By Sea

As the ship slipped out of the harbor, Shen, Fenix, and Kelly stood on its deck. The sails filled with wind, and the waves moved slowly. * The words from his dream, "You lied to her," kept coming back to him. He was restless because of their weight, and he couldn't figure out what they meant. He looked calm on the outside, but inside, he was going through a storm. He wanted to know how Lina was doing health-wise right now.

Fenix broke the silence by turning to Shen and looking serious. "Now that we're on our way, can I ask if you have a plan in case we run into pirates?"

Shen kept his eyes on the horizon, knowing that he didn't have much time or money. "I don't have a plan," he said, shaking his head slowly. But we are at a very important point right now. So, right now we can't go back and come up with a new plan.

Shen knew he couldn't do this by himself, even though he wanted to keep the crew safe. The soldiers on board knew all about the risks, but they were willing to give their lives for the King and the realm.

The ship sped up and glided farther out into the wide ocean with the soft push of the wind. At first, everything was normal: the sea was calm, the wind was steady, and the sky was clear. Still, Shen's unease didn't go away. It was a knot in his gut he recognized from the battlefield—that cold certainty that something was terribly wrong, long before his eyes could confirm it.

Finally, a dark shape appeared on the far horizon. A big ship came toward them, and its hull was covered in seaweed.

Shen thought, "We can handle this with just one ship." But Fenix's worried voice broke through his thoughts:

"Shen, there are two more ships behind us!"

One ship was easy to deal with, but three? That was a very different story. Shen, Fenix, and Kelly stood still, waiting for what would happen as the pirate ships quickly closed the gap.

Pirate ships surrounded the kingdom's ship, making it impossible for it to get away. There was an awkward silence for a few minutes. The only sound that broke the silence was the soft sound of the waves as the wind slowed down.

The pirate captain finally crossed a makeshift bridge to get on the kingdom's ship, which broke the silence. His heavy boots made a scary noise on the wooden deck. His gang, a bunch of dirty-faced, wild-eyed men who looked like they were going to hurt him, surrounded him.

The captain was a very big man with a thick black beard, a heavy sword at his side, and rough leather armor. But what really stood out about him was the smug sparkle in his eyes and the way he seemed to be almost too sure of himself.

The captain took a deep breath and raised his arms to show that he was in charge of the oceans.

He yelled, "These waters are ours!" over the crashing waves. We are all kings and queens here! We don't have to answer to anyone, and these oceans are our country.

The pirates shouted with joy and waved their swords to show they agreed. Their wild eyes shone with fierce pride and unquestionable power.

Fenix and Kelly stood next to each other, ready to fight. Fenix's sword shone in the sun, and Kelly's hand reached for her bow without her even thinking about it. Shen, on the other hand, stayed calm and kept a close eye on what the pirate captain was doing.

The captain stepped forward again, this time with a tone of scorn. But I think you already know that. Because of this, you use this sea to get around. "So, tell me, who are these idiots who are brave enough to come into our waters?" he said quietly.

Shen took a deep breath and looked the captain straight in the eye without blinking. "You're going to learn," he said in a sharp voice. Before the fight that was bound to happen, his words briefly eased the tension.

The pirate captain laughed out loud. When he yelled, "Then show us how brave you are!" chaos erupted.

Fenix, Kelly, and Shen all jumped into action right away when the pirates charged with their weapons up.

Fenix used his shield to block the first blow from a pirate. Fenix pushed his shield forward to push the pirate back, then quickly swung his sword in a diagonal arc, making a loud crash of metal on metal. The pirate fell down because he lost his balance.

Kelly, on the other hand, stepped back and put an arrow in her bow. As she looked at the chaos, her sharp eyes locked on a pirate who was coming at her with a lot of anger. She hit the pirate in the throat with the loose arrow. He fell to the deck without making a sound.

The pirate captain spoke directly to Shen. The captain moved toward Shen with a scary snarl and held his huge sword in both hands. He yelled, "These seas are mine!" as he slashed his sword.

Shen quickly moved to the side, and the blade barely missed him as the deck's planks split.

"Look at me, captain!" Shen spoke, and his eyes were fierce. He held his sword tighter, ready to stop the captain's next move.