By Sea

The ship slipped out of the harbor as Shen, Fenix, and Kelly stepped out. The wind filled the sails, and the waves gently rippled. * "You lied to her,"* the words from his dream, kept repeating in his head. The weight of them made him restless, and he was unable to understand what they meant. He seemed calm on the outside, but a storm raged within. He was curious about Lina's current state of health.

The silence was broken by Fenix, who turned to Shen and looked serious. "Now that we're on our way, may I ask if you have a plan in case we encounter pirates?"

Aware of the limited time and resources available, Shen maintained his focus on the horizon. "I don't have a plan," he said, slowly shaking his head. However, we are in a critical moment. Therefore, we are unable to go back and come up with a different plan at this time.

Shen realized he couldn't handle this alone, despite his desire to keep the crew safe. Fortunately, the troops on board were completely aware of the dangers, but they were willing to sacrifice themselves for the King and the realm.

With the wind's soft push, the ship gained speed and glided farther out into the broad ocean. Everything was typical at first: the sea was calm, the breeze was constant, and the sky was clear. Shen's discomfort persisted, nevertheless. An impending threat was indicated by the dark clouds that hung over the horizon.

Eventually, a dark outline appeared on the far horizon. A huge ship approached them, its hull covered in seaweed. Shen's eyes were drawn to the ship's dark, menacing aspect right once.

"We can manage this with just one ship," Shen thought. But Fenix's anxious voice cut through his thoughts:

"Two more ships are behind us, Shen!"

They were surrounded by three advancing pirate ships. It was easy to handle one ship, but three? That was a very other story. Shen, Fenix, and Kelly stood calmly, anticipating what would happen as the pirate ships quickly closed the gap.

The kingdom's ship was surrounded by pirate ships, eliminating any possibility of escape. Silence fell for a few uncomfortable minutes. The only sound to shatter the silence was the gentle lap of the waves as the wind slowed.

When the pirate captain finally crossed an improvised bridge to board the kingdom's ship, the quiet was broken. His heavy boots sounded menacingly on the wooden deck. His gang, grimy-faced, wild-eyed males who radiated threat, positioned themselves around him.

The captain himself was a massive man with a heavy sword at his hip, a thick black beard, and rough leather armor. But what stood out most about him was the smug sparkle in his eyes, a self-assurance that verged on pure hubris.

The skipper inhaled deeply while extending his arms in a gesture of supremacy over the oceans.

He yelled, "We are free on these waters!" over the breaking waves. Here, we are all rulers and kings! We have no one to answer to, and these oceans are our nation.

The pirates shouted joyously and waved their swords in agreement. With fierce pride and unquestioned power, their wild eyes shone.

Fenix and Kelly stood together, prepared for combat. Fenix's blade sparkled in the sunlight as Kelly's hand automatically grabbed for her bow. Shen, on the other hand, maintained his composure while closely monitoring the pirate captain's moves.

The captain stepped forward once more, his tone full of derision. However, I assume you already know that. You utilize this see for transportation because of this. "So, tell me, who are these idiots daring to trespass in our waters?" he replied softly.

Shen took a deep breath and looked directly into the captain's eyes without flinching. "You're going to learn," he shot back, his tone piercing. Before starting the inevitable battle, his remarks briefly halted the tension.

The pirate captain roared with laughter. When he yelled, "Then show us how brave you are!" mayhem broke out.

As the pirates charged with their weapons up, Fenix, Kelly, and Shen immediately acted.

Fenix deflected the first pirate blow with his shield. Fenix pushed his shield forward, pushing the pirate back, then quickly swung his sword in a diagonal arc, causing the sound of metal on metal to crash. The pirate lost his footing and collapsed.

Kelly, on the other hand, took a step back and inserted an arrow into her bow. As she studied the chaos, her keen eyes focused on a particularly hostile pirate who was charging at her. With the arrow loose, she hit the pirate in the throat. Without a sound, he fell to the deck.

Shen was confronted directly by the pirate captain. With a frightening snarl, the captain advanced on Shen while holding his enormous sword in both hands. "These seas belong to me!" he screamed, slashing his blade viciously.

Shen quickly sidestepped, causing the deck's planks to split as the blade barely missed him.

"Look at me, captain!" Shen spoke, his eyes ferocious. He gripped his blade tighter, ready to block the captain's next move.