Explosions began ripping across the previously calm seas. The long-anticipated battle between the Gearborn and Valencia had come at last. Cannonfire filled the distance separating the two fleets.
Gearborn cannons were far more powerful, and each shot risked damaging or outright sinking one of the Valencian ships. However, Valencia had long since faced these overpowering weapons. They had defenses of their own.
As the wall of fire and electricity roared towards them, a massive rippling shield contorted around the human vessels. A roar of incoming attacks rippled across the surface of the massive shield. When the energy cleared, the shield was undamaged. It winked out a moment later, and a barrage of cannon fire erupted from the Valencians.
It was Finn Crest's powers that aided them. His power was not one to be trifled with. With the humans retaliating, the gearborn began maneuvering to avoid the onslaught or they risked facing the brunt of the assault on their own energy shields.
Torrent continued to fire with the rest of the ships. However, Ayjax was no longer present. He had vanished at the start of the onslaught.
Two of the faster vessels maneuvered around the sides of the Valencian fleet. Their goal was to board the Gearborn ships and sink them. It was easier said than done. Far easier said than done. That was why they had Ayjax.
Ayjax shifted his shoulders slightly as he crouched on the bow of one of the military vessels. They were in danger out in the open like this. However, each of them made up for that with immense shielding. While they couldn't retaliate with as much power, they could protect for far longer.
Then there was his job. He was here to give the boarding parties the distraction needed to begin boarding. If their ships got close enough, the gearborn couldn't risk firing on them without damaging their own ships. He just needed to distract long enough for the boarding parties to arrive.
As the ship drew near, a sudden fire of electricity resounded off their shield. No longer with Finn's protection, it would be up to the ships themselves.
Ayjax clenched his fists and prepared. There was nothing he could do at a distance without weakening himself. They needed to get close enough for him to act. That left him with nothing to do but hope the sailors could last against the gearborn cannons.
They were to start at the Gearborn's rearmost ship. Ayjax had feared that if they attempted on a ship closer to the warp gate, they would be destroyed when the gearborn fled.
They would flee at some point. He was sure of that. Whatever purpose they were here for, it wouldn't matter if they were on the seabed.
Another round of exchanges reverberated in the battle behind him. Ayjax paid little mind, however. His moment had finally come. Their ships took another round of fire. Using this moment of distraction, Ayjax retreated a few paces. Then, empowering every bit of mist into his leg muscles, he sprinted and jumped.
The sheer power of his leap caused a shockwave across the ship behind him. Ayjax sniffed as he whirled through the fading cloud of energy. Hopefully none of his men had been thrown overboard.
He plummeted downwards, his body expertly angled towards the growing gearborn ship. With a grin, Ayjax summoned his mist blade.
That was not exactly right. For most people, their mist conjured itself in the form of a sword. More rare ones could conjure other weapons, such as spears or axes. Ayjax's though…well. His knuckles glowed teal as his mist weapons wrapped around them. The gauntlets that formed were armored and covered in spikes. Who needed a sword when you could just punch a hole through your enemy's chest?
Ayjax struck the deck with a boom. A cloud of mist exploded outwards, and the deck shattered beneath him. He went crashing downwards and found himself multiple decks lower than anticipated in a heap.
"Well, damn it all!"
He let out a string of curses.
Leaping to his feet, Ayjax vaulted upwards. The gearborn gathering around the side of the crater were taken by surprise. His fist slammed into one, sending it hurtling backward with enough force to shatter against its fellows. He grinned and erupted forward.
The gearborn fought in well-thought-out formations. There was little fear of injury, which allowed them to be a danger to any human formation which did fear injuries. Their well-thought-out formations crumbled before his might. All the gearborn managed to do was congregate themselves in a cluster easier to eliminate.
Before the gearborn had realized what hit them…in fact, before the next round of cannonfire had even launched…dozens of the robots lay shattered on the deck or sinking in the sea below.
A massive, hulking gearborn leaped forward. Ayjax only paid it a moment's notice. It was one of the more heavily crafted beasts with a massive bulbous body covered with huge iron plates. It was shaped humanly with arms as wide as tree trunks. They were nearly indestructible unless hit in the joints. Derrin had slain one on the Herald's ship those few weeks prior, which Ayjax found commendable.
The massive creature had unfortunately bit off more than it could chew. Nearly indestructible did not mean totally indestructible. The creatures leaped out, arms outstretched. Ayjax turned from his onslaught and ducked the blow. As the gearborn stepped forward, Ayjax punched.
That was the end of the hulking robot. The center of its chest exploded, and it collapsed to the deck. Without wasting a moment, Ayjax continued upwards towards the helm. As he did so, he saw the Valencian boarding craft beginning its assault. Men began vaulting onto the ship, and the full assault had begun.
Ayjax landed beside the ship's wheel. The gearborn present all turned on him. The captain of the ship let out a loud creak in its throat. It was one of the strongest versions of the base gearborn.
Leaping forward, Ayjax ignored the other gearborn. They were of no threat at the moment. The gearborn danced backward, barely avoiding a killing blow.
It snarled, and its voice came out grating, "You foolish apes. You will all die, he…"
The gearborn never finished his statement as it joined its fellow robots as pieces on the deck. Ayjax wasted no time and turned on the remaining gearborn. They fell in short order. It would take more time to completely take the Gearborn ship. There were doubtless many beneath the deck. However, his job aboard was done.
He turned and spotted the soldiers finishing up the stragglers on the main deck. One of the men turned to him and gave a short salute. Ayjax waved, not bothering with the military gesture. He was no longer military after all…not that he had been much of a soldier to begin with.
The man suddenly froze. His face seemed to turn a shade of white, and the man staggered backward to one knee. All around him, his fellow soldiers began to do the same. Ayjax whirled. It didn't take a genius to understand what had happened.
The Herald stood before him on the rim of the ship. Its cloak rippled in the wind behind its body. It cocked its head curiously as if studying him. Ayjax growled. Where the hell was Finn? He was supposed to be dealing with this bastard.
"Well, I did not expect to meet you again so soon," The Herald glanced lazily across the burning fleet, "A shame you caught us really. We were about to make our departure. Quietly at that. But I suppose you just had to spoil it all, it seems."
"That was the plan, yes," Ayjax took a menacing step forward, but the Herald only smiled its strange, unnatural smile.
"True enough, Ayjax. However, no matter the result of our battle here, your fate is already sealed."
He bristled at the use of his name, "High talk from someone who's already lost a ship."
"Oh, you mistake me, human. We had no intention of winning this battle. What I meant was, we already got what we came for…Well, I missed out on a few prizes thanks to you, but our main objective has been completed. Destroy us if you can; it won't matter. We have already won," His crimson eyes glinted with a devious light.
"Bloody hell. Why are you such a damn talker? Fight me already."
The Herald spread its hands, "Our previous engagement already provided sufficient data, human. I wish to get in some more practice before we return. I think your commander will do just fine. I was only here to keep you from interfering with our fight."
"What?"
Before he could react, the Herald leaped backward. It vaulted across the sea, landing on another ship a distance away.
Ayjax almost followed, but something held him back. His majorly enhanced senses allowed him to detect the robots before they fully arrived. He whirled and found the boarding crew still slumped across the deck. Behind them, robots were rising from the belly of the ship.