As midnight approached, the Deev finished preparing the three skiffs. A shallow fog had encroached upon the bay, much to the delight of Colonel Taois. It clung to a height of about four feet from the surface of the water, completely engulfing the small boats with the exception of their masts.

The colonel realized that two more warriors were necessary to his mission. With the lack of visibility at sea level, due to the fog, it was necessary for each boat to have a beast elevated above the mist to guide the small boats on their journey, as well as the two oar-beasts each skiff contained. The colonel discussed this with Captain Mobus who was concerned that the remaining crew of the Windspirit, now a mere eight Minge, would be sufficient to make the maneuvers necessary to break the blockade.

Taois addressed his concern.
"Leave the docks in about two hours and make your way to within half a mile of the blockade. Lower sails and make anchorage about halfway, in the center of the strait. There will be no haste necessary, nor will any ships be available to pursue you, they will be busy fighting the blazes and saving themselves. The king's frigates are at least a hundred-fifty yards apart, so there will be plenty of room after we cut the ropes connecting them. When the blaze is in full fury, raise sails and glide through, it should be child's play.

"Take care that no hot embers from the burning ships ignite the Spirit. If everyone does their job, eight crew will be more than sufficient. You will be halfway to Port Saud with your Minge and the Rubitar before anyone even launches a pursuit and by that time it will be far to late for them. Are we clear?"

"Yes Colonel, we will do exactly as ordered."

"Good, my squad leaves now." He turned on his heels and climbed aboard the lead skiff.

When they had pushed off, Mobus looked at them a while. The fog rode high, completely concealing the small black craft. In each of the boats, a single beast stood, guiding their progress as the muffled oars pushed them outward. With the evening fog rising almost to the guide-beasts shoulders, it appeared to Mobus that three disincorporated heads were floating magically toward the distant harbor entrance. He turned and joined in the preparations for his own departure.

The moonless sky was brilliant with stars in the coal-black night. On board the Wyth, the frigate closest to the southern shore of the inlet, Jeth Carnn was standing the midwatch, from midnight to six in the morning. He and Calver Roe, who watched to the seaward side, were the only two men awake. The remainder of the crew slept soundly below deck.

The eight ships of the blockade, each lit by three lanterns, one fore, one aft, and one amidships bobbed gently on the rising tide. Jeth looked toward the town, lit with flickering street lamps. Some buildings emitted the gentle luminance of candlelight, but for the most part the wharf and docks were dark and quiet. The young sailor marveled at the low soft layer of fog enshrouding the harbor like a soft blanket pulled snugly over its body.

Below this seemingly innocent cover of mist, three small boats made their way silently toward the blockade. The going had been slow for the Minge, diligently utilizing the muffled oars to best effect. It was past two in the morning now and almost all seaborne traffic was complete. The few boats, mainly shrimpers and squid fishers had left the harbor hours earlier and would not return till well after dawn.

Colonel Taois had instructed the boats target the first, fourth, and sixth ships of the blockade and then work north along the line until all were set afire. At about two-thirty, still undetected, the three boats of Deev arrived at their targets.

The ships were very lightly stocked and held minimum crew. They rode high in the water. The hulls of the ships curved up and out, so when the Deev secured their skiffs, they could not be seen by anybeast looking over the deck due to the curvature of the ships body. Almost immediately the three saboteurs on board the boats dunked their mops into the sticky mixture of jellied oil and began to coat a thick swatch of the highly flammable material just above the waterline and around the hull, pulling themselves slowly in a circle around the body of the ship by dragging themselves along with small hooks.

On the deck of the Wyth, Jeth could hear an odd scratching sound that seemed to come from the hull. He peered over the edge but saw nothing. There was an odd yet familiar smell in the air, faint, yet obvious. He was perplexed. He called over the deck to Calver.

"Can you smell that?"

"I can," Calver answered, "probably from town. Whenever there's fog, smells travel."

"You're probably right. It's just new to me."

"Don't fret, I'll go check below decks, it smells kinda like a lamp busted, oily...ya know? Wouldn't want no fire starting below decks, that would mess up our night something awful," Calver said as he headed down a hatch to make his inspection.

"You're right about that," Jeth muttered to himself, "we sure don't wanna burn on a pretty night like this."

It took about fifteen minutes for the Deev to apply the oil compound to their satisfaction. As they prepared to make for the second target, Taois lit a small torch and applied it to the Wyth's hull. Slowly, but relentlessly, the flames spread along the underside of the ship, reaching upward. As the Deev moved off, they could see not only the inexorable spread of flames up the sides of the ship they just left, but the warm, growing orange glow further down the line where their comrades had accomplished the same task on their assigned vessels.

Jeth saw the flames before he felt any heat. Momentary panic was replaced by training. He ran to the ships bell and frantically began ringing it while yelling "Fire!" at the top of his lungs. By the time the first of the formerly sleeping crew made it above decks, the flames were encompassing the entire outer perimeter of the ship. Buckets were manned, but because the flames shot up over the sides, is was nearly impossible to lower them into the water.

Men began to panic and a few jumped into the harbor, having determined that fighting the increasingly violent conflagration was futile.

Jeth tried beating the flames out with a damp blanket to little avail. He looked forward towards the next ship in the line. It too, had begun to burn and farther down the line, bright flickering light indicated that one by one, all the ships of the blockade were succumbing to the same fate. He had little time to consider the implications of his discovery. The furled canvas had ignited, triggering an immediate burst of flame which encompassed the three large masts.

