Rain poured ceaselessly as lightning streaked across the sky. The Knuckleback jerked back and forth, gravely at the brink of capsizing. Oddly enough, it always managed to maintain stability at the last moment. The sailors desperately manned their positions, some hurling attacks at the sea entity looming over them, others reloading the cannons.

  At that moment, a shadow was cast over them as the Obnimi descended, its mouth wide open. From the deck, the sailors could see the jagged teeth that spiraled into unknown depths.

  First-mate Odin didn't stand idle. His eyes assumed a bright azure colour as he raised his right arm. Following his gesture, the sea ebbed once— almost as though syncing with his heartbeat.

  Immediately after that, the surrounding waters rose and the dark blue film arched over the ship and rapidly began to freeze over.

  Then, Odin fisted his palm, causing the ice to split into giant sheets of frost that formed a layer of barriers above the ship, inevitably colliding with the serpent and slowing its descent.

  Large chunks of ice fell, and the sailors on the Knuckleback had to stagger to safety. The battle was now between the two entities contending for the title of: Sea god!

  “Everyone, go below deck!” The First-mate commanded. He reached into the pocket of his pantaloons and retrieved a leather pouch. He unscrewed the cap and brought it to his lips, consuming the pungent and cheap ale in one gulp.

  “By the gods!” Odin’s brain finally seemed to be functioning properly as the strong taste jerked his nerves awake. He shook his head and returned his focus to the Leviathan thrashing around the ice barrier.

  The jagged maw bit furiously into the ice, but ultimately failed to crush its composition.

  Odin flexed his other arm, condensing frost to create a gleaming blue trident. Although he wasn't confident in slaying this beast—neither could fall the other—he could at least make it retreat to the depths of the sea.

  …

  At that moment, the air suddenly shook.

  First-mate Odin had a premonition as he turned his head to the side, to no one in particular. Following his gaze, the surface of reality caved in, before shattering like glass and spilling a dark red colour.

  Odin’s heart trembled slightly, but he quickly returned to normal when he realised what was happening. Almost immediately, a look of scorn appeared on his face.

  “Tsk!”

  From the crack in reality, a dark-red vortex took form and a figure stepped out, immediately followed by another person, though of a much smaller build.

  Odin tossed the leather pouch to the wooden floor and scoffed, saying, “Why the hell would you appear at such a time…”

  Simultaneously, the Obnimi trembled with fear from the depths of its soul. Being the strongest of sea serpents, it had a degree of intelligence, and it could sense intense oppression coming from something, someone on the ship.

  Without any hesitation, the Obnimi slithered away and crashed against the ebbing surface of the sea, making a decisive retreat.

  The rain gradually ceased.

  ..

  Heather and Esau stepped foot on the ship. The young prince looked around in astonishment upon seeing the icy dome above them, the rain-battered sailors hiding behind barrels, and the chunks of ice littering the deck.

  Luckily, he hadn't seen the sea serpent that was towering above the ship just a moment ago, otherwise, he would've gotten the fright of a lifetime.

  “What happened here?” He asked with knitted brows. He had changed into an outfit befitting for such a visit– a regular laced shirt, brown pants and a hooded cloak.

  Heather laughed and glanced at Odin. She pretended not to notice his annoyed look and said teasingly, “You people sure have it rough. I wonder, what would've happened if I didn't show up?”

  Naturally, she had noticed the sea serpent and would've chased after it if she wanted to.

  Odin fired back, “I would've handled it! You damn swine!”

  Watching the two friends bicker, the sailors on the Knuckleback slowly relaxed. They came out of their hiding spots and gathered around Heather, wearing looks of reverence and appreciation.

  “Supreme Knightess!” They echoed, almost kneeling and kissing the wooden floor.

  Esau watched with a smug look, enjoying the praises Heather received, even though he didn't particularly understand what was happening. After all, the strongest human in existence—a Blessed graded as an Ascendant—was more or less his sister.

  Heather was not only an Ascendant, but she was also from the Void Ascent, which was considered the most powerful Ascent to be born into. Her accomplishments and might were widely known, and it was natural that these sailors would be extremely reverent in her presence.

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  Ascendants were synonymous with Demigods. A lot of commoners and nobles would even put up her portraits in their homes.

  She was the personification of Strength, and Esau deeply adored her. Thus, she was only the person who could be considered his true friend. Well, aside from his actual sister– Imogen.

