Setup

~~~🛠️~~~

Nessus, in another life, would have been a rather interesting bard. He had the charisma, the expressiveness, and that confidence that meant success for every man or woman he entertained. And now a swarm of children clustered around him as he performed with his hands, his voice, even his bow. Like they were theatrical instruments. His eyes sparkled with mischief. The youngsters hung on every word.

"And when I say enormous," he whispered, leaning forward, "I don't mean 'big like this'." He made an exaggerated gesture with both arms open. "No. It was like this." He lifted a single arm like a mast and flexed his biceps. "He could lift an entire person with just this right arm."

A murmur of astonishment rippled through the kids.

"A-a-a small person… or…?" asked a little boy in a thin voice.

Nessus tilted his head and, with the feline smile of a fox about to pounce on its prey, let the answer slip out.

"Medium-sized."

"Aaah!" several children shrieked in unison, jumping back in mock terror.

Nessus grinned like a fairground rogue.

"And not only that. He had scars like treasure maps, all across his chest. And his good eye… oh, that eye… if he looked at you, you knew you were going to end up hanging like a candle from his ship."

"What was his name?" dared a girl clutching her rag doll tight.

The blond man drew a dramatic pause, inflating the silence like a drum… but he didn't get to say the name. A firm hand grabbed his elbow and yanked him the way one drags a bread thief.

"His name is 'Get back to work,'" Ettor growled, dry as stone. "And he's looking for you."

"Hey, no! You wanted to hear about the Cloud Ogre!" Nessus protested, pointing to his disappointed audience.

"We're here to organize defenses, not to keep children from sleeping tonight," Ettor said, not batting an eye. "Did you check the nets on the northern stretch?"

The young man blinked. "Uh… not yet."

"Thought so. Run. And check the pulleys too. If any creak, replace it!"

"Yes, yes!" Nessus wriggled free, made a comic bow to the children, and sprinted up the street, his boots thudding on the stones. "See you later, little ones!"

Ettor watched him until he disappeared from view. Then he turned to Rei, who approached with an oil-stained notebook tucked under his arm. The midafternoon sun boiled on the tiled roofs of Luminas’ harbor.

"Tell me, inventor." The elder's voice lacked reproach; it sounded like verdict. "Will all of this be enough?"

Rei stopped beside him and surveyed the square: men raising plank barricades, women braiding ropes, youth driving improvised posts into the ground. Far off, two guards practiced archery at a swinging barrel Nessus had left as a target.

He inhaled deeply.

"It will be enough to hold," he said calmly. "The guards are learning to aim at moving targets. It's not easy, but they've achieved more in two days than I expected. And Leonoris is teaching them to use Solaria's Blessing. Their hands shake less when they pronounce it properly."

Ettor narrowed his eyes.

"That will give them an extra second of steadiness. Sometimes that's the only difference between life and death."

Rei nodded.

"I know. They should have been taught earlier, and you shouldn't have hoarded the magic."

"We don't 'hoard' it for nothing," Ettor straightened. "It's hard to learn without constant practice. And if pirates are after crystals, we're serving them on a plate. It's a risky decision. And you know it."

"I know we can win, don't worry. And besides..." He paused, like weighing his words. "Let's say I have a couple more ideas. Still in the works."

"Ideas." The elder studied him, serious. He repeated the word like it weighed something heavy.

Rei didn't flinch. "Trust me. I wouldn't have poured my soul into this workshop if I didn't believe we could surprise them."

Ettor held his gaze a few seconds longer. Then nodded slightly. He still seemed reluctant to fully accept the young man. But Rei didn't care. His actions would speak for him.

They crossed the square toward where Leonoris spoke with a cluster of women and elders. The princess listened more than she spoke, leaning toward each one with respectful attention.

A little girl stepped forward shyly, clutching her mother's skirt.

"Thank you, hooded princess!" she said with childlike solemnity.

Leonoris crouched to her eye level. "Thank you for helping with the ropes," she replied, then stroked the child's hair.

The girl smiled and ducked back into her mother's skirt. Leonoris looked up. Rei was already there, watching. This time there was no terror in her face nor stiffness in her hands. Only quiet complicity. She hadn't revealed herself fully to the others yet, but no longer seemed intimidated by his own nature.

The inventor came to stand beside her. She held his gaze for a moment longer. Then returned her attention to the townsfolk.

"Hey, inventor!" an old man called while sharpening a harpoon. "This thing hasn't fished in twenty years. But today might be the day it comes back."

"Hero!" another boy shouted to his right, slinging a slingshot at a can. "I've got better aim than Caen!"

"Hero!" someone else countered. "No way, Metz's aim is better!"

Rei looked around, charmed and surprised to see that it wasn't just soldiers preparing for the pirates. All sorts of barricades jutted from houses, built without orders.

"We won't leave the Hero who boarded the pirate ship to fight alone," a youth added.

"We can do it!" a girl shouted.

"Even if we can't do much, they shall not pass."

The murmur of approval spread like fire through dry straw. Rei felt a different chill then—one of pride in the town.

"That's it," Ettor said, brief and firm. "No one runs alone. Stick by blocks, and if retreat sounds, don't play heroics. Wait for us."

Leonoris smiled softly at the people's resolve. Inside, Rei felt the spark ignite. The Kounarians were tired of bowing their heads. And it was, in part, because of him.

From a nearby rooftop Nessus' voice boomed:

"The north nets are taut! And I found a stray cat to help me catch rats if any turn up!"

He hoisted the feline above his head. The animal yowled indignantly, limbs splayed like a crucifix. The children burst into laughter.

Leonoris brought a hand to her forehead and sighed fondly.

"Get down from there. And leave the cat alone."

"At your command, princess!" he cried, making a ridiculous bow.

Rei laughed, and the tension that had hung over the afternoon eased a little. The air smelled of salt and fresh-planked wood. For the first time in a long while, the harbor felt not only fear but hope, with Solaria as a divine witness.

