The dark smoke rising from the shattered ironclad drifted across the scrying window. Leo rested his hands on the heavy oak desk in the City Heaven and watched the burning debris sink into the shallow waters of Saltbreeze Cove. The initial ambush had successfully crippled the lead enemy vessel, but the victory was purely mathematical. Forty nine master tier warships remained active in the bay.
The enemy armada did not retreat in panic. Lord Silas commanded a veteran fleet, and his sailors possessed centuries of combat discipline. The remaining ironclads shifted their formations instantly. They angled their massive hulls toward the steep cliffs where Balthazar and the ten Ashguard ballistas sat exposed.
Jasmine yelled through the communication stone resting on the desk. Her voice carried t
