The Port Neighbourhood Defense

~~~⚔️~~~

The bells of Luminas Port tolled with such force that even the windows of the houses trembled. It was the alarm of war. Men, women, and children rushed out of their homes, not to flee, but to take positions at the barricades they had been reinforcing for days.

The salty sea breeze mixed with the dust of freshly nailed wood and the nervous murmur of a people who, for the first time in years, were not willing to kneel.

And then it appeared.

The Scarlet Colossus. An immense galleon that covered half the sky, its hull stained in red and black, its torn black sails resembling bat wings. One of the emblematic ships of the Pirate Kingdom—of the many they had scattered across the world—trailing a dark purple wake, a reminder of its malice. The wooden beast didn’t advance head-on toward the port. It rose and sank slowly, swaying like a patient predator.

Ahead of it, four smaller pirate ships dove, each packed with a hundred pirates hungry to devour the port.

“They’re coming!” a guard shouted from a rooftop.

Everything happened in moments. The prepared traps were triggered. From the rooftops, heavy nets dropped over the first pirates trying to swing down on ropes, trapping them like fish out of water as they cursed in their sea-born tongues. In the alleys, makeshift barricades of planks blocked those charging with swords and axes. The townsfolk, organized by blocks, threw their weight into holding them steady.

“More people to the right!” another shouted, directing those hurling stones to reinforce the fragile wall.

“Release!”

The guards launched a volley of white-illuminated arrows into the sky. They gleamed with the enchantment Leonoris had taught them, many hitting dead-on targets that had seemed too far. The pirates began taking casualties, yet for every one that fell, two more seemed to take their place.

The pirate ships couldn’t advance under such fire. They might not be able to touch the Colossus, but the threat of the archers stopped them from deploying men behind the barricades, forcing them to land on the coast where militias overwhelmed them. Part of the plan was working.

Nessus, perched on a rooftop, drew and loosed his bow again and again. Each arrow was a flash streaking through the air.

“One less!” he shouted, his foxlike laughter sparking courage among the neighbors. “Come on, Kounaria, don’t let them steal our lunch!”

A chorus of laughter mixed with war cries.

“Don’t stop reciting! The Light will guide your hands!” cried the princess, running from one group to another, lifting spirits with a blend of firmness and sweetness.

Rei watched her, impressed. He’d had no idea the Princess could become a war leader when she set her mind to it. For his part, he had taken command of street coordination, riding alongside Ettor for the moment.

“Group in fives! If ropes drop, don’t cut—trap! If they throw bombs, cover under wood!” he ordered, running from barricade to barricade.

His voice was interrupted by a sharp, whistling sound, followed by a blast that shook the entire port. The wall behind them had been struck by a cannonball, obliterating a combat post. Rei closed his eyes a moment, praying those stationed there had survived, but he had to swallow the shiver crawling down his back.

“Hold the line! Don’t let them intimidate you!”

“Hero!” Ettor cut in, pointing urgently to the right.

Another pirate ship had rounded the coast from the southeast. Taking advantage of the distraction, it had neutralized the first line of archers with musket fire.

“Damn it! They’ll break through this side of the barriers!”

“If they do, it’s only a matter of time before the port’s resistance collapses,” added the Enlightened.

“We’ll cover them with cavalry! Go!”

With a few signals, their horses bolted toward the critical zone. Rei’s plan was for himself and six Royal Guard specialists to intercept the assault. But even from two blocks away, pirates swarmed over a side barricade, throwing grapples and ropes.

“They’re breaching!” a civilian shouted, wielding a crude sling. “Fall back!”

The horses thundered past him, charging into danger. Ettor paled, realizing they were galloping into slaughter.

“Move!”

The descending pirates opened fire with muskets. One guard’s horse collapsed, crushing its rider, while the others scrambled behind nearby houses.

“They’ll massacre us!” a guard cried.

“Help!” shouted one of the fallen, trapped beneath the dead animal.

Musket shots cracked. A bullet struck the cobblestones, another the horse’s carcass, another chipped the cornice inches from Ettor’s head.

“Any plan?” he asked.

Rei thought for a second, his hand brushing his belt for answers. Many options—but he found the right one.

“How many are they?”

“Fifteen,” Ettor answered sharply.

“Can you cut fifteen training dummies in thirty seconds?”

Ettor blinked, baffled. “Yes?”

Without hesitation, Rei drew a small metallic sphere from his belt—powder compressed inside, a light crystal embedded at its core. Hastily built, as unstable and unreliable as the prototype from that fateful night.

“On my signal!” Rei shouted. He stuck his hand out, then yanked it back as bullets whistled past. A heartbeat later, he leaned out, hurled the sphere, and ducked just as another shot shattered the cornice.

The throw was perfect. The pirates gawked at the strange metal object clattering near them.

“Is that a cobblestone?” one asked loudly enough for all to hear.

