.jpg "Pariah’s Lament Of Metal and Magic Core Series Richie Billing Genre: Epic Fantasy Publisher: Of Metal And Magic Publishing Date of Publication: 17/03/2023 ISBN: 1838400915 ASIN: B09H7RYS5D Number of pages: 423 Word Count: Approx. 110,000 Cover Artist: 100 Covers Tagline: \"So often it's the forgotten who possess the power to change the world.\"")
Excerpt:
Like a flock of dive-bombing gulls, the great stones
of the Yurrish trebuchets and catapults twisted and turned in the air. One
jagged chunk struck the bow of a Karraban galley and splinters and shards burst
forth to a chorus of cracks and screams. Another great boulder obliterated the
masthead of a nearby ship, hurling those upon the deck overboard.
More missed than struck. The yellow tide did not falter.Driven forward by oars, the Karraban fleet ate up the
water, moving in a diagonal line. The trebuchets were taking an age to reload.
From his vantage point, Jem could see those on the quay hurrying to winch back
the catapults. At the sound of a frantic horn, the arms of the catapults were
unleashed and clusters of iron balls, stones and rocks rained down on those
ships leading the Karraban charge, puncturing hulls, sails and decks.Still they came.
The trebuchets, ranges adjusted, loosed again and once
more struck a destructive blow. The Karrabans still persisted. Yurrish archers
upon the quay walls unleashed their first volley. Unfortunate rowers upon the
open decks screamed, and the momentum of a number of ships waned, oars falling
slack or tangling with others. One talented, or lucky, archer struck a helmsman
and the galley veered into another, scraping its side and snapping its oars,
and, no doubt, the arms of a few oarsmen too.The Karrabans answered with arrows of their own, their
archers placed in crow’s nests and platforms built amongst the rigging. The air
quickly grew thick with darts. The persistent shouts and cries of men were
incrementally drowned out by the great crashes of stone against wood as the
loads of catapults and trebuchets fell. The frenetic scene around the quay wall
absorbed Jem’s attention. Creeping into the top of his vision, looming behind
the chaos, came the first of the great galleons. Its rowers slowed, turned portside,
level with the quay gate."Sir, the galleon carries the thunder. You must
stop it!" Jem shouted.Gundar looked to where he pointed and nodded. He
dispatched messengers to the quay and artillery stations. Jem spotted hatches
opening on the portside of the ship. Catapults continued to fire at the
galleys, though some quick-thinking engineers had turned their aim to the
galleon.Their loads fell short. The trebuchets were still
reloading. They were the only ones who had a hope of hitting it, if any of
their operators had the presence of mind to know where to aim.One by one, their great wooden arms swung forwards.
Huge rocks hung in the air like eagles.Everyone upon the wall had their eyes upon them,
hoping they struck, willing them to do so, and despairing as they watched each
one splash harmlessly into the water.
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