The Lives of Velnin chapter 28

The Battle of Soppressatas

Jun 14, 2025

Our 380 galleys had backed up deep into the Strait of Soppressatas, almost to the beaches of the island. The Dark Empire's forces had followed, line after line of ships filling the strait with their numbers. Now, our crescent of ships charged forward, currentmakers triggering all at once to slam into the front line of enemies with a vicious crunch.

The underwater iron beaks upon our prows penetrated the enemy galleys, smashing their timbers and ripping open their sides. Some cracked in half entirely. Some listed and toppled as our ships rowed away. Some remained intact, and faced our boarding soldiers leaping onto the decks, thrusting their spears into their commanders and throwing enemy sailors into the waters to drown.

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My target bounced off, listing with a hole in its side but still intact. Panicked officers began yelling commands, and it began to row away, back into Soraina's battle lines. My ship gave chase. As we pursued, one of the Imperial ships rowing into the battle blocked our target's way, and it rammed it in the side, sinking its allied vessel in its haste to escape, and continued running. I saw Soraina jump out of her seat on the hill above as this happened. I grinned. Two enemy ships for the price of one: one ship down, one fled.

We rowed back towards the shallows of the island, the plan of battle to keep the fighting near friendly shores among allied ships. For my third ship, we pulled alongside a fresh Imperial ship as it weaved between its damaged fellows, attempting to join the fray. We threw our grapples and I leapt aboard with the troops, my spear taking their captain through the throat as we fought to capture. I kicked a sailor over the side and drew sword, and soon the ship was ours. I left enough troops onboard to shepherd the ship to our island to be filled with our own men, reboarded my ship, and fought on.

My fourth enemy ship sunk to smash its side by our iron beak as we fired our currentmaker, by now recharged for a second strike.

My fifth, we once again grappled and boarded. I left half my remaining boarders to shepherd it to shore. As I reboarded my ship and we rowed back into the fray, an Imperial ship caught us in the side with its own ram. We rapidly took on water and began listing, soon to sink.

An allied ship pulled by, smashed the Imperial ship in the side propelled by a blast from its currentmaker, and sunk it. We leapt aboard, boarding troops, sailors, and rowers, grabbing whatever weapons they could scrounge and preparing to be used as boarding troops for the next Imperial we encountered.

Soon the ship I was aboard pulled next to another Imperial. We grappled and leapt aboard. Belaying pins, ropes, and planks joined the swords and spears of our boarding troops. We won the boarding battle, scrounged the enemy weapons to arm our rowers and sailors as boarders, and brought the ship back into the fray, to attack its fellow Imperials. Six enemies down.

The Imperial ship lacked the ramming power and currentmaker of our own, but was light, fast, and maneuverable. We pulled alongside another Imperial ship that failed to try to evade until we were grappling it, likely thinking our ship friendly. Charging in behind our heavily armored boarding specialists, our sailors and rowers turned boarders armed spear and sword did well. Seven enemy ships down.

Ship after ship of the Dark Empire went down as the day wore on. While our side, too, took losses, our ship count hardly went down as enemy ships taken by our boarding parties were taken over by our crews.

Fundamentally, the Dark Empire's side never recovered from our initial charge. We had crippled their frontline in one blow, at which point our undamaged ships near the island shores vastly outnumbered theirs. Their great reserves of fresh ships counted for naught, as their fresh ships would continually get snarled with retreating Imperial ships while rushing in, then, after weaving in between all the damaged vessels of their side to face us, would face two or more of our undamaged ships, ramming them with our underwater iron beaks or sending boarding parties to kill their officers.

By the time the sun passed its high mark in the sky, it was clear the Imperial fleet was getting nowhere other than sunk and captured. Soraina, on the hill above, waved a flag. On cue, the ships of the Dark Empire stopped rushing in and fighting. As one, those who could rowed back towards the mouth of the strait. We chased down those listing and damaged, and captured what we could as they exited.