  At that moment, the icy dome liquified and ‘danced’ back into the sea. Four-eyed Iago also climbed back to the ship with the captain. They had managed to survive one of the most frightening moments at sea with all the crewmates intact.

  A number of them were injured, but nothing too grave.

  The captain walked over to Heather and extended his hand for a handshake.

  “Captain Bjorn,” Heather shook his hand, not minding the fact that the large man was completely naked.

  Esau, on the other hand, felt a wave of discomfort and tactfully looked in another direction.

  Captain Bjorn chuckled and nodded, “Beautiful to see you again, Heather. You've grown much, no? Odirov, bring me fresh clothes!” Then, his gaze fell on the young boy in a brown cloak.

  “The Prince?”

  Heather confirmed with a nod. She sighed and explained, “I thought it would be nice to pay my old friends a visit, and I decided to bring him along since he despises being ‘locked’ behind the castle walls all day.”

  “It's been seven years, and you're only just visiting.” Odin sneered from the side.

  Heather rolled her eyes.

  “It's been seven years, yet you still act like a child.”

  “You're a child!”

  Esau watched the back and forth, momentarily unable to discern if the two truly hated each other, or if it was just friendly banter. He shook his head and took one more glance around.

  His brain seemed to finally process the fact that he was on a ship, drifting far away from land. He looked at the gigantic waves and felt fear assault his nerves.

  The sea was awfully intimidating. The ebbing and vast surface evoked a sense of helplessness in him. Like he didn't matter in the grand scheme of things– a mere dot of colour on an infinite canvas.

  Calm down, calm down– this is what you've always wanted, phew…

  He repeatedly assured himself that he was safe. However, the thought of what could be lurking beneath the dark-blue surface scared him quite a bit. He calmed his racing heart and walked over to the starboard, stopping by the very edge.

  At the very least, Heather's here with me…

  Esau’s cloak fluttered in the wind, and an indescribable feeling seeped into his bones. Feeling a sudden sense of emancipation, he spread his arms wide and said in a low voice, “Freedom…”

  At that moment, the night sky bore a flash of red. Then, waves of fireflies descended from the clouds and coated the entire moonlit sky in a dazzling red glow.

  Heather and Odin stopped bickering and glanced over, so did the others. Everyone walked to the starboard and stared at the fireflies with a feeling of joy.

  The appearance of the red-mist fireflies signified the arrival of the month of Florae. These glittering fireflies danced around the sky like miniscule stars in the vast cosmos.

  “Say a prayer,” Heather urged Esau.

  The boy nodded and clasped his hands, shutting his eyes and saying a few words of appreciation to the God of Eternal Repose, Hanuman.

  Likewise, the sailors on the Knuckleback prayed to the respective Deities their faith belonged to.

  …

  The Human Kingdom, Oralio.

  In the castle located in the grand capital; Theradon, Imogen and the other kids rushed to the balcony attached to her room. They stared at the night sky dotted with specks of red.

  Their faces beamed with joy as they appreciated the lovely view.

  Likewise, the nobles, king and queen stepped out of the banquet hall and made a toast, before praying to Lord Hanuman.

  …

  Somewhere in the streets of Theradon, a young boy with flaxen hair nimbly maneuvered the crowded street, making his way to a food stand. He paid little attention to the fireflies that filled the sky, or the heart-racing music that everyone danced to.

  The boy, looking to be about sixteen years of age, reached into a pouch attached to his belt and fished out five Bronze Moppets.

  “Barbed fish soup, please.” He said, his lips pursed. “Oh, two bowls.”

  “Sure thing,” The aged woman in a fur coat nodded casually as she hummed along with the tune playing in the distance. She scooped two spoonfuls of soup and added smoked fish into the first bowl, before repeating her actions for the second bowl.

  Micheal swallowed hard as the fragrance of smoked fish filled his lungs. It was only during such a festival that he could get food and nibbles for cheap. Usually, a bowl of Barbed fish soup would go for about four Bronze Moppets. However, he was able to get two bowls for a total of five Moppets.

  “Here you go,” The woman passed him the soup and picked up the coins he'd placed on the wooden counter.

  Micheal thanked her and quickly turned around. He glanced at the soup repeatedly as he hurried along the street, curbing his desire to instantly fill his belly.

  Soon, he arrived in front of a small building with a half-broken wooden door. Micheal nudged the door with his right foot and made his way inside the house.

