Seven ships were approaching. Four from the west and three from the east. The Marked Ones would soon be surrounded. Could they take on all seven at the same time? Maybe they would, if they planned a good strategy.
"Hey, Igneous," Nahuel turned to see the reddish-haired boy, "What was that you and Alya did? That thing about combining powers."
"Oh well, I don't know how to explain it," Igneous scratched the back of his neck, "hmm… it's called Elemental Combination or something like that and it's more powerful than a normal attack. System didn't explain you?."
"Supposedly requires less stamina," Alya added.
"System," Nahuel spoke out loud, "tell me about elemental combinations."
The boy heard the voice of the System in his mind, although the others could also hear it.
"Tell me about the combinations with water," Nahuel asked.
"Interesting…," Nahuel scratched his chin.
"Why do you ask about the water combinations?" Igneous asked. "Aren't you a earth user?"
"Well, there's no land nearby," Nahuel answered. "We are surrounded by water and Yaima has the advantage. So maybe we should take advantage of that."
"Oh! You are a genious!" Igneous outlined that gloomy smile. Nahuel thought that perhaps that boy was not aware of how dark a smile of his could be.
"System," Nahuel spoke up, "how many combinations can we execute with our current amount of stamina?"
'Interesting… three each…'
Alya spoke out loud. "System, what about me? How many elemental combinations can I execute?
"Hey! Why do I have one and she has two?"
"So she is more powerful?"
"It seems that each of us has something that the others don't," Nahuel explained. "For example: Elian is faster, Yaima has more magic and can heal, I have more defense. You get it?"
"Damn… that's hard to understand," Igneous shook his head.
"He's not very bright," Alya snorted.
Nahuel let out a giggle. "The point, Igneous, is that each of us has something to contribute in a team up. If we work together, we could win."
"Well," Igneous glanced at three of the approaching ships, "then we're going to kick their asses."
"Not so fast," Nahuel warned. "We need a strategy. Elian, Yaima and I have three combinations each. You one and Alya two. I can't make combinations, since there is no land nearby. However, I can use solidification to protect you. On the other hand," he put his hand on Igneous' shoulder, "I must ask you not to use any combination, unless necessary. Like a matter of life and death. You get it?"
"Hey!" Igneous crossed his arms. "Why the heck can't I use combinations?"
"Because you will lose your transformation and we cannot afford that," Nahuel explained patiently, as if he were speaking to a small child. "That leaves Alya, Elian and Yaima," he looked at the girl in emerald armor. "If you combine your powers with Yaima, you will be able to freeze ships."
"I don't know…," Alya didn't sound very convinced.
'Wow, she doesn't seem to trust us,' he thought.
"Whatever we are going to do," Elian warned, "we must decide soon."
The ships were too close.
"Okay," Nahuel announced, "this is what we'll do."
Boom! Boom! The first ship fired. The ship in which the five Marked Ones were in, shook due to the impact of the bullets.
"First elemental skill," Nahuel said, "solidification."
A round, diaphanous sphere, like a crystal shield, surrounded Nahuel, Elian, Alya, Igneo and Yaima.
"Release!" A soldier on the attacking ship shouted, and half a dozen Legion men fired arrows in the direction of the Marked Ones.
The projectiles didn't even tickle them. The arrows bounced when they hit the barrier that covered them. Nahuel's protection kept them all safe.
"Now!" Nahuel yelled.
Yaima then extended her open palm, pointing at the soldiers on the attacking ship's deck. A huge wave of the sea rose over these men of the Legion. Then, Elian jumped up and shot a purple lightning at his enemies.
"Combination!" Both kids yelled.
The Legion soldiers convulsed and writhed, covered in purple electricity, until smoke and the smell of burning flesh erupted from their bodies. They all fell inert.
[ VICTORY! RAKNA POINTS EARNED BY ELIAN: 8]
[ VICTORY! RAKNA POINTS EARNED BY YAIMA: 8]
Boom! There was no time to celebrate. The other ships, at the same time, fired at the marked ones. The ship they were in shook and slowly tilted.
"It's going to sink!" Igneous yelled "We have to jump!"
The five Marked Ones jumped to the enemy ship that was next to them, littered with unconscious bodies of soldiers.
Igneous looked at the remaining ships. "Now we only have to do this six more times?"
"I don't think so," Nahuel answered. "Elian and Yaima can only do that. twice more."
"So what do we do?"