We spent the afternoon dragging derelict ships to shore, planning to repair what we could to bolster our fleet. Our losses of men had been few, with those upon sinking ships having swum back to the shore of the island, then been given new ships from among those our boarding parties had captured. Once repairs were complete, our captured ships would more than make up with those of ours that had been sunk.

The cleanup efforts complete, the captains met once more. Flush with victory and with their blood up, many called for us to pursue Soraina's fleet all the way back to Mermaid's Point, and destroy her bridge of ships. I counselled restraint.

"If we destroy Soraina's bridge of ships," I argued, "her army will not be able to retreat back to the Dark Empire. What, then, will it do? She will have no choice but to attack all nearby kingdoms, capture their food supplies, and conquer. No—better to hang back, repair our fleets, and threaten to interdict her supply ships. She will be forced to retreat from the mere threat of us cutting her off."

Now, the captains who had earlier been so gung-ho to flee back to their own kingdoms lent their voices in support. My opinion carried the day. Relieved, I went to my tent and once more wrote Soraina a letter.

My dearest Soraina,
My condolences upon the battle. Your forces fought with courage and might, but lacked discipline—which I know must disappoint you. Seeing your beautiful countenance watching the battle from above inspired me, and surely my men, to show our best face and the strength of our kingdoms.
I have convinced the other captains to hang back and neither immediately pursue your fleet nor attack your bridge of ships, giving you ample time to make your way home to the Dark Empire in peace. I will miss you, and remember our moments together with great fondness, but know you must do what is best for your people.
With the warmest love,
Vel

Once more I copied it in triplicate, sealed the copies in Soraina's magitech envelopes, openable only by her without self-immolating, and sent them off with a trusted retainer.

Over the next days as we repaired ships, word came that the Dark Empire's army was indeed packing off and marching out. The patrols on the shore disappeared, and the enemy army gradually made its way towards Mermaid's Point. As the enemy exited the borders of Tarmel, we returned both our men and women to the kingdom. The capital lay in ruins and rubble and the countryside lay burned, wasted, and picked clean. But with the gold we had captured from the enemy's ships and with our fleet, we would buy food from abroad and ship it in until the next harvest. We set ourselves to first rebuilding the walls of the capital, then rebuilding the rest.

Some days later I received a letter. It was marked:

From Soraina, the Dark Empress.
To Prince Vel of Tarmel.

To my surprise, it was sealed in one of my own envelopes, that would self-immolate if opened without a touch from my thumb. No doubt looted from the palace when Soraina burned the capital. I wonder what else she took? I opened it and read.

My dearest Vel,
Your sudden thrust deep within the narrow channel below drew smiles and gasps from me watching above.
I remain in need of a consort. Your knightly chivalry by my side would be a knightly pleasure! Please be advised, however, that no political concessions are on offer in return—I wish our give and take back and forth to be at a purely personal level.
Thank you for dissuading further immediate fleet action from your allies. I plan to take the opportunity to return most of my army to the Dark Empire while my bridge of ships stands.
I am leaving my most treacherous general and the troops most loyal to him behind, with instructions to seek an alliance from Tarmel only—no other kingdom—and seek fealty or conquest from what territories he may. However you deal with him, please watch your back!
I enjoyed our dance of thrusts, and desire to do it again next time we are near one another. Don't be a stranger.
With the utmost affection,
Soraina

I grinned as I read it and felt myself blush a deep red, all the way to my ears. This girl... I found her offer sorely tempting. Yes, I would be proposing to Aloree as soon as we could wipe out Soraina's remaining troops, and yes, my father would never agree to marry me off with nothing in return for the kingdom. But still, it was nice to have options.

I took a deep breath. The war wasn't over yet. Time to talk to my father, gather the armies of our allies, and fight this last bunch left near our territory—assuming we weren't such fools as to take the alliance instead.

Brian Heming - author and pulp fiction fan

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