Chapter 4: Monster Culling

The Baltford Family has a modest fleet of airships that it uses to run trade with its neighbors and protect its territory with.

Ten gunboats, glorified canoes with two cannons mounted on the bow and stern that were manned by two or three men. Six schooners, with eight cannons per side and a crew of either five at the fewest and fifteen at most. Two brigs, the Silverenne Falcon and its sister ship the Aurelian Hawk , each one with twenty-four guns on either side and a crewed by twenty to twenty-five men, comprised the central cornerstone of the flotilla.

To further augment their combat ability, the Baltfords had with them six Armors; magic-powered mechs. Bipedal humanoids two meters tall, armed with appropriately-sized bolt-action rifles and either an axe or a shortsword. They were outdated models though, long since phased out for more modern variants that stood just over three meters tall with more modern weaponry.

In total, the Baltfords had eight actually sky-worthy battle-ready vessels with six Armors to provide additional support.

And more than half of that number was out doing trade missions with their neighbors, a reasonable decision at the time to increase security and make sure no enterprising rabblemaker or monster made off with the Baltfords' goods; at least, not without a fight. Even Leon agreed that it was the right decision to make, considering the monster attacks that were plaguing their territory.

But they hadn't considered the possibility of those same monsters attacking the Barony directly. Though they were fearsome and dangerous, they were still animalistic in nature; and all animals tended to avoid big structures with bustling activity happening in and around its vicinity.

Regardless, it still left the Baltford fleet severely understrength for a safe monster cull; four gunboats, two schooners, and the Aurelian Hawk , two Armors held in support, and just over fifty men. Against Saint-knows how many monsters of varying sizes. Scouts had reported anywhere between a few dozen to over a hundred of the fiends, with perhaps one or two boat-sized monsters in their midst.

The idea to send for aid from the Crown had been raised, but Barcus ultimately chose not to; even if they did and help was promised, the barony would be in ruins by the time any sort of help came. Like it or not, they were on their own.

Still, it wasn't all bad. At least Leon got another taste of open-air sailing, despite the circumstances behind it.

He sits on the top sail of the main mast, safety line tied securely around his waist as he beheld the scattered clouds that the fleet is currently sailing through. Despite being so high up in the sky, the wind here is surprisingly weak in strength. Yet another oddity in this new world, he supposes; after all normal human lungs shouldn't have the capacity to breathe so high up in the atmosphere.

"Leon!" Barcus calls out from the top deck. "What do you see?"

"Large dark clouds to the northwest but no monsters, Dad!" Leon calls back. "Nothing for miles around besides that!"

"Alright, come on down here!" Barcus calls again. "And don't trip! Don't want you falling overboard or something!"

Leon pauses and grins as a wicked thought comes to his mind.

He loosens the line around his waist and double-checks the rigging to make sure there was just enough give for his stunt. Once satisfied, he leans back and lets himself fall off the top sail.

Gravity immediately pulls him down, and the crew below gasp at his sudden fall. The mages among them start chanting, hoping to cast a spell that could hopefully stop him from hitting the deck hard, but Leon knew they weren't that good. Which is good; otherwise, this stunt would be prematurely halted.

The line in his hand starts going taut and Leon reinforces his hand with magic to make sure his grip is tight enough to prevent slippage-induced friction burns.

His descent slows and stops a good foot from the deck. He lets go and drops to his feet, letting the line snap upwards into the air. He dusts off his hands and smirks at his gawking father, thoroughly satisfied.

"Didn't want to keep you waiting." Leon shrugs. Barcus smacks him. "Ow."

"Damn it Leon, you gave me a heart attack!" Barcus scolds, a hand held over his chest. "You're not doing your old man's health any favors here!"

"We're sailing in open skies to hunt down and cull monsters, father dearest; my antics should be the least of your worries." Leon shrugs. "Besides, it's not like I didn't take precautions. I was still tied securely to the ship!"

Barcus smacks him again. Leon just laughs.

"Into the captain's cabin. Now." Barcus sighs, exasperated. "Honestly, you used to be such a sweet boy; listening to your parents and doing what your told with none of this cheek. How on earth did you turn out like this?"

"I don't know; maybe it was when I got wedded off to a crusty old hag." Leon shrugs. "Or perhaps it's the prospect of dying and contributing to a parasite's continued survival. Really, I can't tell."

Barcus has the decency to grimace as he walks on, leading Leon into the captain's cabin.

"I told you to watch your mouth, son." Barcus sighs.

"Mmhmm," Leon hums. "Curious how you didn't say that to mom."

"She's old enough to understand and made her displeasure known to me very well."

"I know; I saw the red handprint on your face." Leon grins. "Were you banished to the living room with blankets and pillows too?"

"Just get into the damn cabin, boy." Barcus barks, shoving Leon in as he laughs.

The cabin itself is a little spartan, with most of the space having been filled with additional supplies and basic sleeping quarters set up for the captain; Barcus himself. In the middle of it sits a table with several maps spread about, flanked by two other men; the captains for the two schooners escorting the Aurelian Hawk .

"Young Baltford." Captain Derek nods.

"Leon." Captain Joshua offers a hand that Leon takes and shakes.

"Hello sirs." Leon nods back, taking his place at the far end of the table. "Dad?"

"Alright." the Baltford family head starts. "Scouts came back with their reports; a big monster swarm has been sighted in a cave within a small rock isle an hour from here and I've already had the fleet move to it. The men are being prepared and armed as we speak. However, I brought you all here to briefly discuss the plan we'll be undertaking for this culling."