“It’s a flash grenade, idiot.”

One. Two. Thr—

BOOM!

As before, the grenade went off a bit early. But this time, Rei had refined the detonation mechanism, and with the magic crystal, it burst in a blinding flash that shredded the invaders’ senses. Screams erupted as pirates dropped weapons, some collapsing outright.

“Now!” Rei commanded.

Ettor and the guards charged. War cries ripped through the air as blades cut down stunned pirates. The first never knew what hit them; the rest staggered in a clumsy defense. Within seconds, all were slaughtered.

“To the left!” a guard warned.

Another group tried to flank through an alley. Rei whipped out his ratchet grappler. The hook shot out with a metallic twang, catching a post and pulling a taut line across the passage. The lead pirate tripped headfirst, the rest tumbling over him in a ridiculous heap—then cut down one by one.

It hit Rei then: the pirates were being massacred. In his only other fight with them, the enemies had been captured, not slaughtered. This was different. He wondered—

BANG. A bullet smashed near him, fired from the colossal shadow looming above, snuffing out any lingering pity.

“The ship is still overhead!” Rei cried, spotting crew firing from above.

“We need cover!” Ettor ran toward him. “We can’t—”

BOOM.

A dark crimson blast tore into a small airship, ripping apart its deck and slamming it into abandoned houses. The crash spewed fire, ash, and dust. Rei knew exactly who had fired.

“You could’ve warned us you’d come this far!” Nessus yelled from horseback. Leonoris, panting from the blast, clung behind him.

Rei looked up just in time.

“Leonoris, move!” he roared.

He yanked her aside, her head dropping to his level as a jagged shard the size of a spear ripped past, splintering the ground with a metallic crack.

Heart racing, Leonoris shot him a fierce look, forcing a smile with a thumbs-up.

“Good work...” she panted, remounting properly.

Rei drew a shaky breath, spurred his horse, and regrouped at the plaza’s center.

BOOM.

All turned to the coast in dread. The Scarlet Colossus unleashed its cannons, thunder shaking the earth. One shot obliterated the seawall, clouds of debris smothering the street. The ground quaked, people screamed.

“No!” Leonoris shouted.

BOOM.

Another blast nearly cleared the wall, demolishing a watchtower.

BOOM.

Another struck two fishermen’s homes, reducing them to splinters.

Panic spread. Defenders faltered, retreating as defenses crumbled.

“What’s happening?” Nessus asked.

“They’re bombarding us,” Ettor said grimly. “This is bad.”

Rei fixed on the giant ship, noting its rhythm.

Rising. Falling. Firing. Oscillating its height to stay out of reach... but if it drops too much, it can strike...

Beyond the wall loomed the Royal Castle. Rei clenched his jaw.

“We can’t hold only down here,” he muttered.

“Then what do you propose?” Ettor turned.

“You!”

They faced General Maedros, the guard captain, armor dented, face blackened with soot.

“Hero!” he barked, pointing at the Colossus. “We can hold the city against the lesser ones. But that monster will crush us if you don’t stop it.”

Rei understood instantly.

“Then we’ll board it.”

“What?” Leonoris was stunned.

“A little trip to hell by boat?” Nessus added. “Crazy. Just how I like it.”

Leonoris pressed her lips together, firm despite the shock.

“If it’s the only way, then I’m with you. I trust you, Rei.”

Ettor’s gaze hardened. At last, he nodded.

“Fine. But if any of you die up there, I’ll know no peace—even in the grave. And the people will be lost. You’d better understand that.”

Maedros pointed toward the dock.

“We knew you’d accept. We prepared a small ship. Fast and nimble. You can close in on the Colossus when it drops again. We’ll cover you from the smaller vessels.”

“Then let’s go!” Rei ordered.

The four galloped to the dock, where a small vessel awaited, its white sails straining against the wind. Reinforced with extra planks, thick ropes, and harpoons, it resembled the one they had used to rescue Sylve.

The town watched them go. Some shouted, some wept, yet all fought on.

“Hero! Enlightened! May Solaria guide you!” they cried.

Rei looked back one last time. He saw children behind barricades, mothers with makeshift spears, elders gripping knives like swords. A shiver of pride surged through him.

I won’t fail them. No—I can’t fail them.

They boarded the ship. Nessus bowed exaggeratedly as he took the helm. Ettor stood at the bow, sword ready. Leonoris closed her eyes, whispering a prayer. Rei adjusted his belt, fixing his gaze on the colossal enemy, as if to set it ablaze with his eyes.

“Full speed!”

The wind snapped the sails, propelling the ship into the sea.

The square erupted in cheers, drowning out explosions for a heartbeat.

The Scarlet Colossus descended again, its cannons roaring. And toward it they sailed—four against an army, carrying the determination of an entire people on their shoulders.