My (Monster?) Hero Life

Chapter 179: Greeting The Living

Raven yelled with glee as the ship surfaced in the familiar wastes of the world he had essentially been kidnapped from. Many of the ghostly figures gave him ghoulish grins as they were just as happy as he was. Without sparing a moment to revel any further, he scanned the horizon for the vampire city. Eager to return to the arms of the woman he loved.

However, his enthusiasm had a bucket of freezing water tossed over it as he spotted an army encamped in front of the city. Smoke was rising from beyond the walls as the sound of battle reached his ears. 'What the hell happened while we were gone?'

"Sir! An army of the living moves from the mountains over there towards the city!" The ghoul in the crow's nest bellowed down.

Josh raised an eyebrow in amusement. 'Seems like the vampires days are numbered. This should make it easier to slip in and save the crew.' Josh took in the surroundings before turning the wheel of the ship to face the city.

"What are you doing!" Rave roared in outrage. "We have to stop that army before the city falls!"

"Why should we care?" Josh asked as he raised an eyebrow towards his former captain. Rendering him speechless for a moment.

"Because," Raven wracked his brain furiously for an appropriate answer. "If we stop the army, then the queen may pardon us and release the crew. Otherwise, who's to say she won't execute them the moment she realises we have returned?"

Josh mulled these words over carefully within the confines of his mind. He had to admit that Raven's words did, indeed make a lot of sense. However, the real deciding factor did not come from Raven. Instead, it was the expectant looks his ghastly crew were giving him. As if they were eager to consign the souls of the living to the same hell that they had experienced.

Not wanting to disappoint his newly appointed crew on their maiden voyage he began to steer the ship towards the reinforcements headed towards the hero army. 'Well then, let's see what you can do!'

"Full sail! Prepare the cannons! To arms! To arms!" Josh commanded with his most authoritative voice that could raise the dead from their graves. 

The crew cheered excitedly as they rushed around, making the necessary preparations. Raven wiped the sweat from his brow, glad to have convinced Josh to do this. There was no way he could make a triumphant return to Sonja if he just let invaders march up to her front door and kick them in. Raven offered a silent prayer to the gods that Sonja was safe and sound. 

The city's situation looked to be extremely dire, and the crew was not exactly the largest force on the table. What they lacked in could be made up for with superior firepower. When sails were fully unfurled a supernatural wind blew from behind them to fill the sails. Allowing them to rapidly traverse the terrain.

It did not take the heroes long to notice the unusual sight o a ship sailing on the solid ground headed straight towards them. Their formation broke instantly. After all, how could they possibly stop a rampaging warship with nothing but a few shields and mediocre weapons? Did they look suicidal to you?

The crew soon had the fleeing heroes locked dead in their sights. Without even waiting for the command, they began to open fire. Ghostly cannonballs leapt from the hungry mouths of the cannons on board, exploding amongst the fleeing figures. It was a complete rout, and some of the heroes even attempted to throw down their weapons and surrender.

They made excellent target practice for the rusty crew! Setting them in their sights, they turned them into a fine spray of red and gore. Every time the crew achieved a direct hit, a loud cheer would erupt from the deck to signify the achievement. Josh watched on with a happy smile like a proud father revelling in the achievements of his children.

Josh had missed this feeling! It was the feeling of actually having a family you belonged to! Who knew that death was such good company? The few heroes that tried to resist with magic found that their spells passed through the ghost ship as if it never actually existed in the first place! This caused them to collapse in a blubbering mess of despair. 

Certain that the reaper had personally come for their souls. Seeing his crew come to life to speak made Josh feel itchy to test out his new abilities. They're just so happened to be a prime testing ground right before them as well! Josh slowly turned the wheel as it let out a groan of resistance. Well, that is what it would sound like to the living. To Josh's ears, it sounded like the ship was excited to bathe in more blood!

He was all too happy to comply with its wishes since he was aiming for anyway. The army before the city gates had realised what had happened to their reinforcements. Realising that there was a new player in the game they quickly began to form their ranks. The short battle had happened so far away that none of them had borne witness to their comrades failed attempts to damage the ship.

Raven had become a madman full of glee, he was certain that he would receive a warm welcome after all of this! 'For sure, it is true what they say! A woman is a sailor's safe harbour!' Of course, this implied that the sailor in question was a man. Especially since he would be eager to put his figuratively speaking 'ship' in the woman's 'harbour'.

Raven grinned as they approached the heroes who were preparing for a defensive battle. He was getting eager to fire a few of those cannons on his own! Before he could rush forward to take control of one a terrifying aura washed over them. Lauren, the guild master, had made her way to the frontline facing them. Her face was the picture of a perfect storm