NIMBUS AND THE KNIGHTS OF CENFERUM

Chapter 37 Part 10

When Elisis called Nimbus "Sir," everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at him, but Nimbus didn't mind. It was the first time he had been called Sir, and being called that, especially by Elisis, was a more real melody to him than the one he saw the pirate, with the enormous rolled-up parchment hanging from his back, playing on the prow of the pirate ship. Then he snapped out of it and discovered that the enemy was again summoning an ether monster, and this one was destined to embrace them. Despite being proud to be called a knight, this would probably be the first and last time it happened.

And under this sound, everyone almost fell when the ship they were on seemed to hit a wall. But everyone knew it wasn't a wall; it was an ether monster.

A spiny tentacle violently struck the glass of the ship's command bridge, and at that moment, they knew their fate would be the same as the Peregrino.

They would be submerged by the monster into the depths of the ether and consumed. How long would that ship withstand being completely corroded by the acidic clouds? Hours? There were ships that could resist this, but this probably wasn't the case for this precarious vessel.

In this moment of hopelessness, Lonios entered the command bridge, supported by Dr. Leonardo and his nurse Cristiane. Behind them also came Valeros with the shield Égipe tied to his left arm.

— Is it the damn summoner again? — Lonios asked as he was seated in one of the chairs on the bridge.

— We're going to kill that monster — Valeros spoke, looking determinedly at the creature's tentacles.

— Give up on the idea of killing it. It's a colossal monster. Look at the size of those spikes — Lonios pointed to a spike over a meter long forcing its way through a window. — We only have one alternative. Elisis, push the engines to the maximum towards the pirate ship; we'll ram them.

— That's madness, Sir Lonios. We don't have enough personnel; we'll be massacred — Elisis commented, frightened.

— That's the intention — Lonios smiled.

— He's right. If we're going to die, let's die fighting, not slowly dissolved by the ether or crushed by that creature — Valeros commented.

— So be it, then. Let's die fighting, not as cowards. — Everyone on the bridge, without exception, looked at Elisis as she spoke and nodded in agreement. — Officer Wenra, open a communication channel with the engine room.

She opened a radio channel, and Dr. Henry responded.

— Dr. Henry, please, we need the full power of the ship's engines. We have to push a colossal ether monster toward a pirate ship in front of us.

— Commander, is this a suicide attack? Is that your intention?

A desperate "no" could be heard from Ari in the background.

— Yes, Dr. Henry. If we're going to die, let's die fighting.

— That's my commander. I'm going to force an overheating of the turbines; in a few minutes, they'll explode, but they'll give us three to four times more thrust.

— Do it, Doctor, and then bring your men to the bridge. We're going to have a fight on the deck against those damn pirates.

— You can count on us, Captain. We're going to die, but we'll take all those pirates with us. I've always dreamed of making a ship's turbines explode, huhuuuu! — He ended the transmission.

A suicide attack was his dream? Very much like Dr. Henry.

— Officer Nyota, alert everyone about the fight on the deck. Let's wipe out those damn pirates.

Despite preparing for a suicide attack against the pirates and knowing that no one would survive it, Nimbus was happy. He had finally found his purpose, just like Jim; he had found what he had to live and die for. Even without knowing it, he had achieved that goal: to be a knight and die defending his friends.

— Nimbus, come here — Lonios called his apprentice and began to speak privately with him — I want you to take this with you — he handed Nimbus his Scarlet Sword, the Indolent, who held it incredulously.

— But, sir, this is your family's weapon.

— Don't argue with me. There's a small chance you all will survive. When everyone is on the pirate ship, I'm going to drag this ether monster into the storm.

— What are you talking about, master?

— Don't question me. Hold this too — he took his Lord's ring and gave it to the boy. — I want you to deliver this ring to the court in Victórius, tell them my story and what happened to me. This is your mission as a knight; I want you to give me your word.

Nimbus knew that he was now a knight, and if he gave his word, he would fight to the death to fulfill it. And that's what he would do: survive and take the ring to Victórius, tell his master's story to whomever needed to hear it.

— Yes, master, I swear I will survive and take your ring and your story to the court in Victórius.

— Good lad, that's the way to speak, Sir Nimbus. And one last thing, the only person you can trust in Cenferum is Sir Ahbran, and only him.