The Minotaur

"We have a choice lads! We can try and lire the beast to the ire and let those bastard elves deal with the beast and give ourselves to their mercy or we can stand here and face certain death, I myself would rather take my chances with those fucking elves than with this monster! Cannon men take aim for its eyes, its the only place of value we can damage. Fire at will lads!"

The cannons creaked and groaned as they were set in their positions, the whirlpool had become the size of an island with hundred of tentacles lurching for the remaining ships. The freight had been swallowed by the sea taking the precious Techno-driver forced with it, and one of the battle ships had been left behind skewered and in pieces( its crew had been picked clean by the monsters of the sea). Three ships were all they had left of the brigade they had started with. They had all but forgotten that they had just been victorious in a battle, that they were a fighting force to be reckoned with. Compared to the sea and her many horrors they were just children with toys. The royal army lacked mages, the citadel and its mages had remained out of royal control since recorded history. Without it the sea could take on a thousand battle ships and all the techno-drivers at once and never rescind a wave. The sea itself was almost alive with a murderous will, its black waters were more feared than any black fire Phoenix.

"Fire" rang out from the decks of the ship as they let loose their ammunition, the head of the creature had emerged from the expanding whirlpool( which seemed alive growing and expanding around the ships) many of the cannonballs just bounced off the creatures diamond hard hide, ricocheting off back at the ships from which they came. Wood splintered off the ship in the middle( where a large concentration of cannonballs had been sent from) as it became sprayed by swarm of ricocheting ammunitions. Large clouds of blood and body parts began to rain into the waters below. The deck of the ship that hadn't been destroyed by the collision had caught fire causing the barrels of black powder stored on it to explode and let loose a great fire ball that climbed well above the main sail of the ship. Its destruction left only two ships to battle onward.

The kracken screeched in pain, he was right the eyes of the beast were indeed vulnerable and they had managed to blind it on one side sending it into a rage. More of its body emerged from the whirlpool revealing it to be even more gigantic and terrifying. It revealed the tentacles were a part of its head, hainging from its jaw like a perverse beard, it had eight arms ( four on each side) each equipped with sharp sword like claws. Its torso was that of a giant mans, with blowhole like poors all over its chest. Its bottom half remained submerged but it was unclear if anyone wanted to see anymore of this kaiju's appendages.

It truly was a great titan, easily rivaling the black fire phoenix. The minotaur had begun to doubt his plan. "What if even the elves couldn't defeat this devil?" He ferruled his brow, he could see the mists in the distance and hope began to fill him once more. The mist meant they were getting close to the ire and the elvish navy was sure to be hiding deep within it.

"Hold fast lads! The key to our salvation lies inside that mist!" His voice was full of vigor, his fighting spirit, which had been more than warn down from this ordeal. What men were left were short on morale as they watched their comrades be snatched away or thrown into the black sea. Pools of red blood began to fill the areas around the ships and their wreckages luring the other monsters from hiding to feast on the bodies of the dead and lost. Bodies were empaled on the rocks and the birds of the sea began to make their way to scavenge the bodies.

The scene was a wayfarers nightmare sure to leave a lasting impression on even the most experience navy-man. The minotaur kept his course and signaled his remaining ships to do the same and to keep loading and firing their cannons until the smoke and the mist were un recognizable as to which was which. The ships were at full sail and just beating their now injured assailant. They hadn't weakened it rather they cause it to lose control with rage bashing the last ship it managed to turn over until it was just small pieces and piles of floating tinder. Its hundred tentacles shoving body after body into its insatiable gullet. As terrifying as its display was it did give the remaining ships a chance to put a small amount of distance between them, they hoped it would be enough time to flee safely into elvish waters(but it wasn').

The kraken roared as it noticed its last three intended prey had gained some distance from it and it pointed towards them with one of it left arms. Whirlpools began to form around the ships slowing them down, the kraken dove deep into the current whirlpool it was in causing it to shrink and disappear. One of the new whirlpools that formed ahead of them and grew as the last one had almost instantly and the kraken re-emerged now in front of its prey.

"Holy hell! This fucking demon has all the power of the sea with it. We can't out run it.." the minotaur spoke to himself, he had never seen such a creature before, in all his years sailing the sea of horrors and all the treacherous monsters he's seen this one was definitely the most horrifying. He also at that moment hadn't notice where they now were, the smoke truly had created a pseudo camouflage hiding the true mist ahead.

"Vessels ahead captain! It looks like elvish battle ships!" The lookout yelled from the crowsnest, once again he felt hope " good let's hope those point eared bastards can take this monster on."

Twenty large silver battles ships breached the mist, their golden sails sporting the insignia of the elvish navy laden in black, a willow tree with two birds on either side. In most circumstances seeing that flag would lead to whatever ships to see it to rapidly turn about and change direction. The mist would ward off most monsters as well, but not this one, in its rage it didnt notice who's waters it had chased its prey into and its rage only worsened as its eye socket oozed thick black blood down its face and into the sea.

A horn sounded from the lead ship, it cut through the sounds of the cannons firing and the krakens call for death. The sound wasn't a hollow sound as most horns, it was truly beautiful and terrifying sounding like an orchestra of flutes and clarinets while still remaining one singular sound.

The crows-man blew his horn back and waved a white flag hoping to signal they were not a threat, the Minotaur removed his helmet and signal all the cannoneers to stop firing and to remove and weapons they may have been equipped with at the time. The minotaur unsheathed his sword which was almost as impressive as his helmet. The broad sword was another relic of his families given the name " fellbringer" by his great great grandfather and it is rumored that he himself forged it.

It was surprisingly light for its size, having a blade reaching two arms lengths and a handled carved from titans wood. There were engravings all along the blade believed to be magical runes which gave the blade it peculiarities in its weight and sharpness. The blade had not seen a sharpening stone its entire life and had been in countless battles over the course of time back when men used strength over magic to wage wars. Even though it had never been sharpened it could cut through other swords like butter and not have a single deflection in the blade.

Though it pained him he set his sword at his feed and ordered his ships to continue on course to the now separating elvish fleet. The fact they had not been set upon was all the sign he needed that they had granted them at least help from this monster.