Corsairs At The Docks
The attack had come from two directions at once. While Illyana Draketooth led most of the Umbral Corsairs' fleet above the Shimmersea, the crews of the smaller ships and thugs from Underside boiled up from the dark mirror image of Iscarion. The alleys and tunnels of the Lux Umbra were a slaughterhouse, every inch of ground hardly fought for. And yet, that had proved to be an opportunity for Lady Laelanyel. Disobeying direct orders, she had left her post on the docks of Iscarion, taking her Shroudmaidens and most of the Shadowkin to follow visions of Aef-Grimnir trudging the deepest tunnels of the Lux Umbra. Now, in the crucible of battle, they could earn enough respect to force the Dornayar command to overlook their insubordination.
The Grudgebreakers, ruthless Dispossessed privateers, had wracked the skyport docks and were now securing ground among the warehouses.
Lady Laelanyel posted Viserhyx and Slytha to guard the ladders and walkways leading out of the warehouses and further into Underside.
She and Vorya moved to intercept the Grudgebreakers making for the farthest exit.
The rest of the Shadowkin were tasked with retaking the entrance that was already in the Grudgebreakers hands.
Unleashing a hail of shots to cover their advance, the party of Grudgebreakers made it to the farthest exit. Only Vorya's selflessness and her skills with her shadeflail stopped them from breaking through.
Harnessing the shadows as a shield, the Shadowkin attempted to dislodge the other Grudgebreakers' party from their position, but the stubborn duardin gave little ground.
As Vorya fell under a rain of heavy cutlass and pistol but blows, Laelanyel drew her blade across her forearm. Her blood flew, turning into snaking darkness that chocked the life out of a duardin. Then Slytha jumped down from her perch to protect Vorya and impaled another one.
Viserhyx shadowleapt from on high to the side of the hard pressed Shadowkin. Though Narlek and Anielyn fell, the Grudgebreakers were now cut off from the route back to the docks.
Suddenly, leadshots pattered down from where Viserhyx had been. Somehow, Captain Gudrun had managed to lead another party around the Shadowflames position.
But then, from a tunnel going deeper into the Lux Umbra, a ruddy glow rose.
With a warcry like the roar of angry flames, Aef-Grimnir charged forward and felled the last privateer holding back Laelanyel and Slytha. The two rushed to support the Shadowkin, pinning a duardin where he was.
Now surrounded, the remaining two threw their weapons to the ground and called for parley.
Gudrun's curses rained down on his crew, promising an even worse fate if they were ever to return to the Grudgebreaker.
Lady Laelanyel let the Dispossessed captain slip away. With just a couple of deck hands at his side, he was no longer a threat. She instead turned to Aef-Grminir, the Runefather kneeling as he caught the Mistweaver's gaze.
"I fell against the orruks. And in so doing, I've failed you and my oath. Much I've already suffered for that, and tell of it I will, if you so wish. But still, my debt is not paid. My axe is yours to command, Lady Laelanyel".
"Rise, Runefather. As I did before, I gladly accept your axe. There is a war to fight, and much that we can recover from this land to help us return to Ulgu and claim what is ours".
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