exploded. Minutes into the attack the streets were filled with people scrambling for any cover they could find from the deadly rain.
The floating Man-o-wars continued southeast across the city in a line strafing everything in their path. Buildings exploded. Many already had been leveled and more burned. The King's soldiers patrolling the streets tried to fire crossbows back at their attackers with little effect. The ships were simply too high up.
Ethan, Isaiah and Seth ran back through the Temple. At least one of the ships had remained overhead trying to pummel Shaddai's Wayland Temple into dust. Shockwaves rattled the entire structure as plaster and glass shot away from walls.
Deeper and deeper into the Temple they ran, trying to escape the onslaught from above. 'If we stay in here we'll all be killed,' Isaiah said.
'I think that's the idea,' Seth said as he followed down one of the broad staircases. The priests were running about like ants, trying to save themselves, but no one really knew where safety could be found.
'We've got to stop those ships,' Ethan said. 'I can go on my own faster.'
Isaiah looked reluctant to separate, but conceded, finally, as another blast shook the building. 'Watch over him, Seth,' Ethan said.
Seth nodded. 'Hurry, but stay safe.'
Ethan shifted out of physical sight and launched out of the Temple through the crumbling walls into the sky, heading for the ship circling above them. As soon as he reached the ship, a pack of demons came upon him.
Ethan defended himself, dispatched three of the malevolent spirits, then dropped back into the physical world out of their sight, landing on the deck. Immediately, a dozen hybrid soldiers descended upon him from the rigging while others continued their work bombing the city below.
He took his sword, procured from the armory of Wayland's Temple and struck down the first two with little trouble. With the hybrids vital organ strikes yielded faster results. Even hybrids still had to walk in physical bodies. As soon as the third hybrid was struck through the heart, Ethan tried to slash some of the lines connecting the ship to its balloons.
Fire bellowed hot air into sail cloth from coal stoves below. Ethan had seen leaves catch the wind from a fire and shoot into the air high above the flames. He'd also heard Mr. Howinger speak of birds riding currents of hot air and supposed this must be based upon the same thing. If he could only cut the ship free from the rigging nets, it would plummet out of the sky and be smashed to pieces on the streets of Evelah below. Not a pleasant prospect for the citizens beneath them, but better than bombed to death from above.
Ethan struck the ropes and saw the hemp lines scrape away, revealing metal cables beneath. No wonder these can hold an entire Man-o-war aloft! He tried again, but his sword only bounced away. 'Great!' he said, then shifted to the spiritual plane. He'd seen the demons searching, but he had no choice. As soon as he became visible to them again they surged toward him with their weapons ready.
Ethan pulled his ethereal sword and whipped it fast into the cable. It cut through the cable like it wasn't even there. The Man-o-war buckled as the support gave way. The demons attacked and Ethan had to shift back to the physical in time to escape them again. He leaped past more hybrid soldiers then shifted again and cut another support.
Over and over again he played the mouse to many cats until the entire stern section fell away from its support balloon. The bow section couldn't maintain the full weight of the ship and snapped. Ethan, still in the physical, fell with the ship as it plummeted. The Man-o-war dropped vertically into one of the larger buildings in the city.
One of the hybrids grabbed him, looking for anything to hold onto as they fell. The impact threw them apart as the entire deck shattered next to them. Ethan managed to shift again while the hybrid fell away into the storm of fragmented lumber exploding all around them. One ship down, too many more to go.
AHOY!
Levi twisted the fuses tight and linked them securely with the roll of fuse material in his hand. He ran back toward the main gate of Evelah as some of the king's soldiers waved him on hurriedly. 'We've not got all day!' they shouted, impatient to have the walls secure well before the arrival of Mordred's army.
The spool unwound in his hand as he jogged back toward the waiting guards. Levi watched carefully as the gate was lowered down into position again, wanting to be sure that the gate didn't actually cut the line. It seemed all right. The guards did not wait to see any of Levi's further preparations. They shot up the stone stairway leading to the top of the wall. Every man that could be mustered to the city's defense had been called to service by Stephen in the hours following the news of the coming siege.
Men were still coming from villages and towns nearby, while couriers had been sent on horseback with the hope of rounding up as many more as possible. According to Wayland Law, every able bodied male above the age of fifteen was required to answer the King's summons to war. The penalty for not doing so was death.
As Levi came back within the city, he noticed one small barrel of gunpowder still left unused. He'd begun with nearly fifty barrels, but had put them to good use both outside the wall and before the king's palace. He picked up the last with a smile. 'You look lonely, little fella. I'll have to find a job for you.'
He noticed a large group of priests marching toward the palace down the main road. They were all wearing the light armor worn by Wayland's Order and carrying various weapons with them. He ran from the wall to intercept them.
'Hello, men! where are you all going?' Levi asked as he caught up with the last of the group. A few of the last in the line paused to answer him.
'We've been conscripted by King Stephen as his personal guard,' one of them said.
'Personal guard?' Levi asked. 'Why in the world would The Order of Shaddai be operating in that capacity? I thought your first business was protecting Shaddai's Word and the Temple?'
'It's been a longstanding agreement with the Royal House,' another said. 'Besides, who would you rather have guarding you, the King's soldiers or the priests of Shaddai?'
Levi smiled. 'You've got a point. Mind if I tag along? I'd like to talk to King Stephen anyway.'
The priests waved him on as they jogged to catch up. As they passed the courtyard sitting before the palace, the same where Evelah's citizens had been gathered in order to receive the King's proclamation earlier, Levi observed the mounds of freshly dug earth at various intervals in the lush green lawn. He imagined the Royal Groundskeeper cursing whoever had dug so many holes and refilled them on his once beautiful lawn. Still, those holes might well save many lives before this was all over. Levi found it easy not to feel guilty about it.
As they began to pass beneath the portcullis, Levi heard a massive explosion behind them. He and the other men turned toward the Temple, finding a mushroom of smoke rising off the side of the building. Even more startling than the explosion was what had caused it to happen.
In the sky above the Wayland Temple, just now coming into the city, were at least two dozen of Mordred's Man-o-war battleships sailing through the air. Levi's mouth dropped open.
'What in the world are they?' yelled one of the priests standing next to Levi.
Levi could only stare in astonishment. 'I've no idea. Never have I seen their like.'
More explosions erupted both at the Temple and within the city. In moments the sounds of panic and screaming had reached their ears at the palace. 'They're dropping grenades on the city,' Levi said. 'They could practically level Evelah before Mordred ever shows up!'
'We've got to stop them,' one of the priests said.
'No!' said the priest in charge. 'Our place is with the King. He needs our protection.' He motioned to the others and began issuing commands.
'Wait!' Levi pleaded. 'Are there any cannon we can use here at the palace?'
'Not with enough range to reach those things as high up as they are,' said one of the priests who had straggled behind the main group. Most of the priests had already fallen in line behind the ranking priest in order to protect King Stephen inside his palace. 'But I think I know of something kept within the King's Museum of Science that might help us.'
Levi followed the two priests whom the leader had grudgingly allowed to stay behind. They led Levi deep into
