David Gemmell - Echoes of the Great Song

'No. Remain here. If we can, we must carry the Sunfire clear. It is too valuable to be lost in only one action.'

Ro crouched down behind the sights. Once we were truly gods, he thought. We strode the earth like giants.

We brought law and knowledge to primitive peoples. We taught them the secrets of agriculture and building.

And we made them slaves…

The first of the golden ships was slowly moving into his line of fire.

Slaves. In doing so we made slaves of ourselves, he thought. Slaves to tradition, slaves to our past.

Ro pulled the firing lever.

Nothing happened. He swore softly, his fingers flicking open the control chest. One of the crystals had slipped from its niche. He pushed it back and closed the lid. The first ship had moved on, but a second was closing. A series of dull thumping sounds came from outside, followed by a whooshing of disturbed air. Then three powerful explosions rocked the foundations of the building.

'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.

As the first of them reached the dock Rael led his fifty Avatars from hiding. Swiftly they formed a fighting line and zhi-bolts slammed into the gathering enemy soldiers. Scores died, but the survivors, with great discipline, did not panic. Instead they raised their black clubs to their shoulders. The sound of thunder followed.

More than half Rael's men were punched from their feet. From further along the dock the 200 Vagars emerged and charged the attackers. It seemed to Rael that their fire-clubs were suddenly useless, and only sporadic shots followed. Vagar swordsmen hacked and cut their way through the enemy ranks. Rael yelled to his remaining archers: 'The openings! Aim for the openings!' Lifting his zhi-bow he sent a flashing bolt through the first of the gangplank doors. It exploded within, creating a burst of bright light and flame. Bolt after bolt followed. Fire sprang up within the ship.

On the dockside the Vagars in their armour of iron continued their advance. The golden ship drew back.

Soldiers still on the gangplanks toppled into the bay. The fighting on the dockside was fierce now. More than a hundred of the copper-skinned warriors had made it to the shore, but they were heavily outnumbered and fighting for their lives. Casting aside their fire-clubs they drew daggers or short swords. But they were no match for the heavily armoured Vagars.

As the ship pulled away a ball of fire whooshed from it. Rael saw it. 'Get back!' he shouted to his Vagars.

No-one heard him above the battle clamour. The fireball exploded in the midst of the fighting men. Scores on both sides died instantly, their clothing aflame, their limbs torn from their bodies. Others began to writhe in agony on the dockside, hair and skin on fire.

Panic-stricken, the surviving Vagars ran back. Almec soldiers leapt into the sea and tried to swim towards the ship.

Rael pulled his Avatars back to the alley. Flames were flickering inside the golden ship, but these were soon snuffed out.

Turning to his men he took ten of them and smashed the door to the warehouse that backed onto the alley.

Once inside he ran to the stairs, climbing up to the roof and emerging high above the dock. The golden ship was approaching again. A fireball sailed over the dock. The roof of the next building exploded. Rael began to count, slowly and evenly. As he reached fifteen a second ball hissed overhead, falling behind the building.

'On my mark shoot at the mouth of the fire weapon!' he ordered his men.

Running to the edge of the roof they aimed their bows. Rael counted slowly to ten then loosed a bolt which struck the long bronze tube jutting from the forward deck. Light blazed, but there was no damage to the weapon.