Calver rushed to his side.
"I think she's lost!" he shouted, "The captain has ordered 'abandon ship'. There's nothing else we can do, come on....it's over."

Jeth looked around. Flames were everywhere, riding up the masts, shooting up through the hatches, crawling along the deck. The heat was becoming unbearable. The hair on Jeth's face and head began to singe, the pungent smell overpowering his senses.

Screams emanated from below the decks from those poor souls who had not reacted quickly enough. The screaming ceased, replaced by the crackling of the fire and the noise of objects striking the deck from high above. Jeth swallowed hard and ran to the rail, jumping through a wall of flame and into the cool comfort of the foggy bay below.

By five A.M., all of the ships of the blockade line were ablaze and lighting the sky. Alarm bells were being rung at the distant waterfront and dories, catboats, and skiffs were departing the docks to rescue any survivors who could tread water long enough to be reached by the small flotilla. The water-bound survivors of the fiery fleet closest to shore, swam as best they could for the safety of the opposing banks of the inlet. Those in the center of the channel and those who could not swim, clung to floating debris which continued raining down from the now slowly sinking ships.

Halfway between the wharf and the blazing hulks, the Windspirit and its Deev crew hoisted sail and rode the wind toward the crumbling blockade.

Colonel Taois and his three boats of saboteurs looked back at their night's work in satisfaction. Dumping the empty containers which had held the oil overboard, they untied the rags from their oars and quickly made for the far side of the harbor, away from the commotion and confusion which was spreading along the waterfront.

Dawn was beginning to make its presence known in the dull violet glow of the awakening horizon as the three skiffs beached and the satisfied creatures in them tread wearily over the strand of crushed shells on their way to the city exits, and from there, onward to Port Saud.

Robbi was awakened from her sleep by the din of alarm bells and the sound of desperate shouts coming from the streets of Seth-e-Raman. Dressing quickly she rushed to her chamber door to exit. Vattus was awaiting her on the other side.

"The Deev have made their move! Come, there is little time," he said urgently, grabbing Robbi's arm and pulling her along.

"Where are we going?" the small rat asked in confusion.

"King Sigus has arranged for a carriage and his swiftest pullers to take us to the far side of the harbor."

"Why?"

"The Deev boat has not yet reached the blockade."

Robbi, unaware of the night's occurrence, didn't understand.
"Won't the ships at the harbor mouth stop them?" she asked.

"They are no more. They are being consumed by flames as we speak."

"What can we do?" Robbi said breathlessly, running in Vattus' wake toward the palace entrance.

"I will tell you once we are in the carriage, for now, just follow and be swift."

The two wizards hurried through the palace entrance toward the awaiting vehicle. Four strong deer, in service to the king waited anxiously, ready to pull the carriage at full gallop to the chosen destination. Robbi entered the carriage while Vattus spoke to the leader of the pulling team. When he had seated himself next to the white rat, he tapped loudly on the interior of the roof and they took off at full speed down the bumpy cobbled street.

"Where are we going?" Robbi asked sleepily, looking out the window. The sun had not yet risen, but the sky over the harbor glowed orange. Bells were ringing throughout the town, and everywhere, flurries of activity, unusual for this early hour, could be seen.

Vattus answered without turning his head. There was a grim look upon his face.
"We are going to the lighthouse, overlooking the inlet to the harbor." He answered.

"Why?" Robbi asked.

Vattus stared forward, deep in concentration.
"The blockade is in flames. It can only be the Deev trying to escape with the Rubitar. I believe they are making a run for the inlet. We must try to stop them. We cannot allow the Rubitar to fall in Azmeritus' paws, if it does, what small chance we have to stop him will vanish."

"The lighthouse is half a mile from the center of the inlet," Robbi protested, "how can we stop them?"

Vattus managed a small smile, "Do you remember the exercise I have been making you practice?"

"The shield you have me conjure?"

"Exactly," Vattus affirmed, "I will need you to use every bit of your power to conjure a field to try and slow their progress."

"What good would that do, even if I can do it?"

"It will buy me time to incant a spell. The Rubitar is close enough for me to use, but barely. I need you to impede the ship's progress to keep the Rubitar in range as long as possible."

"What spell?"

"One of the 'elemental' class. If the Rubitar is close enough, there is a chance I can do it."

Robbi's jaw dropped. There are many levels of spells and magic, the two most powerful being those spells called 'elemental' and those called 'transformative'.

Elemental spells are those which directly affect the natural elements, earth, water, fire, or air. It is with these spells that weather is controlled by the Council of Wizards. These spells almost always require a group of wizards with the Rubitar in close proximity, usually at the center of the group. Rarely, if ever, can a single wizard perform an 'elemental' spell.

Khalis, who was the purest and most powerful of the original wizards, had conjured storms on her own, but the Rubitar was within arm's length when she did. Vattus, who was further removed from the initial wizard line and slightly less pure, had never tried. He was far and away the most skilled wizard in Arishamal and the most disciplined, but these spells required more than skill and knowledge. Robbi was the purest wizard, the purest in many generations, but she was still a novice, still learning to manage her power, so she would be of no great help in that particular spell and she knew it. A look of concern colored her face.

"Is that even possible? Can you cast an elemental spell with the Rubitar so far away?" she asked.

Vattus managed an optimistic smile.
"I suppose we'll find out," he said bluntly, "if I can't, we'll have to hope we can somehow stop the ship some other way, but I don't see how. The Deev will be well gone before we can organize a pursuit."

Robbi remained silent and looked up at her erstwhile father with a mixture of love and awe. If anyone could do it, she thought, it was he.