A three-mile arc of emerald sea water exploded into white steam.
The first solar lance from the Ashen Sun vanguard tore through the twilight, slamming into the coral reef half a mile south of Kaelen’s iron stele. Shockwaves rippled through the lagoon, shaking the bamboo stalks of the Spirit Vein courtyard.
High above the clouds, Inquisitor Thorne-Crow watched the boiling foam through his scrying prism.
“Stagger the batteries,” Thorne-Crow instructed through the acoustic speaking horn. “Ten minutes between each broadside. Let Captain Yan fire first, then Captain Huo, then Captain Meng.”
Beside him, an imperial censor bowed. “Inquisitor, why not a concentrated barrage? Twelve warships could level that reef in five minutes.”
“Because Kaelen Vance is a creature of burst momentum,” Thorne-Crow replied, his voice thin as a razor. “The Censorate records from his home barony are consistent. When cornered, he releases an explosive surge of strength, shatters his opponents, and then retreats into long dormancy.”
The Inquisitor leaned against the iron rail of his flagship, his black feathers rustling in the high wind.
“He wants us to charge so he can spend his reserve,” Thorne-Crow continued. “Therefore, we will do the opposite. We will poke him with bait. We will rattle his windows and chip his reef until his patience breaks.”
