Destiny: Book of Light by Paul Allen

the West. This ship had more the remanence of the old navy destroyers. By the time anyone had noticed this ship was well within attack range. Both ships were about 50 meters from the Angel, but the Angel stood fast.
    No one was sure why, but both ships just left. The captain said he figured it may have been their reluctance to try and escape that put doubt in the minds of the would be attackers. But nobody could be certain. Once again they were alone in the raging seas. The shock of the second ship made the captain decide that it would be safer to risk the rocks before any other attempt at attack was risked.
    "Right lads, next time we might not be so lucky. We're gona try guide her to land. What I want is everybody on look out for rocks. The more eyes the better. I want you Sean up in the nest with the search light, and the rest of ye up at the bow. There are more lights down in cargo, so bring them up. We're goin to need every bit of light we can get. Now what I want is anytime ye see a rock put yer hand up in the opposite direction. I'll be able to keep in contact with Sean on the two way but I will only be able to see ye Got it?"
"Yes Cap," they announced in staggered unison.
    The ship pushed on through the rough waters. Spray was launched into the air from rocks on the surface. There was a path marked with buoys but a close call showed that it couldn't be trusted. With the harbour in sight the worst was coming. So many rocks were directly in the path of the ship that it seemed that those on the bow were just waving to someone off shore.
    Sean roared down the two way, "Starboard, port, starboard, starboard port!"
But it was in vain. The ship hit on the starboard side. The crushing sound of metal screeched through the storm beaten coast. Water poured into the hull.
    "All hands below, we've hit, we've hit!"
    Angel barely made it. They tied up at pier 9 with the ship barely afloat.
The captain stayed aboard after hiring various dock workers to help with repairs. They got to work like a team of surgeons, as the rest headed their separate ways through the city after been given 24 hours shore leave.
    Light flickered from the candle lit windows down an old cobble lane. Sewerage ran the length of the street along shallow channels on either side of the pathway, which often blocked up sending sewerage out over the path. The smell was intimidating. Sean wasn't sure why he decided to go down that particular
lane, but something tickled his curiosity.
    The buildings were very old in this quarter, the oldest in the city having been built well over 400 years before. Little work had been done to maintain them, as this was also the poorest quarter. Little town houses hugged together as if for warmth as cloths lines scaled the streets and rubbish spilled from the dilapidated homes.
There were very few people around this late at night. Sean must have been walking for the best part of an hour and only passed three people. Pleasantries were exchanged.
    He came to a tavern at the end of a flight of rugged old steps. From the outside it looked like just another town house with the exception of the Ale price list on the window, but on the inside it spread out well. Sean was convinced it had taken space from the house next door but couldn't be sure as it spread out at the back aswell.
    Smoke poured out onto the streets as soon as he opened the door, and just as equally soon, a shout came through the smoke to shut the door before the smoke escapes. Sean knew the smell well. It wasn't tobacco it was fleck leaf. Common around these parst with the hippies, it had been quite some time since Sean had smoked any himself. He walked blind through the smoke with his hands out in front of him trying to feel his way to the bar. To make matters worse the lighting was quite poor, Sean guessed to add to the effect.
He could hear whispered voices coming from different corners of the room as if they had just changed topic as he entered. He found his way to a bar