Maelstrom (a UC fanfiction)

Chapter 15

The cannonball hit the railing, which shattered and the crew ducked, waiting a moment for a second cannonball.

"Man the cannons!" Cerberus ordered. "We need to defend the ship!"

"Shit," Ambrosius cursed as he and several members of the crew went below deck, grabbing boxes of cannonballs and heading to the cannons, which they pulled to the portholes and secured.

"What can I do?" Thorn asked, uncertain and distressed. Ambrosius looked at him, then pointed towards the supplies.

"Get the gunpowder."

Cerberus clenched his teeth as he swirled the wheel. The main mast groaned as it twisted and caught the wind. The ship turned, just barely missing another cannonball at the rear. Cain had ahold of the cannon that sat at the nose of the ship, watching with narrowed eyes as the offensive ship slowly moved into the line of shot.

"Release the starboard anchor!" Cerberus commanded. Charon pushed his damp hair from his eyes as he rushed to the quarterdeck, and with Alexion's help, they tossed the anchor overboard.

The ship lurched as Cerberus sharply turned the wheel, and the weight of the anchor guided the ship until it was facing the enemy ship. Another cannonball boomed, and this time, it hit a sail, tearing a hole in the fabric. Cerberus cursed, then looked at Cain, who met his gaze and gave him a nod.

Cerberus took a moment to look at the rest of the crew on deck, stuffing the cannons with gunpowder and ammo, securing the wicks with handfuls of matches and handheld weapons in case the ships raided one another. The crew was ready for Cerberus's next order.

"Haul the anchor!" He shouted. Charon and Alexion hurriedly pulled the anchor back up, freeing the ship from its hold and it accelerated forward, towards the opposing ship. It was about the same size as Hades's ship, which isn't all that big and fancy, and Cain can count about thirty people aboard. He winced and looked at Cerberus, who met his dreaded gaze and cursed.

There was another cannonball. It hit near the nose of the ship, causing Cain to stumble.

"Cain, fire!" Cerberus ordered. Cain didn't hesitate as he lit a match and held it to the wick. He ducked, covering his head as he waited for the cannon to go off. The sound exploded like thunder, shooting the lead ball several meters across the water until it hit the enemy ship.

The vessels are much closer now, and Cerberus had to turn the ship so it wouldn't collide head-on into the other. He gritted his teeth at the sight of the enemy pirates aiming their guns at the crew.

"Draw your weapons!" Cerberus ordered, pulling out his pistols as most of the crew followed suit. "We're about to pass. Prepare yourselves!"

"Splendid," Abel muttered as he drew his sword. "My favorite part of today; the constant threat of death."

"Lift your spirits a little, will ya?" Noe said, standing next to Abel.

"I have to say that, facing a crew twice our size, my doubts are rather high."

They both steadied their footing as another cannonball smashed into their ship, and Abel winced, knowing that the ship wouldn't be any good shape once this was over.

The ships drew close as they sailed past each other, but not without any peace. Half of the crew on the enemy ship were standing on their railing, grabbing ropes before swinging over the gap between the vessels, then one by one, they landed on Hades's ship.

"Fire!" Cerberus called, and the crew below deck lit their wicks. Within a few seconds, their cannons blew spheres of lead into the enemy ship.

"Good luck, lad," Noe said as he rushed at an Atlantean. Abel shook his head and joined the battle to protect his crew.