Chapter Nineteen: Broadside

King Ohdakota is dead. The Elysium and the remainder of the King's fleet are caught in a trap set by Prince Tugce, whom his father, Sultan Graeo'gi, sent. Rovan, who is teetering on the edge of madness, has left a crazy plan for Olafur and the rest to execute.

The Prince had positioned his fleet in the channel between the islands of Da'grun and Asta. Four squadrons of one Clipper and six war sloops formed a blockade. Prince Tugce's flagship sat with another Frigate as the reserve. Anahitiian infantry was entrenched on the Asta Island side. Archers and catapults were at the ready to try to discourage getting close to the coastline for protection.

King Ohdakota's fleet had lost more than its King. Due to the storm that pushed them South, One Frigate and two Clippers were lost. Olafur ordered the fleet to form a vanguard of six clippers and a rear guard of eight clippers. The King's Flagship would be in the middle, as the other two Frigates flanked both sides. The Elysium was in the back as the reserve.

In addition to the blockade, Prince Tugce also had a Squadron of five war sloops and one Frigate that had been chasing Olafur's group since they left Vidir. It's obvious now that they were just pushing them into the trap. Now, they were acting like a vice, pushing Olafur's ship into the bottleneck channel.

Rovan was going to take the long boats and lead a group ashore, but they were waiting for the light to fade. The Prince wouldn't be eager to attack, as that would just force Olafur's ships to retreat. Action would have to wait for the morning as both sides would anchor in.

Once it was dark, Rovan took his group ashore. They rowed in the pale moonlight and found a cove to land in. Armed with shovels, they filled the boats with mud, filling them as high as they could and keeping them seaworthy. Once they reached the limit, they returned to the ships.

It was awkward to row sitting in the mud, but they managed. They didn't bring the long boats back up to the main deck; they only tied them off. Rovan was not with them.

The initial plan was for them to swim back and join Rovan in attacking the land infantry. Rovan informed them that he didn't need them and that he would only stay.

"What do you mean he's alone?" Olafur shouted when he found out.

"It's his orders, Sir." The soldier told him plainly.

"He means to take them all on by itself. He truly is suicidal." Olafur said to himself.

"What do we do?" Captain Dantes asked.

"We continue as ordered. We can trust that my Master isn't completely insane and has a real plan."

To try to deceive their maneuvers, they played a game with the seen lanterns. They wanted the Prince to think that their fleet was still heading South toward the trap. But they were going to be heading North, against the wind gauge, to attack the squadron behind them.

It only required a little coordination. Soft anchoring, coordinated steering, a cooperative wind, and a crew using deception with the light are all that is needed.

If you hold a steering wheel to one side, you can use the wind to spin naturally. The difficulty is that so many large ships have to do it at the same time in a smaller space. No one wants to do the enemy any favors and crash into each other. If the ships aren't turning at the same time, the enemy ships might pick up on what is happening. A little midnight mist has blown in to help sell their trick.

When the first light breaks through the darkness, they need to be already sailing at their enemy if the surprise is to work fully. Every advantage must be granted as the odds are not on their side.

The Elysium was now the entire vanguard leading the attack on the rear squadron. To counter the wind gauge, they had sailed Northwest, letting the wind push them directly into the heart of enemies squadron.

Olafur stood at the bow of the ship with his sword at the ready. He stood in the place usually taken by his Master. A line of five war sloops fanned out in front of them.

As Rovan predicted, the squadron had set long boats on fire and used the 'Hell-burner' tactic. In front of the squadron, they blazed. Thanks to Rovan, they had longboats of their own filled with mud.

The 'mud boats' were untied and Olafur used his power to connect to push them into the 'Hell-burners.' The heavy 'mud boats' smashed into their targets. A combination of sinking longboats and tide opened an area to reach their enemy.

Olafur aimed his sword at the middle ship, and an energy burst blazed over the water. A central mast was instantly damaged, and a fire started. Olafur was sending a barrage of energy bursts at the middle ship, which was sustaining heavy damage from Olafur's otherworldly power.

The Elysium charged ahead. The Frigates attacked from the outside edges at the enemy's war sloops. They were going to route this squadron, as the Elysium and Olafur were already attacking the command Frigate at the back.

A clear path to the North and an open sea was all in front of them. They could make a retreat. They were only selling that they would. They wanted the blockade to chase.

The Prince had just lost six ships, which were being reduced to ashes. The right flank of the Prince's blockade drifted central, so a triangle blockade held the channel. Meanwhile, the left Vanguard of the Prince was ordered to chase.

One Clipper and six war sloops made a course out of the bottleneck and into the open ocean. Once they passed the wreckage of the six ships Olafur's group had destroyed, Olafur made his move.

Olafur and his fleet turned to the west until the wind gauge was directly behind them. The Elysium was still in the lead. With the help of the wind, they would now be building speed and momentum.