"Standard operating procedures, Lord Baltford." the first captain inclines his head. "Load grapeshot in every cannon and rifle, mages and Armors on interception duty, surround the swarm, and fire."

"We're understrength for that." the second captain argues. "There's hundreds of those things, and at least one giant monster. We don't have the munitions to take them out by ourselves; I doubt we'd be able to even at full strength!"

"Then what do you suppose we do?" Barcus asks the second captain.

"My Lord," the second captain nods. "I suggest we set up a defensive position on one of the many small floating islands nearby; with floating fire barrels, mages, and sharpshooters in our backline. We bait the swarm to us and whittle their numbers down as they approach, assigning the Armors and ships to slow them down as best they can."

"We don't have the material to set up any worthwhile defenses, and our munitions are limited." Leon interjects. "Making floating fire barrels would mean using up the black powder for the cannons, and we need those for the grapeshot volleys. Those will be the key to getting us through this."

"You speak true, Young Baltford." the first captain nods. "With just two Armors and three warships, the people we set up on a floating rock would be in danger of being overrun."

"And following the usual monster culling tactics won't work either due to our smaller numbers." the second captain responds. "We don't have enough cannons to wipe out the whole swarm with a single volley, and those two armors won't be able to hold off that many monsters."

Leon looks at the map, running another mental tally of the available forces as he runs through several plans and simulates their effectiveness in his mind.

None of them resulted in a clean victory; losses were almost always high, in both material and lives lost. Regardless of what battleplan they went with, people would die. It would fall to them to make sure the figure remains as low as possible.

Barcus exhales quietly, and Leon knows his father is thinking the same thing as he is.

"This is what we will do." Barcus says at last, and everyone listens. "The fleet will split into two forces; the Schooners and Gunboats will make up one force, while the Armors and the Hawk will make up the other. The Schooners and Gunboats will take up flanking positions surrounding the cave entrance on the isle and all their guns will be moved to one side; starboard or port is irrelevant so long as all those cannons are pointed at the isle. The Hawk will park right in front of the entrance to the cave." the Baltford patriarch leans over the table, drawing a rough sketch of the island and the proposed fleet positions. "The Armors will fly to the cave and provoke the monsters within to leave it, and from there…"

"We broadside them." Leon nods, understanding the plan.

"Staggered fire, one ship at a time to maximize how many monsters we can kill per broadside." Barcus clarifies for the sake of the two captains present. "I'll have sailors on the Hawk signal your Schooners to fire with flares, captains. Blue for Captain Joshua's ship, and green for Captain Derek's."

"The dark clouds to the northeast are approaching quickly, Lord Baltford." Captain Joshua notes. "If it hits, visibility will be low; enough that those flares might not be visible."

"Then I'll have the mages cast the right-colored lights for you to know when it's your turn to fire." Barcus answers. "Those Gunboats will provide screening for your Schooners; they might not be enough to take out big monsters, but they'll serve as forewarning if any do come for you."

"I assume the Armors that are going with the Hawk will serve as screening like the Gunboats for the Schooners?" Leon asks.

"Yes. Given the positioning of the Hawk in this operation, the Armors will be better suited to deal with any monsters that get in close." Barcus nods.

"They would, yeah." Leons nods back. "But do we have plans to deal with any big monsters? Ship sized ones? Grapeshot and shrapnel shells will work fine on the small fry, but the bigger ones need concentrated fire and solid rounds to put down."

"The scouts didn't report seeing anything in their reconnaissance run." Captain Joshua says.

"They didn't, but it is a possibility." Barcus notes. "A monster swarm this big must have some kind of dominant presence keeping them in line, or else they'd all have swarmed into our Barony all at once. An Old Monster, maybe."

Leon and the two captains swallow.

Monsters never technically stop growing as they age, and coupled with their bizarre physiology, they don't really need to eat either. Potentially, all monsters could become warship-sized terrors if given enough time to grow hence the necessary repeated cullings of their numbers. This led to a rudimentary threat table being created to measure the approximate might of whatever monsters are encountered in dungeons and the wilderness.

Juvenile monsters, newborns or young specimens no bigger than small animals or children.

Adult monsters, specimens that have managed to survive past their infancy to reach proper maturity ranging in size from adult humans or large animals to small vehicles.

Old monsters, specimens that have survived past adulthood to grow into the size Armors or small ships like theirs.

And Ancient monsters, some of the oldest monsters alive whose size could rival full-fledged warships or even small floating islands.

"It can't be an Ancient monster; we'd have known about it much earlier and called for aid from the crown." Leon reasons. "And both Juveniles and Adults can be dealt with using what we have now. But an Old monster…"

"We have Armors in place to deal with it." Barcus says. "If a big one does make an appearance, the Armors will have orders to slow it down as best they can. Even if they lack the firepower to take one on directly, they should still be enough to stall the monster until the small fry are dealt with."

"Can two outdated Armors deal with an Old monster though?" Captain Joshua asks.

"They'll have to. If not, then we'll make do." Barcus nods. "Any questions?"

None were raised.

"Then this meeting is dismissed." Barcus announces. "Captains, return to your ships. Leon, stay."

The two captains bowed to Barcus and left. Leon nodded at them and stayed behind to comply with his father's wishes.

"You have your guns, yes?" the Baltford patriarch asks. "The ones you commissioned parts for and made yourself?"

"They're at my bunk. I'll retrieve them and set up a firing position on top of the main mast." Leon nods.

"Good. You've got overwatch duty then." Barcus nods. "Pick off any stragglers and call out any large ones that make it past the Armors. And if they do, well… you have a shotgun for a reason."

"That I do." Leon grins. "Let's get ready."