121 Vol. 2 pt. 58 Patch 10.0: Something Stupid (2/2)
”I… don't know whether to be impressed or feel bad for him from dying such a stupid death. What is wrong with you, you bastard?”
”If it's stupid but it works then it ain't stupid.”
”No, it's definitely still stupid.”
Fenrir smiles and shrugs before bending over to kiss the top of Cassiel's head, automatically winning the argument for himself.
Rock jumps out of Serra's arms to check on Fenrir once he and the rest of the crew are back onboard The Shoebill.
”Miss me?” Fenrir asks her.
Rock whines and paws at his legs.
Fenrir picks her up and holds her in front of his face to kiss her on the top of her head, and then she starts licking up all the blood from him. ”That's kind of gross, Rock, but I appreciate the cleaning,” Fenrir says.
”Want me to lick, too?” Serra asks.
”Depends on what you'd be licking.”
The two exchange smiles, proud of their perversion.
”Reverse us out of here, Olly!” Fenrir shouts.
Oleander heads back to the ship's wheel and does as ordered. Once pulled away, The Steel Tiger lurches downward and begins its descent to the bottom of the ocean.
”Incoming ship!” Oleander shouts.
”Really? One thing after another,” Fenrir groans before rushing to the ship's stern to look at the latest arrival.
Cassiel, Nell, and Corwin all recognize the symbol on the ship's flag. It is a holy grail with angelic wings coming from its sides and a pair of crossed swords behind it. ”What's an empire ship doing here?” Cassiel asks.
”That man – Alexander, was working for them. He used to be an angel from what I could gather,” Nell says.
”Tch. That explains how I was recognized.”
”You used to be an angel as well, Cassiel?”
”Yeah, but I quit.”
”So you are a fallen angel of sorts! A fallen angel whom has fallen in love with a wolf and now wishes to take revenge against the holy empire she was once a soldier of!”
Cassiel has been free from Nell's delusions thus far, but no longer.
Fenrir looks past The Shoebill's bow and sees The Steel Tiger's flag still visible above the water. ”Guess they're the friends they mentioned then, and I guess they're going to see that we just sank their guys,” he says.
”They're crossin' us, we've gotta get out of here,” Tabitha says.
The empire's ship positions its portside perpendicular to The Shoebill's stern. With no cannons nor ballista on the back of The Shoebill, they have no way of defending themselves aside from trying to either sail away or turning to line up their cannons but also giving the enemy a larger target to attack.
”Look!” Corwin shouts, pointing at the cliffs that The Shoebill and The Steel Tiger had to turn around.
”Get below deck, Nell,” Fenrir tells her.
Nell hurries to follow his order when she sees what Corwin has pointed out.
Two ships from both The Free Sailors and The Northern Wardens are coming around the bend and approaching The Shoebill.
Each of the new ships sails up to The Shoebill before turning to reveal their sides to the empire's ship, and once they are lined up, cannon fire erupts from The Free Sailor's vessel while the longship's crew of The Northern Wardens throw spears and shoot magic at the empire's ship.
The combined assault makes short work of the empire's vessel as cannonballs, spears thrown with extreme force, and magic tear through its hull. It doesn't even get a chance to fire a single volley of its own cannons before getting sent beneath the waves to join their sunken comrades.