The squadron sent to chase them was still fighting the wind North slowly. They were sitting ducks as the Elysium and the fleet behind them would be like an eagle swooping fast and hard. If their enemy didn't turn and retreat, it would be over fast.

Olafur was unrivaled so far in this fight, and from the bow, he was in perfect position to inflict mortal wounds on opposing ships. In a short time, another seven ships in the Prince's fleet were lost.

So far, they have executed Rovan's plan verbatim. Olafur's Master had guided them well. Victory didn't seem so far away as it did this morning.

The winds allowed them to enter the channel near top speed. The triangles blockade was spread out but stagnated. The Prince knew he didn't have the winds, so he would to try and push them towards the shallows and the infantry waiting to barrage them with flaming arrows and stones tossed from catapults.

Rovan was somewhere on land, waiting to destroy these hazards. Olafur had no idea how his Master planned to accomplish that alone.

The Elysium and Olafur smashed into their opponent's vanguard squadron at the top of the triangle. Flanked by four Clippers of his own, Olafur ordered them to get their grappling hooks out.

The Clippers, full of men from Hanwi, spilled out onto the decks of the war sloops with swords drawn. The battle turned to close-quarters fighting. Olafur and the Elysium pushed through to the Command Clipper just behind the first squadron.

They had their grappling hooks at the ready. It wasn't long before Olafur and the crew of the Elysium were bordering the enemy's Clipper, and sword duels enveloped both ships.

In the meantime, Olafur's rear guard squadrons' didn't want to miss out on the fun. The Tagaloa, and Admiral Yunnan, hugged the southern coastline of Da'grun. They were leading three Clippers to attack the Prince's rear guard.

Admiral Kwae and the Uoke were forced to the shallows near Asta island, and the infantry was waiting to pelt them with arrows. She had little choice for her course as a squadron, and two Frigates, one of which was the Prince's flagship, pushed them in. She also risked running aground as they were sailing fast. She wouldn't have much time to turn.

Three Clippers and the Lono were following close behind her. General Pinga had orders to take out the Prince's ship. Once he did that, victory would be at hand.

Admiral Kwae was trying to clear the way for Pinga. As Kwae and the Uoke came into the shallows, it seemed at first that they had miscalculated and got too close to shore, as they were slowing even with the wind gauge. This allowed the infantry from shore to target them. Flaming arrows and heavy stones were hurled high into the air at them. The strong winds pushed many of the arrows into the water harmlessly, but some of the stones flung from catapults managed to hit Kwae's ship.

The Uoke took on some damage but nothing crippling. The vessel had lost too much momentum, and the bottom of the ship was skimming some of the sea bed. With ships following her, she could stall the attack and trap her own forces from being able to attack. They'd become like prey surrounded by predators. They could be attacked from all sides.

Like a shark smelling blood in the water, The Prince's squadron moved in for the kill. Six war sloops and a Clipper blocked them off from deeper water. The Uoke wouldn't last much longer if it remained.

Olafur had put Valen with the ship's cook down in the hold. It wouldn't be a pleasant time for her, but she would be relatively safe. If the enemy got to her there, it was because things were even worse on the main deck.

Olafur wasn't thinking about Valen at the moment. He was giving his best impression of his Master and truly looking like the part of a Knight. He was precise with his every move to the detriment of any soldier who dared to engage him.

Olafur had grabbed a short sword off one of his opponents and was now wielding two swords. Two swords could be nearly invincible in such a fight as it allowed you to defend and attack simultaneously.

You had to be skillful, fast, and strong to be effective. A swordsman using both hands to attack can generate power and control. With your hands divided, your strength is divided. With two swords you have to coordinate movement, where a single sword can move fluidly instantly.

Olafur was well trained. He had the skill, speed, and strength to take full advantage. He had the strength to hold a block with one hand, all the while stabbing his opponent with a kill stroke with the other.

Olafur's fluid strokes severed limbs and pierced vital flesh. The blades were wet with blood and left bodies to be devoured by the kings of carrion. Death eaters who favored rotted meat, like vultures and maggots.

The crew of the Elysium rallied around Olafur and fed off his energy. They felt invincible and behaving recklessly. They showed little remorse for their fallen countrymen killed in the Sultan's name.

Olafur wasn't satisfied with his wake of destruction; he wanted more. Prince Tugce had seen the Uoke as a wounded animal and had moved in for the kill. He made a vital mistake. All of the prince's rear-guards were now engaged, leaving Olafur and the Elysium a clear course at the two opponents' Frigates. The game was up; Olafur had the checkmate move in front of him.

The Elysium unhooked their grapples, and Olafur ordered an attack on the flagship. It would take too long for the Prince to retreat now. With the wind pushing them hastily onto the Mongke, the Prince's Flagship. They moved in position to get their hooks on her and prepared to board.

