Behind Miro, the revenant warriors of the enemy rushed into the harbour. The enemy would be on them in minutes.
"What should I do?" Amber cried.
Miro stood on the dock while between them, in front of Amber, some smaller boats were also ablaze. He realised the only choice Amber had.
"You have to dive into the water and swim under the flames!" he called, his hands cupped to his mouth.
The fire was now at the vessel next to the warship Amber now stood on. She had put a hole in the warship with a powder keg in the hold, and even as Miro watched the vessel she stood on was sinking. Sparks flew onto the warship's deck, and it was only a matter of time before the sinking ship caught fire.
"Dive!" Miro cried.
Amber ran at the ship's rail and suddenly stopped, fear crossing her face. The warship was as big as the mighty vessel Miro had come across at the dry dock on the volcanic island. Even with the ship sinking, it was a daunting drop.
"You have to!"
Amber climbed up to the rail, placed her hands above her head, and leapt forward. She was in the air for seconds, finally hitting the water with a mighty slap. With only a small patch of water that wasn't home to a burning piece of wood, Miro breathed a sigh of relief when Amber hit at that exact spot.
Miro prayed she wouldn't come up straight away and would swim under the water for as far as she could; there was fire everywhere.
He prayed she hadn't hit something under the water, and she would come up soon.
Miro turned around and saw countless blood-splattered warriors waving swords and rushing the docks. Lord of the Sky, there were so many of them.
"Come on," Miro muttered. "Come on!"
He stared down into the water. Amber was a strong swimmer, he reminded himself. Could she really hold her breath for that long?
He released breath he hadn't realised he was holding as her head burst from the water, only fifty paces away.
"Hurry!" Miro cried. "They're coming!"
Amber pulled her body through the water while the sounds of the revenant horde grew louder. Flaming timbers fell into the harbour, hitting the water with a hiss. Miro couldn't see a ship that wasn't ablaze. Surely Deniz would have left by now?
Amber's outstretched arm hit the dock, and Miro pulled her up and out of the water.
She was gasping and sodden, but he took her hand and pulled her along. "Deniz said he won't wait. We have to hurry!"
Miro followed the northernmost of the two mighty arms that enclosed the harbour. Deniz had said he would be at the end of the long pier, as far as possible from the flames.
Miro looked behind him as he ran and saw the revenant warriors giving chase. He opened up his stride, pulling Amber along behind him. The revenants were fast, and they were on their heels.
Two revenants blocked the way ahead, both tall barbarian warriors.
Without letting go of Amber's hand, Miro lowered his shoulder and charged. He knocked them back and kept running, feeling their hands clutch at his clothes. The two warriors took up chase, and Miro anxiously searched for the familiar bulk of the Seekrieger ahead.
There it was! The mighty warship was drawing away from the dock, and already two paces had grown between them, with the gap steadily widening. Miro heard the cries of the chasing barbarians behind him, felt their hot breath on his neck.
As he reached the Seekrieger, a man flew over the gap, landing with agility on the dock. Commodore Deniz raised his sword to block a blow that would have ended Miro's life.
Miro launched Amber over the gap and then turned to give aid to his rescuer. Deniz needed little help.
With a thrust the commodore skewered a barbarian's white eye, the creature crumpling as the sword entered the brain. He ducked under the second opponent's slash and took the barbarian's head off with a strong two-handed blow.
The main horde still rushed towards them, and the gap was now too wide to jump across.
Miro and Deniz exchanged glances.
"Commodore!" a sailor called.
A coiled rope was thrown across the gap, and with a wry smile Deniz handed the end of the rope to Miro. "You've promised us refuge in your homeland. I'm going to make sure you fulfil that promise."
With a grin, Miro took a firm grip on the rope, and was hauled forward as a second rope was thrown to the commodore. He landed in the water with a splash and was quickly pulled up until he was standing, drenched, on the deck.
He held out a hand to help Deniz up.
"Thank you, Commodore," Miro said. "I owe you my life."
Even with his fine clothes sodden through, Deniz stood proud and tall. "Look," he said, gesturing at the open sea.
As they exited the harbour Miro saw over a dozen ships like the Seekrieger, all heading out together, into the open sea. They were all filled with the women and children of Veldria.
"When we arrive in your homeland, you can consider your debt discharged."
Miro nodded, and turned back to look at the city.