"Lady Einervaene, are you sure you do not need any help?" one of the crew asks as I tighten my hands on the rope.

"No, it's fine. I can handle this." I answer even as Lightning awaits for any mistakes with held breath. Or whatever he usually did when asked to stand by.

"Dropping counterweights in three... Two... One!" our foreman calls out as a metal sheet is removed from the platforms in front of me. Hearing the rope stretch in my grip, I flex forwards slightly as they drop. Easing my way forwards, I help move the recently repaired statue back onto its pedestal. Getting the all-clear, I let go of the rope once the counterweights are cut off.

"Lady Einervaene, you shouldn't be doing this." the Captain remarks as he wipes his scalp.

"I do what I wish. Have you gone to the office about your ship?" I dismiss callously at first before my usual care comes back.

"Yeah, the insurance people want a little more than just my word at this point..."

"You told them where the ship is, right?"

"They refuse to go out that far given what has just happened." he groans as he refits his hat.

"Then I will just build you a new ship."

"No, Lady Einervaene, you can't. That's too much. I already been paying a fortune to those gold-leeches anyways." he explains as we walk closer to the docks.

"There shouldn't be a problem, no?" I ask as we step into the grand facility.

"Legally I don't think there are laws for sudden ships being made..." he comments as he scratches his head.

"Then I will just make one and we can just breeze through all of the paperwork." I explain to him as we come upon an empty dock. Sending Lightning out, he comes back and shakes his voltaic head at me. With no ships on their way, I then start to request he make a vessel. Remaking what we had sailed here on, but better, a crowd seems to gather.

"What in the..." someone gasps as golden lightning sparks from my hands and out towards the open space. Forming a frame, the lightning starts to solidify into iron, wood and any other material previously found aboard it. Thunder-gold, however, was added on as a mark of craftsmanship by Lightning. Turning away to give him a little curtsey, I realise just how big the crowd is.

"Where'd you all come from..." I nearly squeak as Lightning coils back into me.

"I'm pretty sure Thurnmourer is a man..."

"Golden hair and skin and golden magic!"

"She just made a ship from nothing like a daughter of thunder!"

"Daughter of Thunder!"

"Daughter of Thunder!"

"Daughter of Thun-"

"Excuse me, but, no, no! You cannot do this!" a well-dressed man complains as he steps forward with a board of some kind. If I was to guess, he must've been some kind of dock-bound bureaucrat. Maybe something more as his attire does seem quite fancy. Gold trimmings and all kinds of complimentary bright colours.

"What's the problem, First Tollman?" the Captain asks rather distastefully as the man stops in front of us.

"No unauthorised dockings at the port! Especially not mine!" the Dock-Manager explains as he writes something down.

"In case you have gone a bit blind, what with all the taxes and levies drowning you and all that. That ship didn't dock!" the Captain argues as the Dock-Manager maintains his sneer.

"A ship in my dock? I like to think it did just in fact dock. And I am sure the office will to!" he comments as he pokes the Captain away.

"Why you..." the offended sailor starts to say on an approach.

Stopping him, I step in front, "This ship isn't even registered here."

"Circumventing legal procedures as well? That's a hefty fine if I've ever seen one..." he tuts as he writes more things down.

"You can't do this!" I complain as he shakes his head.

"Of course, I can. You broke the law, GUARDS!"

"No, we did not!" I stomp as the crowd disperses just as confused guards walk in.

"What's the issue?" the plume-wearing one asks as his spear shaft taps the bright white brickwork.

"Illegal docking, unregistered ship, threatening a member of the dock's staff!"

"Threaten!?" I repeat with a growing glare.

"Golden hair... Golden skin..." he comments as he looks me over.

"Well, handle this, Guardsman!" the Dock-Manager whines impatiently.

"We've been told someone matching your description is responsible for what happened out there..." he mutters as he takes off his helmet to expose a bandage. Feeling my skin chill, I stare at the red-marked dressing.

"Lady Einervaene, git." the Captain urges as the guardsman starts to smile.

"We have a lot to thank you for!" the man goes as his fellow guards offer a silent, spear-derived cheer.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

"O-Oh..."

"Huh!? Deal with these crimin-"

"Go about your business, First Tollman." the Guardsman belittles him with before he storms off.

"Lady Einervaene, I'll handle this." the Captain offers as he steps up.

"You have a ship to attend to, I suggest you go about it while the penny-pinchers are away." the Guardsman tells the Captain as I am gestured to follow them. Waving at the Captain, I follow the guards and we step back out onto the streets.

"I take it you want to speak to me?" I ask as the way they spoke earlier sounded like they were almost familiar with me.

"We've heard rumours of golden lightning out at sea. We also saw first-hand that same magic save our town."

