Steel and Sorrow: Rise of the Mercenary king

Chapter 416: Sea Lions(4)

Chapter 416: Sea Lions(4)

Blake stood atop the deck of the Roaring Axe, his boots planted firmly against the blood-slicked wood as he watched the three enemy ships draw ever closer. The salty wind lashed against his face, carrying with it the scent of the sea, sweat, and death. 

Under normal circumstances, he would have already barked the order to turn the prow and ram them—cleaving through those sluggish merchant hulls like a hot knife through butter. A single well-placed strike would tear their wooden bellies apart, sending them and their crew to the depths before they even had the chance to board. But these weren't normal circumstances.

They had no time.

The Roaring Axe had just finished ramming an enemy galley, its hull still scraping against the wreckage of its latest victim. The impact had drained their momentum, leaving them sluggish in the water. The oarsmen below deck were struggling to reset their rhythm, their exhausted strokes unable to push the massive ship into another charge so soon. Every second they remained in this vulnerable state gave the enemy an opportunity to close the distance.

Blake clenched his jaw, his grip tightening on the pommel of his axe

No leverage. No time.

That left only one option.

He turned to his men, his voice a roar that cut through the chaos. "Brace for boarding! Shields up! Axes ready! Let them come!"