The BloodAxe ship's sails waved about like the plums of great birds floating on the water, deceptively nonthreatening. But Markus made no mistake, the city before them was gearing up for a battle. Luckily, they had the drop on them, and they had experienced sailors and soldiers. There would be a stark shortage of such experience on the Dalib Saharan side. 

Sketti was screaming to the new recruits, many of them having just left the city they were now about to ransack. Hastily they rushed to the [i]Weather Witches[/i] guns, eight and twelve pounders. Eights atop and Twelves on the next level down. But while those were for the battle, Calliope was the shock and awe that kicked everything off. 

The Blademage was deadly with both spell and sword, but he didn't have the raw power or repertoire that his first made did. Usually she would delve into her spellbook, but it seems she had taken this attack personally and had pre-prepared a devastating spell. Even the Captain felt a weight of despair when she began to speak in the Language of the Ancients; a harsh tongue of worlds past that blackened the very hearts of all who heard it uttered. 

Her body was suddenly lifted up as if some great force clutched her, head and arms falling back to hang limply as the darkness coalesced around her lower body until the power climaxed, shadows of flame leaping from her eyes and mouth like fireworks to spin and whirl into the air before slamming into the ocean surface less than a mile away. The sorceress floated there in power, watching the water with eyes aglow. 

Suddenly, a placement of water lost its very form and sank into nothingness to leave but a void. There was something intensely [i]wrong[/i] about that very image, though it did not last long. An incredible roar echoed forth and fiery tentacles thrice as thick as mainmast burst forth, each becoming a tornado of flame and shadow that cared not it was spinning over an ocean, growing in power and momentum as they hurtled toward the enemy fleet. 

The BloodAxes cried out in surprise and fear, but it was nothing like the faint echoes of screams and supplication that erupted from the enemy navy. Markus wouldn't forget hearing them immediately silence once the tornadoes reached their ships, and though half the navy was now being torn apart by eldritch wind and flame, there was still a few ships left to fend that had taken up their anchors quicker than the others. Luckily, the BloodAxes smelled fresh blood in the water, and their ships cordoned off to go after the demoralized ships that now pushed forward away from the devastation. 

Calliope slowly drew downwards to stumble on deck, nose bleeding. Markus caught her from falling, and helped her to her feet, wiping her nose with a cloth and tossing it away in the wind. The sorceress snarled at the ships as they continued to burn, and Markus smirked. 

"On to the city!" He cried to the others, and they cheered. 
[@Penny]