~~~🔥~~~

"They are here!"

Eight days had passed since the clash with Malbrine. Rei stopped working on his new contraption, standing amid the darkened workshop, as he heard the distant scream. Instinctively he glanced toward the door and hurried to it.

The bells that echoed through the city mingled with distant shouts of command.

The moment had come.

He strapped on the belt bristling with all the new devices he'd prepared. They were more and better than ever, and he told himself the pirates would not be ready for what was coming.

Fully equipped, he dashed to his seldom-used room—a place for sleeping on nights he wasn't lost in inventions. He donned the Hero's outfit completely: trousers—check. Coat—check. Boots—check. Tricorn—too ready. It was time.

He descended the stairs, about to seek out the Illuminated, but ran straight into the three of them.

"Rei!" Leonoris cried, stopping short before him. "It's—"

"I know. The guard?"

"Moved along the coast," Ettor explained. "Except a few left in the neighborhoods for emergencies."

"Good. No time to waste. Let's go."

"Hero. My children—"

They were halted by none other than the King of Kounaria, accompanied by the Queen.

"Be careful, please."

"We will," Nessus said solemnly, knowing the hour left no room for jokes.

"Good," Conferius turned his head. "Hero, you know what to do. Whatever happens, thank you for giving us hope and helping us stand."

Rei looked calm and confident, or so he tried to appear, though inside he nursed doubts. He wouldn't reveal them; now was the time to be strong, to be the rock Kounaria clung to.

"May Solaria accompany you all," Queen Valeta murmured, visibly worried for her children and people.

"And you," they answered, and the four of them burst toward the horses.

~~~🏴‍☠️~~~

"Holy Solaria…"

Leonoris froze, riding pillion behind Nessus.

Beyond the horizon, five colossal pirate ships loomed like black mountains. Their torn sails blotted out the sun, and their hulls threw long shadows across the water.

Nessus swallowed. "Rei… you better have a plan."

Rei himself stood stunned at the sight of the enemy fleet. Even if he'd expected this, he couldn't help the knot in his throat at the scent of death so near.

"Gorō… if you're still there… help me protect them all, please."

Rei frowned. No one would stop him from winning and returning home to his siblings.

"The plan is to head for the docks! Faster!"