This time it was going to be the coward’s turn first. A phalanx of her sea serpents escorted by both types of barracudas swept in almost all survived the defensive spells used by Sharkspawn’s Sahuagin mercenaries. Then the slaughter began, not completely one sided as Sharkspawn was no fool but as before Sharkspawn stuck to his contract and no more withdrawing, or trying to when his band accumulated the stipulated losses.

Above the waves, the circling sea wyverns awaited until the crews attention was on the fight below before diving out of the sun. Pete’s kids raised their best defences and released the two shaped boulders each carried in their storage devices before allowing their steeds to release their lightning.

Only one of the rocks hit but that plunged right through the deck, severed the mainmast and cracked the inner hull. The lightning did fearsome execution among the crew and set two of the sails alight.

The lampreys were not as successful this time, they easily holed the outer hull but the ship had been modified to have an inner hull. It was somewhat flimsy and it leaked but it did allow the frantic men on the pumps to cope with the rising water level.

A second pass by the air force left the flagship burning and the crew taking to the boats. Not a wise decision in the lamprey infested sea but they had no real alternative.

The remainder of the fleet sailed on oblivious to their commander’s fate until one by one their ships started to sink. The chartered vessels with their makeshift double hulls lasted longest. Mary allowed those of her people who wanted to do so to save the crews of the impressed ships.

She was irritated at the incompetence of her enemies. She had several backup plans and none of them had been needed.

* * *

On the island of Bazan in the somewhat rundown small port town of Brixia a small band of six temple guard and four wolf folk soldiers left the shrine of Ocidon along with the local priestess and her acolyte and headed for the poorly hidden shrine of Vortexius Blackbeard.

The locals who lived near the shrine in question were surprised to see the arrival of Ocidon’s priest and watched as two temple guards and the acolyte covered the shrine’s back entrance while the remainder poured through the main entrance. Sounds of conflict followed but didn’t last long. No temple or shrine expected to be attacked after all.

Then the intruders set the isolated shrine on fire and watched it burn to the ground. The local watch arrived before they left and after confirming that it was temple business returned to advise their watch commander of the occurrence.

* * *

The holy Anchor of Ocidon watched proudly as his forces marched out of the high temple. Goran the Wily had insisted on leaving a skeleton guard in case of a counterattack. Several of his more senior priests and their subordinates were accompanying the temple’s army.

Goran still grinning fiercely marched at the head of his guard, with them marched a large contingent of well armed beastmen.

The Irrina Pax Commander of the city guard of Ocean’s Glory was in a quandary. She had over three hundred armed and armoured temple guard accompanied by what looked like at least another hundred soldiers of an elite mercenary company marching through the streets of her city.

Then it got worse. The forces of the Temple of Ocidon attacked the High Temple of Vortexius Blackbeard with strange magics that breached the walls of the temple with the sound of thunder.

By the time the fighting had ended she had the temple surrounded with her forces. Then she was further confounded when the priests of Ocidon emerged with many of the citizens of the town who had gone missing. The priests of Vortexius Blackbeard had been indulging in slavery.

Then the army of the high temple of Ocidon withdrew, followed by the mercenaries. They carried their dead, but the wounded had already been healed by the priests.

Finally there were several loud claps of thunder and the whole temple collapsed in on itself. The eight badger folk present exchanged high fives.

* * * INTERLUDE 1 * * *

In that vast space carpeted with clouds the New Gods, well most of them were meeting again, somehow the Old Gods had learned of Diavlo and the disturbing prophecy that proclaimed a war of the gods was firmly entrenched and working to bring itself to fruition.

The first three stages had already happened before they had even noticed, a world had died, a priest led an attack on a temple not his own and one of their number had been humbled and reduced.

It Irked Mirabelarque that they had misread the damn thing, xe had been convinced that a world dying meant Parthia and not any one of the worlds placed in their care. Then that idiot Vortexius Blackbeard in his greed had carelessly allowed one of his priests to lead an invasion of a rival’s temple and had and been expelled from the seas and oceans losing his high temple along with many others.

The god looked round with suspicion, so who was their traitor, which of them was going to desert their faction. But the war would last for a long time yet, none of their opponents had the strength needed to smite one of xyrs gods with one blow and leave a mere shell behind.

* * * INTERLUDE 2 * * *

Here she was again at the top of the cliffs overlooking the ocean, she had arrived in a taxi, as her jeep was too well known by now. Rather amusing when the vehicle was more easily recognised than the owner.

Lots of energy was flowing down her link, the invasion must be going badly for the pirates. So... claim the cliff top and a column down to sea level, add a tunnel spiralling down... Pain...

* * *

Hargreaves and Donnelly watched the girl stand rather too close to the edge of the cliff. They waited patiently knowing Delgado was a pro. Delgado watched the girl through the telescopic sights of his rifle. The girl was too near the cliff. Director Hansen was emphatic that they didn’t want her dead.

Then the girl stepped back looking at the ground and Delgado waited until she stopped once again before taking his shot with the Weatherby rifle he had been given for this particular job. The Director wanted it to look like some random nut had taken the shot.

Well the girl wasn’t bulletproof, the bullet had gone through her left shoulder and she had dropped to the ground. Delgado slipped out of his hide leaving the rifle behind and headed for the parking lot where he was to be picked up at a brisk walk.

Hargreaves and Donnelly came running up full of – false – concern waving their guns about and pretending to look for the shooter whilst loudly proclaiming their membership of the FBI.

An ambulance was already on its way having been kept waiting nearby for over half an hour.

* * *

On Parthia the other Mary felt the sting of the wound and focused her attention on the other her. Seeing that she had – there was – a small scrap of domain under the other her she poured energy into it and expanded it widely. She/They marked Hargreaves, Donnelly and Delgado. Especially Delgado.

Having no conceivable excuse Mary allowed herself to be loaded on the ambulance and taken to the hospital though she added its crew to her watch/grudge list as it had arrived suspiciously fast at this somewhat remote location.

* * *

“So?” asked director Hansen.

“We have blood samples and a few bits of skin and tissue. The girl is suspicious and left as soon as she conceivably could. Our scan suggests her bones have been strengthened far more than her epidermis. The bullet was deflected by one and didn’t damage it. Her muscles are far denser than one would expect.”

“Which means?”

“She’s still human, just... improved. The army would love to do something similar to our soldiers. And now we know it can be done.”