning!” Mya called out. The oars set back to their normal pace instead of their cannon rows, counteracting the recoil of the cannons.

Not a bad shot all by myself. Bedrick would be near beside himself for the first half dozen shots that she’d used to range her shots.

Parts of the first ship rained down on the water.

Petor and Valter worked the cannons, a...

Ilus Rises: Chapter 8 Part 1 of 2

Chapter 8:

Petor staved off a yawn. He’d empowered Desari till he went to sleep some seven hours ago. Three hours into his watch he looked through the masts, the sails pulled up and stored away.

Something caught Petor’s eye in the near-morning sun.

He focused on the area where he’d seen it, almost like a flash of-there!

He pulled out Mya’s spyglass.

Light reflected off the bottom of clouds. Lightning? No, lightning went through clouds, t...

Ilus Rises: Chapter 7

Chapter 7:

Valter drew his hand back, the ink sinking into the table’s wood.

Ambient mana moved through the inscription smoothly.

Essence trickled into his core, stirring and adding more flecks of green to his yellow core.

“That should do it.” He looked up. The room was tall, tall enough to fit him and give him some head room. It was split into two parts, Mya’s small bedroom to the rear and then a room covered in maps. Desks and cupboards filled with them on ei...

Ilus Rises: Chapter 8 Part 1 of 2

Chapter 8:

Petor staved off a yawn. He’d empowered Desari till he went to sleep some seven hours ago. Three hours into his watch he looked through the masts, the sails pulled up and stored away.

Something caught Petor’s eye in the near-morning sun.

He focused on the area where he’d seen it, almost like a flash of-there!

He pulled out Mya’s spyglass.

Light reflected off the bottom of clouds. Lightning? No, lightning went through clouds, t...

Ilus Rises: Chapter 6

Chapter 6:

The skies darkened before they brightened, staining the clouds with the light of a new day.

Mya breathed in the cold air and let it go, the sails catching some wind but it was mainly the oars pulling them forward now.

She shifted her shoulders, easing out the kinks that had snuck in. Can’t believe I actually slept. Its been what, fifteen years?

“No wonder I was a bit spacey. I need sleep again.”

It was bittersweet, it was great not needi...

Ilus Rises: Chapter 7

Chapter 7:

Valter drew his hand back, the ink sinking into the table’s wood.

Ambient mana moved through the inscription smoothly.

Essence trickled into his core, stirring and adding more flecks of green to his yellow core.

“That should do it.” He looked up. The room was tall, tall enough to fit him and give him some head room. It was split into two parts, Mya’s small bedroom to the rear and then a room covered in maps. Desks and cupboards filled with them on ei...

Ilus Rises: Chapter 5

Chapter 5:

“Petor,” Valter’s voice drew him out of sleep, his eyes opening completely as he held his knife at his side.

“Your on watch.”

“Thanks,” Petor exhaled, awake as if he had been for hours. A suddenness that he’d never lost ever since training.

Valter nodded and headed up the stairs to finish up his watch.

Petor pulled on clothes and his breastplate, only hitting his head once on the beams before he hurried up the ladder to the upper deck.<...

Ilus Rises: Chapter 7

Chapter 7:

Valter drew his hand back, the ink sinking into the table’s wood.

Ambient mana moved through the inscription smoothly.

Essence trickled into his core, stirring and adding more flecks of green to his yellow core.

“That should do it.” He looked up. The room was tall, tall enough to fit him and give him some head room. It was split into two parts, Mya’s small bedroom to the rear and then a room covered in maps. Desks and cupboards filled with them on ei...

Ilus Rises: Chapter 6

Chapter 6:

The skies darkened before they brightened, staining the clouds with the light of a new day.

Mya breathed in the cold air and let it go, the sails catching some wind but it was mainly the oars pulling them forward now.

She shifted her shoulders, easing out the kinks that had snuck in. Can’t believe I actually slept. Its been what, fifteen years?

“No wonder I was a bit spacey. I need sleep again.”

It was bittersweet, it was great not needi...

Ilus Rises: Chapter 6

Chapter 6:

The skies darkened before they brightened, staining the clouds with the light of a new day.

Mya breathed in the cold air and let it go, the sails catching some wind but it was mainly the oars pulling them forward now.

She shifted her shoulders, easing out the kinks that had snuck in. Can’t believe I actually slept. Its been what, fifteen years?

“No wonder I was a bit spacey. I need sleep again.”

It was bittersweet, it was great not needi...

Ilus Rises: Chapter 5

Chapter 5:

“Petor,” Valter’s voice drew him out of sleep, his eyes opening completely as he held his knife at his side.

“Your on watch.”

“Thanks,” Petor exhaled, awake as if he had been for hours. A suddenness that he’d never lost ever since training.

Valter nodded and headed up the stairs to finish up his watch.

Petor pulled on clothes and his breastplate, only hitting his head once on the beams before he hurried up the ladder to the upper deck.<...