  It couldn't really be considered a house as there was only a small space available within the dilapidated stone walls. There was a table to the left and a straw bed by the corner. On the bed was a little girl wrapped in a hole-riddled blanket.

  Micheal placed the two bowls on the table and walked over to the bed. He crouched low and softly tapped the girl's shoulder.

  “Marie, wake up.”

  The girl groaned softly, before slowly opening her eyes.

  “Micheal? You're back?” She murmured as she sat up. The blanket slid down, revealing her figure. For a girl of her age, she was unusually thin, which was as a result of malnourishment and her illness.

  Micheal's heart winced when he glanced at her protruding ribs. He forced a smile and patted her head, saying, “I got food, let's eat.”

  Before he completed his sentence, Marie had turned her gaze to the table. Her eyes widened slightly as she asked, “How did you get the money?”

  Micheal chuckled dryly and explained, “I helped with wheat and barley transport earlier today and got paid. It was a rare opportunity. They needed an extra hand, so I tagged along with old man Roger.”

  “Thornhill?” The girl pressed. “Isn't that very far?”

  The only place that produced barley was Thornhill, and it was a village located far north of the capital. On foot, it would take at least an entire day to reach there. Even though there would be a wagon to load the goods, those that followed would have to walk.

  It was a very arduous and time consuming task.

  Micheal maintained his smile.

  “Don't worry about it. Come on, the soup will go cold if we delay any further. At least, we don't have to worry about food for the next few days.”

  Marie stared at him for a long while. Her flaky lips felt like they would fall off at any moment.

  “I'm sorry,” She suddenly lowered her head, and a single teardrop lined her hollow cheek. “I'm sorry I can't help you. I'm sorry for being a burden.”

  Micheal's eyes narrowed instantly.

  “Please don't ever say that again.” He grabbed her shoulders and seriously warned, “You have never been, and never will be a burden to me. What good am I if I can't take care of you?”

  Micheal sighed and rose from his crouched position. He walked over to the table and picked up the bowls of soup, then returned to her side.

  “Here,” He placed hers on the floor and patted her scruffy hair. “Eat before it gets cold.”

  Marie nodded solemnly and wiped her eyes. She raised the bowl and brought it to her lips.

  Sigh.. I need to think of ways to earn more money. If only I was born a Vestige, then maybe I could apply to join the Imperial knights. The pay would be enough to take care of both of us… Micheal criticised his lack of innate talent as the warm soup filled his lungs.

  From the corner of his eye, he watched his sister nibble on the fish and his heart tightened.

  He had to work harder.

  …

  On the Knuckleback, somewhere on the Silvermist sea.

  As the storm had ceased, the fog was beginning to return, coating the vast sea in a mysterious ambience. From behind the thin white screen, one could see flashing red dots.

  On the deck, Esau and Heather sat with the captain. The first, second and third mates were also present. They formed a circle around a barrel of beer as they engaged in small talk.

  One of the female crewmates approached the gathering with a plate of spicy grilled squid. The lady, with bronze skin and colourful smile, handed the plate to Esau and laughed.

  “Ya don't hafta worry, I'm the best cook in all of the five seas!”

  “Self proclaimed,” Second-mate Odirov coughed.

  Esau reached out and received the plate of grilled squid garnished with spices and vegetables.

  It looks quite appetising… The boy thanked her, pinched a tiny amount and tossed it into his mouth. He chewed for a few seconds. The soft texture seemed to melt on his tongue, and the spice perfectly complemented the salty taste, birthing a unique flavour.

  Esau’s expression went from surprise to approval.

  “It tastes really good! You cook really well.”

  The female crewmate who happened to be the chef flashed a triumphant smile and walked away. After all, it was no easy feat to receive a compliment from someone who was fed royal dishes everyday.

  Heather watched Esau closely, surprised that he gave the lady a genuine compliment. To enjoy the food was one thing, but to compliment the chef? There was no denying that the boy was quite arrogant.

  Maybe it's because he likes the atmosphere here? So he's naturally more comfortable?

  She had a few thoughts, but eventually brushed them aside. Then, she looked at the captain and asked, “So, what made you guys leave the Archipelago? What great treasures could you possibly be searching for in the Silvermist sea?”

  At that moment, First-mate Odin flashed a grin and said, “Orion’s Torch.”