Chereads / XIEEIEKR / Chapter 288 - 37

Chapter 288 - 37

You merely nod to the icon; an offering would be inappropriate.

Around you, other citizens leave their coins before Vhyrian, reaching their hands down to the mound and then rising again, all with a pronounced formality. The mystics in the corners of the temple watch them closely, to see that their motions do not fall out of line with those proscribed for proper worship. It is said there are forbidden gestures that lead the way to magic; and for this reason, worship is not allowed beyond their gaze.

You join the fleet then, as the light minnows are set on their course to meet the coming Minodians.

The navigator meets you in a tiny cabin, where sea maps are unfurled across the table. "We have three options for confronting the Minodians," she explains. She points first to a wide-open area in the Bay of Vhyr. "If we wait here, we can confront them in the open water. We will outpace them for sure."

Next, she points to a narrower passage, leading directly into the bay. "But they will first pass through the Strait of Aphanax—if we wait for them in the strait, we could use our familiarity with the terrain to our advantage, but there would be no way to avoid contact entirely."

Finally, the navigator points to a small tunnellike opening in the side of the narrow passage. "The third option is to lie in wait for them in a cave. This one lies within the Strait of Aphanax itself. If we hide our ships in it, we could quickly deploy our vessels into the strait and take the enemy by surprise." You decide…