——-

Rovan was praying in the name of his children and wife. He had been watching the battle in the channel play out close to what he predicted and was waiting to make his move.

Rovan had sent everyone else away because he didn't want to lead them to their deaths. Rovan had no longer cared if he died. In fact, he very much wanted to die. He wanted to be reunited with his family. There was only one way back to them.

In order to take on so many foes, Rovan knew he'd have to go beyond himself and what he's normally allowed. A good Knight avoids the darkness as it is a trap. It's only a trap if you live, which Rovan wasn't planning on doing.

He would reach for the darkest corner of himself and embrace it warmly. Using the power of the O element to do evil came at a cost, but it also yielded quick results. Every unspeakable power he denied himself or his Master Akiva warned him about would be his guiding light now. He would unleash his personal Hell on his opponents.

Rovan saw that the Uoke had become trapped and was in dire peril. This is what Rovan had waited for, a moment to be decisive. He assumed the same position he had when he was praying, but this time, he wasn't asking for divine help. He was summoning the demons attached to his secret depths. He was trained to resist strong emotions, but he was embracing every angry thought and filling himself with hate. His eyes were reddening with rage and a singular thought of revenge.

He could feel his power growing and was getting dangerously addicted to the feeling. His muscles tensed and clenched.

He was like a rainstorm, feeding on the heat and building energy until he reached a cataclysm. He had no fear, and his hands twitched at the tremendous power at the ready to be unleashed.

It all fed into his sword and the O element, but Rovan felt no indifference from the mystical element. On the contrary, he felt as if it was submitting to him. He was its Master.

Rovan stood to his full height, gripped his sword, and moved on his foe. He emerged from the shadows to catch his opponents unaware. Rovan aimed his sword at the first soldier he saw and he froze them in place. He clenched his fist on the handle grip and made a twisting motion with his sword. The soldiers rotated in midair as they twisted in excruciating pain. Rovan ended their torment as he sent an energy blast, obliterating them.

Attracting the full attention of the rest, archers sent a volley of flaming arrows at him. A new found instinct told him to raise his sword, draw the winds, and return the arrows to their senders.

Many of the archers failed to react in time and were injured or killed by the returning arrows. Some tried to run for cover, but Rovan was sending blasts of energy, cutting them down.

It took time for the soldiers to turn the catapults in his direction, and Rovan didn't wait for them to get the chance. He destroyed them in waves of energy. Killing some of the men with shrapnel.

Soldiers rushed at him with swords and spears but hit butchered them with ease. He sent fireballs to the melted flesh. Men screamed in pain until Rovan pierced their hearts.

Rovan touched the point of his sword to the ground, connected deep into his darkness, and began to raise his sword high into the air. As he did this, the remaining soldiers were also lifted into the air. Rovan connected his mind to his movement and made a crossing motion with his hand. Bones and armor began to make popping sounds as Rovan crushed them. Harder and harder, he pressed until it was a field of floating corpses. The bodies fell hard to the ground, and Rovan passed out form the amount of energy he just exerted.

——-

The Uoke didn't know why, but they were suddenly free from attackers. They managed to tack the salt get some momentum going and free themselves back into deeper water. This allowed for the ships behind them to pick up heir courses.

Olafur had boarded the Prince's ship with most of the Elysium crew, but upon boarding the ship, he recognized that the Prince wasn't as vulnerable as he thought.

Dagrim Kvore was standing next to the Prince. Olafur had seen him fight Rovan and knew immediately he was outmatched. Olafur instructed a crewman to go back and give the signal to escape. Out of pure instinct, Olafur cut the hooks holding the Elysium once the soldier left.

It made it impossible for them to get back to their ship, but it would spare the rest of Elysium from capture. Olafur recognized the situation. They'd have to fight to buy time, and they'd be lucky to survive.

Olafur sent an energy blast at Kvore with no effect, and fighting broke out on the Prince's main deck.

——

Rovan woke up surprised that he wasn't dead. He felt awful. He was lying on his back and was deeply sore. He managed to turn his head so he could see the channel. He was pleased to see that the Uoke was no longer in danger, along with the other ships.

Rovan labored to a kneeling position. Wedged his sword so it was aimed at his heart. He was going to kill himself but wanted to see his friend Olafur's face once more.

He searched as best he could to see the Elysium. He saw that it was attempting to escape away from the Prince's ship. Rovan forced himself through the pain to get to his feet.

He walked over countless corpses, and to the shoreline. He grabbed a field glass from one of the dead soldiers hands. He couldn't see who was on the Elysium as it was too far away. He then turned the glasses to look at the Princes' ship.

A shiver of hate quivered down Rovan's spine as he saw Dagrim Kvore. To enrage Rovan further, Kvore had a prisoner—Olafur.

Rovan's destiny with death could wait. Rovan needed to rescue his friend, and apprentice one last time. Killing Dagrim Kvore would be the cherry on top. Now Rovan just needed to find a ship.