‘There are fires on the dockside!’ shouted one of the soldiers. They have machines upon the decks sending balls of fire over the city.’
Ro ignored him as the second ship came into his sights. He pulled the lever. Blue fire crackled from the mouth of the tube, then a brilliant white light exploded in front of Ro’s eyes. Blinded, he fell back from the machine – and did not see the lightning spear slam into the warship. The gold-covered timbers were torn apart as the bolt smashed through them, expanding upon impact with terrible heat. The explosion that followed ripped the ship into three parts. Bodies were hurled through the air. A wave of heat struck the Harbour Tower. Ro, on his knees, his hands over his eyes, felt the heat wash over him.
He opened his eyes, blinking back the tears. His vision was returning slowly. Moving to the window he gazed out over the scene of destruction. Floating debris was all that was left of the golden ship. Ro felt a savage sense of elation.
Moving to the rear of the Sunfire he placed his hands over the tube, feeling the vibration of the recharge.
We have a chance, he thought. They are not as powerful as they think.
Outside, in the bay, the first of the golden ships swung back. A ball of fire whooshed up and sailed over the water, landing some 40 feet from the Harbour Tower. The explosion was awesome. Rocks and stones split under the impact and the nearest Avatar soldier was lifted from his feet and hurled back against the Harbour Tower wall, his spine smashed to shards by the impact.
The two remaining soldiers aimed their zhi-bows at the vessel, sending bolt after bolt towards the upper decks, where they exploded against the timbers, causing little damage.
A second ball of fire soared from the ship. The Avatar soldiers began to run. They had made no more than 30 yards when the ball struck the wharf causeway. The blast lifted the fleeing men, hurling them high over the water, their lifeless bodies disappearing below the surface.
Inside the Harbour Tower Ro was covered in dust and broken stones. A third ship was sailing towards him. Ro knelt behind the Sunfire. It was still vibrating towards full charge.
The wall to his left buckled under another explosion. Part of the ceiling collapsed. A massive support timber fell, coming to a wedged halt on the top of the door frame. Ro lined up the sight and peered through the choking dust. The vibration died away. Shutting tight his eyes, he pulled the lever.
The third ship took the impact of the bolt high behind the stern. Ro opened his eyes to see the explosion that followed. The rear half of the ship disappeared in a mighty blast. The prow and the midzsection broke away. Slowly the ship toppled and slid below the waves. Some survivors leapt clear and began to swim for the shore.
A ball of flame struck the roof of the Harbour Tower. The sound of thunder followed. The roof was ripped away, and the ceilings of the four upper storeys were punched downwards, smashing through the body of the building and burying the Sunfire and Questor Ro beneath tons of rubble.
Hidden in a narrow alleyway beside the docks the Questor General watched the destruction. Behind him buildings were ablaze and he could hear the sounds of screaming coming from trapped men. But his gaze was fixed on the first golden ship as it swung again towards the wharf.
Fifty Avatars waited with him; another 200 Vagar soldiers were hidden close by. Smoke billowed around them and several men began to cough. Rael tied a scarf over the lower half of his face. His aide Cation moved back out of sight and reappeared moments later with a bucket of water. Some men soaked their red cloaks and held these over their faces. Cation offered the water to Rael. Dipping the scarf into it he retied it. Breathing was easier now.
The golden ship closed in, nestling against the stone wall of the wharf. For a moment there was no movement. Then a score of gangplanks dropped and soldiers armed with the black clubs began to run down them. They were lightly armoured with breastplates of stiffened leather and helms of copper. They carried no shields.
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