Elise Runs and Dorothy Falls

Chapter 25

It had been too long since Admiral Duval captained a ship this size. At the rear of his attack group, captaining the third heavy frigate, he would get the final chance to defeat the mighty George Goblin. He looked forward to the fight, because he knew what so few dared to know: that to defeat a legend so great, you had to fight with a willingness to die. You also had to know that, despite all the amazing stories, he too was mortal. Admiral Duval craved glory and today he would earn it.

George Goblin issued commands at lightning speed. Locked in, his helmsman responded at each step of the way. The guns of the enemy began to crack the atmosphere around them, but their evasive patterns were up to the challenge. Out the forward windows Elise could see the entire enemy fleet in front of them. The Whim burst in and around clouds, misleading its enemies and surging ever closer. Elise could not have prepared herself for what George Goblin said next.

"Dorothy, Albbenaro, Father, get ready to board the enemy. We're going to commandeer one of their frigates and draw fire away from the Whim."

Guns blasted on all sides. The ship rocked as one explosion threw Elise to the floor. Paneling burst around her, sending sparks that broke her skin.

"Firing tow rockets!"

Admiral Duval had never seen anything like it. From a forward battery the Whim fired rockets, but no ordinary rockets. Attached to long cables, the rockets embedded themselves in one of the other frigates and drew the Whim directly toward it. It was sudden chaos.

Leaping from one deck onto the other, Dorothy immediately grabbed a soldier loading his rifle and threw him over the rail. Drawing a dagger from his coat and his boot, Albbenaro landed beside her. The soldiers of the large zeppelin readied their bayonets and rallied to defend the bridge from the pirates. Albbenaro threw one trusty dagger, which landed true. Rifle clanking on his back, he charged into the enemy. Dorothy was right behind him.

George Goblin and Father Sergius launched themselves onto the deck downwind. Sweeping his incredible sword in a galvanic arc, the goblin deflected a hail of machine gun bullets back at the gunner, killing him instantly. Father Sergius drew his rapier and battled away a soldier until he thought jumping into the water the better option.

"Disengaging grappling hooks!"

Swinging into the captain's chair, Tyrio let loose his rockets and punched in new coordinates. Turning, the Whim began a straight course away from the fight.

"Where are you going?!" shouted Elise, who had crawled off the ground.

"Where do you think I'm going? I'm getting us out of here!" The goblin manically slammed his controls for a faster burn.

"But your father! And Dorothy! And the others! They need our help!"

Tyrio laughed harshly. "The only one who needs help is ME, lady! I'm just hoping this baby can pull me out of one more tight encounter! If only they hadn't wasted my tow rockets...!"

Elise considered attacking Tyrio, but of course it wouldn't help her run the ship. Rushing onto the back deck instead, she surveyed the battle; it grew smaller and smaller behind them. Her mind raced through alternatives, but she couldn't think of anything to do to help. Then, she heard a whizzing.

BANG!

Just as Dorothy and the others broke onto the bridge of the frigate, the witch turned out the front window to see a sight that made her stomach turn. The Whim, fleeing in a desperate straight line, suffered a massive hit to its engines. Flame burst through the air.

George sat down at helm. Albbenaro, pushing away the dead, took the tactical controls. Dorothy could barely stand.

"George...?" breathed the witch.