Anders agreed and the two of them went back to the cabin where Red and the others were deliberating on a battle strategy. Opening the door and entering the cabin, Max and Anders gained the attention of everyone in the small room.
“There is something you need to see,” Anders urged them. The seriousness in his tone drew the attention of the leaders and Red and Ivan rose from their seats to follow them. Max and Anders directed them out of the room.
“Look, their ships.” Anders said pointing off the end of the bow. Ivan and Red squinted and watched the ships for a moment. Worry clouded Ivan’s face, but Red’s expression remained unchanged and didn’t seem concerned by what he saw.
“They’re heading right into the heart of the storm,” Max urged.
“That doesn’t scare me,” Red bolstered. “We have the fastest and most well-made ships in all of Kartania, or any other world for that matter. We’ll fight through the storm.” Red said confidently.
“Are you sure you want to do that?” Ivan asked. “This could very well be a trap.”
“What trap is that? They’re just trying to lose us in the rough waters of the storm. Our ships are far superior to those of our enemy. We’ll continue our pursuit and overtake them by nightfall.”
“Ivan’s right, this could be a trap,” Anders said, angry at Red’s decision.
“How is it a trap?” Red asked. “They’re running scared and think we won’t follow them into the storm. They’re trying to avoid a fight with us because they know we’ll defeat them. I’ve seen desperate crews do the same thing before, trying to flee the wrath of our ships. Each time we’ve overtaken them because our ships are much faster and can out-sail any storm.”
“What if you’re wrong and it is a trap?” Anders asked. “If your ships are truly as fast as you say they are, what more are we risking sailing around the storm and running them down on the other side?”
Angered at Anders and Ivan’s questions, Red said, “We will continue our course and defeat them in the storm. I’m your Captain and that is my final decision on the matter.” Red stomped back to the cabin, grumbling angrily in his native Rolloan tongue.
Ivan spoke to Anders without looking at him, and kept his eyes on the ships sailing into the outer edge of the storm, “This is no doubt a trap and we need to be prepared for the worst. However, if this wasn’t a trap and we did sail around the storm, we’d run the risk of losing their trail. If we lose sight of them now, we might never find out where they’re going. The ocean doesn’t leave a set of tracks to follow and it’s easy to lose a ship in the open ocean if you don’t know where they’re heading.”
“I don’t like it,” Anders said to Ivan.
Ivan turned to Anders, “Me either.” Then he, too, followed Red back into the cabin.
Anders and Max were frustrated by Red’s dismissal of their concerns. Anders was also angered by Ivan’s decision to allow Red to sail into the storm even though he knew it was a trap as well. Once they were alone, Anders said, “If Thargon is truly as clever and evil as Ivan says he is, wouldn’t he send these three ships from his fleet to lead us in the wrong direction? If he is that evil, what would he care if a few of his fleet were sunk by our cannons or wrecked by the storm?”
“I think you’re right,” Max said. “They could’ve slowed down intentionally to allow us to catch up to them, just to create this dangerous predicament.”
“I can’t believe Ivan is allowing him to go through with it,” Anders said, frustrated.
Max shrugged, “You’re probably right. I just hope they know what they’re doing. We’re stuck with their decision either way.”
Exhaling heavily, Anders kept the rest of his opinions to himself. Instead of talking about something he couldn’t control, he began to prepare himself for the storm.
As daylight faded to dusk, they caught up to the three ships; the others in their fleet were nowhere to be seen. Red dismissed the fact that they couldn’t see the other ships, suggesting that these three were sent back to destroy the Rollo Island ships so the others could escape, but Anders had his doubts.
Anders noticed Ivan standing at the rear of the ship, muttering to himself. Anders thought Ivan was praying and didn’t pay much attention. Instead he focused on what Red was ordering them all to do, engage the enemy ships with cannon fire.
As they advanced on the ships in the stormy waters, they had to wait for just the right moment to fire because the rise and fall of the waves disrupted their clear line of sight. The crew would have to wait until the ship was at the peak of a wave before taking aim and firing. If they didn’t fire at exactly the right moment, their cannon balls would splash ineffectively into the rough ocean waves.
The fleeing ships shot their stern cannons at Red’s ships; each time they missed. Anders was helping the gunner load and fire the cannons. They struggled to keep the cannons from rolling out of firing position while being tossed by the storm. Every time they came racing down into the trough of a wave, a burst of water would pour in through the cannon doors. The water would rush out again once they began to climb up the next wave. Many times the crew struggled to keep themselves from being swept off their feet and out the hatch doors.
After waiting for what seemed like a lifetime, Anders heard the order to take aim. They pointed the cannon directly at the ship in view off the starboard bow. He watched it climbing the wave in front to them.
