A sample from DISHONORED: THE SONG OF VENGEANCE

Here is a sample from the first draft of the 25th chapter of Dishonored: The Song of Vengeance. Since it’s a snippet from one of the final chapters (there are 29 chapters in all) I am careful not to share something that might be too spoilery. This is just the beginning of the chapter, and I’m ending it before it gives too much away…

Mayhem ensued.  Try as they might, their smaller ship could not outrun The Conqueror, and the mighty pirate ship was closing fast. “Ready the firebombs!” Tesuka ordered. “Aim for the great sail; if nothing else, it’ll slow them down trying to steer clear!” The crew moved hurriedly about the deck, leaving Lin feeling in the way no matter where he stood.

“What can I do?” Lin asked the captain.

“You can get to the firebomb station and help them ready the weapons.” Tesuka said without hesitation. She shoved him in the direction of the station, located in the aft-end of the ship, and off her went with Aruwa following.

“Here!” the pirate said upon their approach. He pointed to a large drum of oil and a ladle lying beside it. “Fill these up.” He handed a large, round orb to him, cut with a hole in the top. After Aruwa filled it, the pirate capped the hole with a plug affixed to a long fuse. “Stick it there with the rest. We can’t fire till they’re close enough for the catapult to reach them.”

“Amazing…” Lin said, unable to help himself. He had noticed the small projectile-throwing mechanism previously but did not know its purpose. Despite the circumstances, he couldn’t resist the feeling of excitement at seeing it in action.

Soon after, he had his wish. A large splash in the waters beside them signaled a miss from the approaching ship. “Ready!” Tesuka shouted from the middle of the deck. The Conqueror was lumbering ever closer, taking a position alongside The Song of Vengeance.

“They mean to board!” someone shouted, observing the movements of the larger ship.

“FIRE!” Tesuka ordered.

The pirate next to Lin was already ready: He had the oil-filled orb loaded on the catapult and lit the fuse. The spark raced down the small rope (which had been greased by oil), ready to ignite and explode within seconds. Quickly he launched the firebomb, which collided against the side of the ship, doing a moderate amount of damage, but not enough to deter it.

“A hit!” Lin said, excitedly.

“Not a direct one…” the pirate grumbled, grabbing another. “Gotta hit the sails, or the people; that’d be a bonus. Fill up more of them while I fire again.”

“Fire!” Tesuka ordered again and, again, another firebomb was launched, This one struck the deck of the ship, sending a spray of oily flames in all directions. It did not impede the crew, however. Soon, The Conqueror had matched their speed and their boarding party were readying grappling hooks, bridges, and even were prepared to leap across the narrow gap between them.

“Hard to starboard!” Hoshi demanded to the helmsmen, hoping to veer their ship away from the intended invaders.

“No! To the port!” Tesuka countered. “Ram them!” The order was obeyed instantly, driving the ship harder into the larger vessel. This had the initial effect of crushing many would-be invaders who were hanging off the side of their ship, trying to climb aboard. On the other hand, before they could peel their ship away from The Conqueror, several leapt onto the deck of their ship.

Swords were drawn and the melee was underway. Lin watched from the back, working quickly to load oil into the firebombs, when a single invading pirate caught his eye. He was just one of nine or ten who leapt over to the deck but his gaunt face, patchy beard, and thick head of brown hair immediately brought to mind the man who needlessly and mercilessly murdered his…

Only a few chapters to go. I hope to have it done in a couple weeks. After that, I’m going to take a month or so off to work on my Jeremiah/Lamentations commentary, and then I’ll pick up with my next fictional book, which will probably not be Dishonored 5 (The Last Son of Yumea). I’ll save that one for later. I’ve got a trio of other stories I’ve been itching to tell, a pair of horror books and a sci-fi novel. So I have four books to choose from. I’ll do two of the new ones, and Dishonored 5 next, and that will take me through the end of 2022.

But who knows!