450 State of Panic (1/2)
The Old World, Iron Kingdom Border, Mountain Fort Bast
Steam whistles shrilled long and sharply, more than enough to wake the dead inside the Fort which was carved out from the side and peaks of the mountain range. The frightened lookout who saw the dark red dots appearing out of the clouds jerked the lanyard to the steam whistle in panic.
The Fort Commodore was enjoying tea with the other senior officers in the tea room which was built into the side of the mountain, which had floor to ceiling crystal windows allow natural light to flood the room. When warning whistles screamed, they paused in their actions and looked up towards the ceiling in confusion.
The door leading into the tea room suddenly burst open and a panting aide yelled, ”My Lords! T- The Pro- Protectorate!”
”What of them?” the Fort Commodore asked impatiently as he stood up. ”Speak man! Don't speak in riddles!”
”Th- They are invading!” The aide finally gasped out in terror. ”Ships... many many airships! At least forty ships!”
”Forty ships?!” The expressions of the senior officers in the tea room paled when they heard the count. ”Are you certain?”
”Yes, my Lords! The lookouts are very certain!” The aided panted.
”S- Send word back to the nearest garrisons and to the Admiralty!” The Fort Commodore yelled as he grabbed his coat and rushed towards the war room of the fort. ”What are you all still doing here? Get to your posts!”
The rest of the officers quickly followed behind, donning their coats as they headed off towards their areas of responsibilities. The soldiers manning the fort rushed along the corridors as NCOs yelled orders at them.
The once tranquil fort was suddenly roused up. Steam cannon muzzles were rolled out from their covers one by one and loaded before their fat barrels protruded out from mountainside as teams of gunners frantically readied themselves for war.
A steam elevator clanked its way up to the top of a flattened mountain peak and the crew shoved the scissor gate of the elevator doors open and once the doors were opened, they started to push the two ornithopters that had their wings folded for easier storage out of the elevator.
Once cleared, the techs and crew frantically unfold the wings and bolted them, locking the wings in place. A portable steam boiler the size of a wagon was hooked up to the ornithopters' internal pressure tanks, while its internal boiler was lit. A couple of ground crews carried a large screw and inserted it into the side of the ornithopters and started turning the screw, winding up the clockwork mechanism inside.
The ornithopters had a long narrow rigid body with a sharp nose and tail end with a multi plane tail stabilizer. Four pairs of wings connected to a series of complicated looking gear mechanisms and pipes sat on the spine of the hull. The head area had an open cockpit for two pilots and the whole contraption was supported by two large spoke wheels.
Majority of the hull housed an enclosed boiler and pressure tank with enough fuel for the ornithopter to fly and glide for distances over a hundred kilometres or further depending on weather conditions at speeds up to 28 kilometres per hour.
The two pilots laid down almost flat, facing forward in the cockpit saddle and strapped themselves in while the aircrew pushed the ornithopters towards the headway and hooked the wheels to a dolly linked to a thick rope. Once pressure onboard the ornithopters had reached critical mass, the steam techs removed the pipes and quickly retreated to a safe distance.
The clockwork mechanism once winded up fully was locked in place by the two ground crews who removed the key screw. The pilots waved a salute to the ground crews who returned their salutes. The pilots released the lock to the winded up clockwork engine and the wings started to flap, slowly at first before gaining more speed.
The rope hooked to the ornithopter stretched tautly in 'V' shape and a ground crew waving a red flag switched to a green flag and waved it up and down, signalling to the pilots. Almost instantly, the lock to the dolly under the ornithopter was released, and the stretched rope flung the ornithopter forward towards the edge of the mountain peak like a ballista bolt.
The ornithopter shot forward and dropped off the edge of the mountain peak and shortly later, it reappeared as it rode the winds, its four pairs of wings flapping madly in the air. The second ornithopter was also flung off the edge of the mountain and it too reappeared later, the pilot adjusting its direction as it headed off in another way different from the first ornithopter, both bearing news of an invasion.
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One by one, airships bearing the Iron Kingdom's insignia floated out from massive cavern openings dug out from the side of the mountain fort. Ships of various sizes crawled out in a maddeningly slow pace as they had to avoid collisions with one another and the mountains.
The Fort Commodore paced frantically in the war room while observers lined the upper platforms, using spyglasses and magic to observe the Protectorate ships. The war room was built in one of the tallest mountain peaks. The circular war room had platforms on the upper levels, with slits cut out, allowing observers to see a 360 degree view of their surroundings.
A table with the terrain model of the fort's surroundings had several tiny stands holding red wooden rectangles representing the Protectorate, placed at the approximate locations of the Protectorate's fleet.
”My Lord!” An aide stood at attention next to the Fort Commodore. ”The Protectorate fleet still remained fixed on their path! There has been no deviation to their course as of yet!”
”Where are they going?” The Fort Commodore mumbled, his forehead covered in sweat. The Protectorate fleet had over forty vessels, and at least twelve battleships sized airships while he only had twenty two airships with the majority destroyers or small vessels and not even a battleship to match them!
Even adding the fort's super steam cannons, the Protectorate can easily bombard their fixed defences with their mobile fleet or even ignoring the fort after destroying the small defensive air fleet and striking directly into the territory of the Iron Kingdom!
Yet, so far, the Protectorate fleet seemed to not moving into engagement range, as they kept on a constant course. The Fort Commodore rubbed his chin restlessly, ”Could it be a ruse? Or some kind of fleet exercise?”
”I- I am not sure, my Lord!” His aide replied nervously. ”If they are trying to scare us... I am sure they succeed, my Lord...”
”Once the fleet has formed up,” The Fort Commodore said. ”I want them to tail them at a safe distance! Do not at any point offer combat with them! I want to know what the damn crazy fanatics are up to!”
”Yes, my Lord!”
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Edge of the Sea of Clouds
Flickers of purple lightning and rumbles of thunder could be seen and heard from the dense clouds that covered the entire horizon and sky. Rain felling over the sea under the clouds and the waters churned constantly, and visibility was so poor that one could not even see beyond a few meters.