The Maelstrom shook as though it were caught in the midst of a thundercloud. The boards beneath Ethan’s feet vibrated almost continuously as shot after shot of cannon fire leaped away from the starboard side of the ship. Multiplied arcs of smoke trailed from the Maelstrom toward its targets.
Captain Bonifast watched with intense satisfaction as his gunnery crews fired, reloaded, and fired again. Years of experience in sea warfare allowed them to perform the tasks with keen precision-a well-oiled machine. Ethan watched them, awe inspired, as they worked ceaselessly at their task like ants bringing in their food stores for winter.
The Maelstrom kept up her speed as Captain Bonifast stayed their strafing run through the harbor. The ship trailed a cloud of smoke behind her, adding to it with every destructive volley. Bonifast watched his targets.
Wood burst into splinters upon the decks of the enemy ships. Bodies tumbled through the air. Masts burst asunder and fell like cut timber into the sea. Bonifast’s special guns blasted through the hulls of enemy vessels, causing them to take on water and list to one side. The crimson sails, bearing the black standard of Mordred, shredded under fire and fell from their rigging, the picture of defeat.
The plan appeared to be working. The Maelstrom led what at first appeared to be a successful surprise attack on Mordred’s navy. Then Ethan heard screaming. He turned to find Gideon with his bow in hand at the portside rail. He pointed frantically toward the rest of the armada, which had been following the Maelstrom on her strafing run of the harbor.
Ethan ran to the portside rail and saw why Gideon was screaming. Behind them, the attack was not going well at all. In fact, the mercenary ships, which Ethan had noted the day before as having demonic activity onboard, now turned their cannons on the other ships in King Stephen’s army.
The armada ships loyal to King Stephen shuddered in the crossfire between Mordred’s vessels and the mercenary ships they supposed had been fighting with them. Within minutes, the traitors pounded them into submission.
Ethan managed to gain Captain Bonifast’s attention and motioned for him to hurry over. Trying to yell anything over the barrage of cannon fire was impossible. When Bonifast ran to the portside next to Ethan and saw what had happened, his wild look turned to fury. “We are betrayed!” he bellowed. The captain ran for the alarm bell, sounding it repeatedly. Only its piercing ring could capture the attention of the busy crew in the midst of all the cannon blasts.
The crew responded with an immediate cease-fire, awaiting the captain’s orders. “The mercenary ships have betrayed us, lads! Spill the wind from our sails and bring us to a halt. Helmsman, hard to starboard! Gunnery crews, make ready!”
Some of the mercenary ships had taken up a hot pursuit of the lone Maelstrom, now that the other ships loyal to Stephen were sinking or too damaged to fight. But contrary to what might have been expected, Bonifast would not run. Ethan watched the captain as the wild fire returned to his eyes.
Captain Bonifast’s order brought the Maelstrom to a near halt, sending her careening sideways, her starboard side and starboard cannons exposed to the oncoming ships. To the captains of these mercenary vessels and the few of Mordred’s navy which had managed to get into open water and take up the pursuit, it made the Maelstrom a much bigger target to shoot for. Unfortunately, the bulk of their cannons were located on the sides of their ships.
Captain Bonifast gave his gunnery crews the order as the pursuing ships tried to slow and correct their headings. “FIRE!”
All of the Maelstrom’s starboard guns lit up with puffs of gray smoke and flame. Multiple shells, including many of Bonifast’s special variety, hurtled into the hulls of the oncoming ships. The advance of the enemy ships all but halted now as they attempted to get out of range of the Maelstrom’s guns. She was still the largest ship in the harbor…at least until Mordred’s Man-O-Wars rounded the white cliffs of granite below the king’s palace.
Ethan looked to the sky and saw a terrible battle raging between hordes of demons and the heavenly warriors from Shaddai. Though the angels were greatly outnumbered, none of them suffered defeat. The angels are keeping the demons occupied while we fight down here! Ethan realized.
But with the larger warships approaching from the port side of the Maelstrom, at the other end of the harbor, the outcome began to look bleak for success. They had managed to cripple Mordred’s ships in the harbor, but many more ships had been missing. Mordred had baited them with a few dozen choice targets while using the others to spring the trap.
Bonifast called through the ship’s internal megaphone system. “Portside gunners, Fire!”
Another tremendous volley of cannon fire erupted from the Maelstrom toward the approaching Man-O-Wars, five in all. But the Man-O-Wars returned fire against the bare broadside of Bonifast’s ship. Cannon balls streaked through the air, leading trails of smoke.
A wave of shells smashed into the side of the Maelstrom with tremendous force. “Hit the deck!” cried Bonifast as another wave of cannon shot tore across the deck. Ethan immediately realm shifted out of harm’s way. He stood there, watching as Captain Bonifast and Gideon threw themselves to the deck.
Wood from the railings, masts, and other equipment shattered, spraying in every direction. The bodies of men from the gunnery crews on deck flew into the air or were smashed by iron balls traveling at high velocity.
For Ethan, everything slowed down. He tracked the iron cannon balls through the air, like birds riding the wind on a summer’s day. His sight penetrated the smoke to find the enemy ships now surrounding the Maelstrom. They would soon attempt to board her.
Ethan looked to the sky where the fight between angels and demons still raged. Ethan did not know what to do. The cannons continued to pound into the side of the Maelstrom. The enemy intended to clear their way of any resistance before boarding the old pirate ship. Ethan whipped his blade at a shot that would have killed Gideon and Bonifast, deflecting it into the sea. The sword reappeared in his hand a moment later.
Most of the deck crew was dead or missing by now. Mordred’s Man-O-Wars glided in to take their prize. Their crews hurled grappling hooks across the span of sea between ships in order to pull alongside and get across. Ethan ran to Gideon and Captain Bonifast. They were both dazed and confused, lying face down on the deck.
The air filled with smoke around the battered Maelstrom, but it did not prevent Ethan’s preternatural eyes from seeing the boarding party from the closest Man-O-War. Within moments, the enemy would cross over to the Maelstrom.
Ethan, still in the spirit, grabbed the clothing of both men and hoisted them up onto his shoulders. He did not know how he had the strength to do so, but he was certainly glad for it. Ethan took his friends and ran down the stairs, taking them below deck.
The hallways down below had filled with smoke and the floors and walls were stained with fresh blood. In some places, the walls had burst out from explosions caused by cannon fire. Ethan set Gideon and Captain Bonifast down on the floor and materialized in the physical world again.
He shook them, shouting, “Wake up!”
Groggy, the men began to recover. “Captain, we must escape!” Ethan hissed, hoping the boarders wouldn’t hear him.
Gideon started to stand on his own. Captain Bonifast shook himself and said, “What’s happened, lad? Where are we?”
“The crew on deck is dead. I’ve pulled you both down below. We have to find a way off the Maelstrom before it’s too late,” Ethan said.
Just then, all three heard the heavy thump of boots pounding the deck above them. Hearts raced. “We’ve been boarded,” Bonifast whispered.