Calm before the storm

Star sat in her nest watching the sea and land around her. "This is boring... I hate waiting for something to happen." She looked at her bow and looked at the ground below her. She saw the fire eater unit along the walls and the brothers walking along the walls checking them, while drinking from their wine skin. "A bunch of strong drunks."

She pulled on her long hair and tied it to the side as she looked out again towards the sea, cursing. "Nothing yet... " A thought hit her. "They've been travelling through the night, so they will arrive when its night here." She looked up at the sky and looking at the sun's location. "There's still time..." She jumped out of her nest and slid down along the walls until she was on the ground.

"Firewarrior... They won't arrive until night... Remember they only travel at night."

"That makes sense... If that cloud was her, than they'll be here at night..." She looked at him. "Since you know that what's the plan?"

"No change of plan... We know they're coming, we just have a few more hours to prepare with." She turned and looked at Mouse smiling at her signing to the firewarrior. "He said, it doesn't matter when they attack, she's just given us more hours to prepare for her." She nodded. "True..." She looked at Mouse. "Why aren't you at the beach waiting for them to arrive?" She watched as he signed at her. "He says the beach is ready... If they land there he'll know and take care of them instantly."

She nodded and looked at the wall in front of the sea. "Will that stop her?" She turned to the firewarrior. "No idea, but it will cause the queen to waste time in the storm Harnio is working on." She looked up and saw Harnio writing in the air. "He's been doing that for a while now..." She followed the firewarrior and Mouse as they started to climb the wall. "He said it was going to be a beast of a storm... I expect her vessel to sink before they get a chance to try and make land this evening."

She stood at a distance watching Harnio work, and looked up at the sky as clouds started to gather. She smiled. "This is going to be a big storm..."

"Yes it is... Will the winds affect your aim?" Star shook her head. "Not at all. I can still hit a target in the middle of a storm."

"Even something this big?" Star nodded. "Even something this big." She looked at the sea as waves started to hit the wall they were standing on. "I'm looking forward to defending this place."

"It will be a challenge... Our first battle against an ally of the trolaith creator." She turned and looked at the brothers joining them. "Shouldn't you be making some tunnels or something?"

"Done... The queen has given us enough time to get everything ready as much as possible... Now we have to wait for her to bring the fight."

"We've made a guess that since she travels only at night, that she'll be here this evening... While the sun is up we're safe."

"Why does she only travel during the night?"

Maybe she's trying to hide her ugly face or something?" She rolled her eyes at Drummen. "I don't think she works like that... It has to be another reason."

"There doesn't have to be a reason... We know she's coming, so we just have to wait for her." She turned and looked at the sea as the first drops of rain fell on her face.

"Harnio... How long will this storm last?"

"It hasn't started yet, its just forming... A storm of this size will last a few days at least..." She looked at him. "Will the other islands be affected by this as well." She breathed a sigh of relief when he shook his head. "Its centralized in this area. The other islands may have some bigger waves and stronger winds, but all the damage is in this area, and this area only."

"That's good news." She looked out at the sea feeling the rain and wind on her face. She retied her hair. "This queen better be coming..."

"She'll come... And when she does, we're going to make her leave this place, and die trying to leave."

She looked at the brothers. "Don't forget, after we defend this place from the queen, we have to go to the other cities as well, and defeat all the trolaiths, and destroy any tunnels they have made."

"I know that priestess... We're all aware of that... Just a win at the start would help us a lot, and also give us a head start when saving the people of the islands." Star nodded. "I'm glad you understand the situation we're in."

"After we defeat the queen, we'll have to split up to take all these cities down I think." She looked at the firewarrior in confusion. "I disagree." She nodded at Harnio's words. "Its better if we save them as a team and stay grouped together... If we go in smaller groups, we maybe able to blend in the cities, but we won't be able to fight them off, like we did with the drones today... Too many moving pieces."

She saw the firewarrior nod and smiled. "Good. I'm glad that you're listening to us... There's no way we can do surprise attacks here. They've already taken the cities. We just got to take it back, and make sure that it won't be taken again."

"We'll be making walls at every city. They're in free cities, I'm sure they'll be able to defend themselves in the future... Just not trolaiths."

"Or drones brother..."

"Drones too... They can be anyone. I'm glad we have your big hairy nose to smell them out."

"Brother... That's not fair... Stannir can you tell him to stop picking on me."

"I'm not picking on your brother... I just want to learn your tricks too you know... All I have going for me is lady luck constantly in my head... At least she warns me when the beasts are coming, since she really wants them dead." Star looked at Drummen. "You're saying the lady luck in your head tells you if there are beasts around?"