“Fire!” The order was given.
One of the gunners lit the fuse. The cannon roared as it released its explosive contents. The ropes holding the cannon snapped tightly as they caught the steel barrel on wheels before it could roll across the floor and smash into the other side of the ship. Through the hatch door, Anders saw the cannon balls blast the rear end of the enemy ship. His ears rang from the explosions of firing cannons in close quarters. Wood splintered off the outside of their target and Anders thought he saw a cannon ball hit one of the masts before the ship disappeared beyond the peak of the next wave. He heard muffled cheering from his crew.
The ship rocked forward, and he knew they were racing down toward the trough once more. This time Anders closed the hatch door before they reached the bottom. The force of the water rushed in through the doors of those who were unable to close them. The water swelled in and flowed out with great force. It took several men off their feet and swept them out the doors. Anders felt the ship tilt upward again and opened the hatch door, ready to take aim and fire once more. They battered the enemy ships several more times before one of them lost its main mast and was swallowed by the storm’s waves.
Red’s ship turned to engage another enemy ship. A wave hit them with such force it nearly knocked everyone off their feet. A cannon rolled hard against its restraints and broke through the ropes. The heavy steel cannon rolled across the floor and smashed hard into the wall on the other side of the hull, pinning a warrior who was unable to escape its path. It crashed right into his chest and Anders knew he must’ve died instantly.
The storm had increased in magnitude; their ships couldn’t last much longer. Picking himself up off the floor, Anders searched for Max who was working another cannon down the line. He heard the order to take aim and fire. The cannons roared once more. Anders saw Max struggling to grab his hatch door before the ship swelled with water again. He ran over to him and together they closed the hatch just in time to avoid becoming victims of the ocean’s deadly pull.
Max thanked him, and Anders shouted over the ringing in his ears, “This storm is going to sink us! We can’t last much longer! Let’s go up to the deck and find Red! Perhaps we can convince him to disengage the enemy! Their ships are battered and will be destroyed by the waves soon enough!”
“Alright. Let’s go!” Max shouted.
Anders and Max ran across to the stairs that led up to the main deck. Once they opened the hatch, the storm blasted them with saltwater. The wind raced with gale force as it threw stinging pellets of water into their faces. Climbing out and closing the hatch door behind them, Anders squinted, searching for Red. Staggering to hold onto a rope tied to the ship’s mast, Red was barking orders at the crewmembers steering the ship. Max and Anders could hardly hear Red’s shouting over the howl of the wind. Waves crashed over the deck, sweeping them off their feet as they tried to make their way across to Red. Several times they were nearly swept overboard by the water rushing off the deck. Finally, they made it to Red and got his attention.
“Red!” Anders shouted. “We won’t last long in this storm! The waves will wreck us if we keep pursuing the enemy! They’re defeated, and their ships will sink! We must disengage before we share their fate!”
“No!” Red growled and stared at him with a crazed look in his eye. “You know nothing; we can outlast any storm! This ship will not sink! I will not give up the fight now. Go back below deck and keep loading cannons!” he shouted.
“You’re a fool, Red!” Anders shouted then turned back and began to walk toward the hatch door to go below deck.
Staggering at the stern of the ship, Anders saw Ivan still lost in a trance. He wondered what he could be doing up there. Just before Max and Anders reached the hatch door, a sudden blast of wind came down from the clouds and raced across the deck, snapping the ship’s masts in two and blowing overboard any who were not holding onto something. Many who were tied on with safety lines were able to climb back onto the ship, but Anders, Max and Ivan were not. The unnatural burst of wind sent them flying off the deck. Anders watched the wooden floor beneath his feet disappear and he was cast violently into the water.
They came down hard into the waves. Anders gasped for air as he reached the water’s surface. Each wave was so large that he couldn’t see anything but walls of water all around him. The very next wave picked up the ship they’d just been standing on and brought it crashing down. Now that the masts were broken off, the ship was at each wave’s mercy. A powerful wave flipped Red’s ship, smashing it apart in its immense force. Anders, Max and Ivan looked on at the destruction from the surface of the water. The roaring waves came crashing onto them and pushed them down, deep under the water. Anders tried, but couldn’t hold his breath long enough to reach the surface. Before he could reach the surface for air, he blacked out.
Chapter 5
Captives
“Thomas,” Kirsten said in a hushed tone. “Are you there?” She couldn’t see anything through the coarse fabric that cloaked her eyes. Soldiers had placed burlap bags over their heads before carrying them onboard the ship. A terrible odor emanated from her surroundings and slowly oozed its way inside the scratchy burlap sack. Kirsten tried her hardest to avoid gagging. She didn’t hear a response from her brother, only heavy breathing from someone lying nearby on the floor.
