Grid: C-15Lord_Of_The_LEGO wrote:“GET AWAY FROM THE RAILS!” cried Ajaxx, “BRACE YESELVES!”
Everyone lurched away from the railing and hit the deck at the same moment the locknest monster slammed it’s great scaly mass against the groaning hull of the Precious.
“MAN BALLISTAE!” ordered Ajaxx, “GET PIKES, BOWS! TAKE THAT BEAST DOWN!”
Location: in deep mega blocks
The men of the Dragonsbane Brigade rushed to do Ajaxx’s bidding. The canvases covering the two starboard and the aft ballistae were ripped away, and three bolts were hastily shoved into the slots of the siege machines. While one man aimed, two other soldiers cranked back the thick bowstring until the bow went almost bent double.
“FIRE AT WILL!” bellowed Ajaxx, and the deck of the Precious leapt as three ballistae fired, sending a powerful kickback reverberating through the ship. Due to the rocking, one bolt missed and went wide, but the remaining bolts found their mark and buried deep into the slithering body of the locknest.
“RELOAD!” Ajaxx ordered, then fell to the deck as the infuriated locknest pounded it’s body against the Precious. The two bolts had wounded it only a little, but was causing the creature great pain. And it was hungry. Very hungry.
“FIRE WHEN READY!” shouted Ajaxx.
Again the three ballistae fired, and again the Precious rocked violently. But this time all of the bolts missed.
“It’s submerged!” cried Japheth.
There was a cheer, but Ajaxx shouted above the din, “SHUTTUP, SHUTTUP!”
The Dragonsbane Brigade fell silent.
“We scared it off.” suggested one soldier meekly.
Ajaxx looked at Japheth. Japheth shook his head violently.
“Me eye be still itchin’”
A geyser of white water suddenly erupted not from the starboard side of the ship. The locknest stretched upward like a slimy-green pillar and then collapsed across the deck of the Precious, jaws snapped. Dragon Masters screamed and scattered, but a few were caught in the jaws of the monster and others were crushed by it’s flailing bulk. As it snapped up prey, the locknest’s bulbous head repeatedly smashed against the mainmast, causing large cracks to form. Ajaxx saw this and swore, “TYCO!”
With a fluid sweep, Ajaxx drew out his three-and-a-half-foot-long great sword and charged.
“DRAGONSBANE!!!!”
He hit the locknest hard. His armor crumpled and something inside him cracked, probably his ribs. But he kept going, kept pushing. His sword went deep, deep into the mouth of the locknest. Deep into the flesh. Deep into the brain. The locknest went insane, thrashing about and emitting a snake-like hiss as it spewed it’s own blood all over Ajaxx and the Precious. Ajaxx’s sword became dislodged, and he was shot back, sword still in hand where he crashed into the bulwark. Suddenly heartened by their leader’s valiant attack, the Dragonsbane Brigade snatched up their weapons and charged the creature, beating back off the deck with pikes and battle-axes. Still thrashing, but with it’s movements starting to slow, the locknest slipped off the deck and sunk into the sea, leaving a stain of blood. As soon as they had made sure the beast was truly gone, they all rushed as one to Ajaxx. Amazingly, he was already standing, and painfully removing his battered armor.
“Very good, men,” he wheezed, “Japheth, report!”
After a head count, Japheth stated, “Lost sixteen men, sir, at least thirty be wounded.”
“How be the Precious?”
Captain Dolter said, “She’ll sail, but there be flooding below, and ‘er rudder’s a bit sticky.”
“Men,” Ajaxx said, “All those who be not wounded, either get to the pumps or be fixing below holes. Captain Dolter.”
“Aye, sir?”
“Get us back on course.”
“Aye, sir.”
As the Dragonsbane Brigade dispersed, Japheth moved forward.
“Ajaxx, be you alright?”
Ajaxx nodded tightly. “Be it only a few cracked ribs and bruises.”
Ajaxx stumped out to where the locknest had come aboard and what was now only shattered railing and warped planking. He stared at the bloodstained deck and then with his left had made a quick gesture, a gestured used by Dragon Masters to curse their enemy.
“Sixteen good men.” Ajaxx sighed, “Megablock.”
Japheth approached from behind.
“Be it might…a warning?” he asked slowly.
“There be no such thing as signs.” snapped Ajaxx, “This be only a roadblock. One on many more to come, perhaps. But I be ready. Bring it on. Ajaxx Dragonsbane be ready.”