She saw him nodding. "Is she telling you anything now?"

"Yes... She's telling me to get ready for the fight of my life... This queen person is very strong, and we'll all have to fight hard... That's why I've been working on these walls for longer than I would normally... Its going to be a tough one."

"Brother why didn't you tell us?"

"We're all getting ready... We've done everything we can to prepare... What else can we do, except for eat and rest before the fight?"

Star nodded. "He has a point, even if he told us beforehand, we wouldn't have done anything different."

"She's right... We just have to fight serious when the queen arrives, and can't hold back... If we do that, than there's a big chance we fail and die." Star nodded, looking around the group. "Are you all ready to take down the queen?"

"We wouldn't be able to be guards if we couldn't..." Star nodded. "Good... I just wanted to check."

She looked out over the sea frowning, she than turned and looked at the setting sun in the distance. "The sun is getting close to the horizon... Night will soon be upon us... We need to be ready."

"Everyone get to your stations... If you want to eat, and drink do it now... We won't have time for it soon." Star turned and looked at her nest. She pointed her bow at it, firing an arrow and used the energy wire to run up the wall. She jumped onto the top of the nest and stared out at the sea smiling. "You're out there... You're going to be here soon." She turned and watched the sun slowly disappear behind the horizon and watched as the shadows on the wall started to lengthen.

"No lights!" Get your eyes used to the night..." She smiled, "Good thinking..." She watched the moons start to rise in the sky, and stars start twinkling. She felt her heart begin to race. "Its almost time... The storm is close I can smell it in the air. She looked up at the forming storm. "That is going to be huge when it hits... In the dark, you can't even see it... There's no lightning in the clouds at all... Harnio is very intelligent... He really means to go hunting."

She looked to the horizon and felt her heart sing. "The cloud... I see it... Its heading this way!"

She looked down at the others running to the wall. "Harnio... When they're closer let the storm rage upon them." She smiled as the strong winds untied her hair. She retied her hair and stood staring at the cloud as it made its way closer to her. She pulled her bow and aimed it at the cloud. "When the signal is given... I'm going to shoot you down."

She stood waiting in silence watching the cloud. She looked down at the others. "What are you doing? The cloud is getting closer? Shouldn't we get the storm going?"

"Not yet... Not enough damage will happen if that far away... She needs to be closer." She cursed. "How close do you want them to be?"

"In shallow waters... In the deep they'll just end up moving around, but in the shallow waters they'll have no place to go... Relax and focus... Wait for the signal... We need to surprise her."

Star nodded. "I'll follow you... I'm ready and waiting." She saw the cloud pick up speed. "Its moving faster!" She cursed as she took her aim.

"Harnio! Now!"

"BOOMMMMM"

Thunder rolled in the sky as the wind started to pick up water creating water funnels. She lowered her bow in surprise and shock as it caused the cloud to disperse. She cursed as she saw the large vessel in front of her. "This queen has to die! Who would do something like that?" She stared at the vessel as people were all chained to the sides of it. "Cliffhopper are they drones?"

"They're all drones... Every single one... I can smell them from here!"

"Relax Star... That just shows what type of person she is..." She looked at Harnio and smiled. "He's not affected this time... He has become stronger." She aimed down her bow frowning. "I don't see her on the deck... She must be below deck."

"Harnio... Destroy the vessel..."

"BOOMMMM!"

She watched as the water funnels struck the vessel.

"CRREAAKK!"

"QUUEENNN, We must protect the queen." She cursed as she watched the drones moved over the ship holding it together.

She smiled. "I'm going to start shooting them." She took her bow and started firing at the drones on board. She looked down. "The drones are holding the vessel together... We need to kill them!"

"Drummen... You know what to do!"

She started firing at the drones, as the water funnels struck the ship again and again. She cursed as more drones started to move around the deck, protecting it. She smiled as she saw liquid metal on the vessel.

"AHHHHHH... Protect the ship... Protect the Queennnn!" She continued to shoot as the vessel started to show signs of breaking.

"CRRACKKK!

"Its breaking... We're failing the queen... Protect the queen!"

"BAANGG!"

She shielded her eyes as fireballs started to set the deck on fire, and smiled as she saw the winds Harnio made make the fire grow. "Its going to break!"

"Keep attacking it..."

"CREEACK!"

She frowned as the number of drones seemed to increase. "They're jumping in the fire to stamp it out." She cursed, and increased her firing speed. "I'm not going to let you put those fires out." She looked on as the sails started to catch on fire.

"Its coming closer to its end."

"Queen... Escape... We'll protect you!"

"No you won't, not while I'm here." She aimed for the drones running around the vessel taking them down. "Your dead..."