"Your guess is as good as mine…"
Boom, boom, boom! All six ships continued their firing. Yaima waved her hand, and a huge wave hit one of the enemy ships. Elian jumped and repeated the movement of minutes before. "Combination!" They both shouted.
This time it was not so effective, only a part of the soldiers received the attack.
"If we use the combination again," Elian said, "we will lose our transformation."
Boom! Boom! Bullets flew. One of them hit near Nahuel and sent him flying into the air.
"Nahuel!" Yama yelled.
The boy fell crashing into the sea. The heavy armor made him sink quickly. He felt his air was running out. Yaima wasn't around to make him float, he had to think and do something fast.
With his mind, he asked the System to cancel the transformation. The ocher armor disappeared line ink ink in water, allowing him to swim to the surface.
He saw that the soldiers of a ship jumped to where his friends were. A battle raged on deck. Fire flew through the air, gusts of wind hurling men overboard. Purple flashes came and went.
'Resist, my friends,' thought Nahuel. Then he looked for a way to get on the ship. Something moved in the darkness of the sea. Something big.
'What was that?' the boy wondered. 'I could swear I saw a long tail.'
The sea shook and Nahuel noticed a huge shadow below him.
'That's... it can't be.'
His suspicions would be cleared up quickly. An explosion of water occurred, as if a titan had broken free from the depths of the ocean. A huge mouth with sharp teeth swung over one of the Legion ships. Crash! That gigantic jaw shattered half the ship. Shrapnel and men flew everywhere.
Whatever swallowed half of that ship sank back down.
"A sea monster!" One of the soldiers yelled. Legion ships lined up to fire at the beast.
SPLASH! The monster broke the surface and rose into the air, like when whales jump. CRASH! It wrecked a second ship. Boom! Boom! The bullets did not wait. Several of them hit the monster, as it made a sound of lamentation, of pain.
That must not have pleased it at all, because Nahuel saw how the enormous creature turned in the direction of one of the ships that were firing, as if the beast had not finished. It moved quickly, as if eager to attack.
Crash! It split the ship in two.
"Yaima!" Nahuel yelled. The girl leaned over the side and her eyes lit up when she saw him. "Pull me up!"
She nodded and moved her hands, as if she was massaging the air. Nahuel floated in the air, on a levitating layer of water. She carried him up to the deck, where unconscious bodies of soldiers had been dumped. His friends had managed to neutralize everyone.
"Thank you," the boy said.
Yaima rushed to hug him. That was not expected. He liked it.
Crash! Another ship fell. Now there were only two left. And one of those two was the one they were in.
"That monster will come for us," Igneous warned. "Leave it to me."
"Do you think you can take on that beast by yourself?" Elian asked, incredulous.
"I have to try," the boy replied. "I have a devastating attack, capable of shattering that monster's skull."
"That's right," Alya confirmed, "I have seen it before. It was as if a star fell from the sky. Charges incoming blows and converts them into energy, which he then unleashes in a devastating attack."
"You're a berserker, right?" Elian asked. Igneous nodded, with a certain pride in his eyes.
"But… if you use that skill, you will spend all of your stamina," Nahuel warned.
Igneous shrugged. "Doesn't matter. The enemy fleet no longer exists. We don't the transformations anymore. At least not for now."
"Go ahead, then," Nahuel gave a thumbs up.
"Let's combine powers," Elian suggested.
Igneous raised an eyebrow. "Combine powers? You and I?"
Elian nodded. "Fire plus lightning creates explosive overload. It is the most destructive combination there is. Or so my System secured."
"Okay," Igneous smiled, "let's do it. Let's spend all our stamina on this last attack."
Crash! The fifth enemy ship fell to pieces, the sea beast destroying them like morsels.
Igneous jumped over his companions and looked at the sea. He saw the huge creature speeding towards them. "Second Elemental Skill!" Igneous exclaimed. "ENERGY BURST!"
FUUUSH! He took off like a comet. The beast opened its huge mouth, not realizing that a ball of fire was heading at full speed, about to collide.
"Combination!" Elian fired a bolt of purple lightning at Igneous.
The ball of flame and thunder entered the monster's wide snout and exited the other side. He burst opened the entrails and skull of the beast. Brains, blood, and bones flew everywhere.
The monster groaned and fell limp.
[ VICTORY! RAKNA POINTS EARNED BY IGNEOUS: 12]
[ VICTORY! RAKNA POINTS EARNED BY ELIAN: 12]