"I'm sorry you were all going to die..." I mutter quietly to which they laugh without a care.

"You killed a sea dragon! It can be forgiven!" one of the guards exclaims only to be stared into quiet submission.

"But, yes, something that grand will naturally have consequences."

"We nearly destroyed the coastline!" I point out to them as my failure to kill Boisenmarck forced Brewbrt's hand!

"And you put the islands back and I hear a party of people have also been going through the villages and cleaning them up." he explains with a knowing shrug as we arrive at a restaurant of some kind.

"Brewbrt, what's going on?" I ask him as he gets up from his seat.

"These fine gentlemen have been going about on behalf of their Lord to find out what happened to his coastline." he chirps as he tucks his seat in and joins us.

"Oh, so we just have to answer some questions?" I ask to which the plumed-guard nods.

"If you wouldn't mind. It's not something we can just set aside for another day." he explains.

"Oh, ok." I comment as we follow the guards to their tower. A rather modest building, it spread out wide enough to necessitate six decently-sized windows and a double-door entrance. Made of mostly cream-painted bricks, the tiles were reddish-orange and a larger, cobblestone structure lay behind it. From the tower, a vast banner displayed a sigil made of a golden circle surrounded by two, separate, jagged black lines.

I have a feeling I should know the symbol, but the name was escaping me... Stepping into the building, I glance around at the yet-to-be-cleaned-up mess and follow them deeper. Watching the mosaiced floor pass by, we step into the cobblestone building and go for the tower. Me, Brewbrt and the plume-wearing guardsman ascend it and we arrive at an office.

"Now, on behalf of Lord Burspharosa, I will need you to enlighten me." he explains as he trudges through his messy office. Glancing outside for the moment, I look towards the port and my eyes widen a little at its size. There must've been room for nearly a hundred ships on the circular island in the middle of it alone! I wasn't even there just now, I was within the outer ring...

Following the walls, I find hundreds more docked, but battered ships lining the great open space. To my surprise, however, there was a body of water filling out the entire grounds of the place for the ships. Though, it took me a second look as it was all orange and full of rust. This was quite the port for what I thought was otherwise a small town.

"To think we were meant to dock here..." I remark as I step towards the window to look at the town as well. Lots of flat-roofed buildings with steep, tiled edges and open space lounges by the stairs to them. Some exchanged it for small gardens while others had a more complete roof. That same heraldry that hung from the tower flew about everywhere as well, mostly along the walls.

Banner after banner with that same design. A golden circle flanked by two jagged black lines on a field of what looks like brass. I guess it must be the symbol of the Burspharosa Clan. Yet, I still have trouble recalling them...

I feel like I should, though.

"You were meant to dock here, was it? I guess I can go to the port later or send someone there for the manifest. Heh, maybe even get that First Tollman to leg it here himself." the Guardsman says as he compiles a pile of papers.

"So we fill these out?" Brewbrt asks as he blinks at the Burspharoan script. Admittedly, I was rusty myself, but there were few changes in comparison to Bosphaman script. If anything, looking over it made me feel like it was just a poor, child's attempt at stylising it.

"If you will, please. Give an account of the journey you attempted to make. The sea dragon, what you both personally did against it and... Really just up until now." he explains as he starts to fill out his own paperwork.

"Quite thorough, then..." Brewbrt whines as he reaches for a feather. Stopping him, I just shake my head and have Lightning come up.

"I admit I share Brewbrt's enthusiasm." the divine lightning tells me.

"It's related to saving Mother!" I sing quietly to him.

"Fine..." he crackles before his power marks all the papers in golden writing. The guardsman's eyes widen and he slowly picks one of the sheets up.

"So pure..." he utters in a state of reverence for Lightning's power.

"So, yeah... There's a full account of everything that has happened." I explain to him as I look over to a fulfilled Brewbrt. Leaning back into his chair, he enjoys the lack of effort and I smile back at him.

"That dragon was Boisenmarck?" the guardsman struggles to comprehend as the paper shakes in his hand.

"Lightning..." I whisper so he can create the voice I heard.

"I AM BOISENMARCK, THE STEEL-SCALED KING OF THE SEAS!" echoes throughout the town with deadly tremors. A heavy, metallic thunk rings out beside me. Panicking, I make Lightning shut up as the town continues to rumble.

Holding his weapon, the guardsman looks around, "What was that!?"

"It was just a demonstration... Proof..." I tell him as I raise my hands. My face reddens as he calms down and he points at me energetically.

"Your word -written word- is enough, thank you..." he lets out as he sits back down.

"Sorry..." I mutter as Brewbrt picks himself off of the floor. Helping him the rest of the way up, I return my focus to the Burspharoan representative.

"Einervaene Bosphama..." the man utters.

"Yes?"

"No, sorry, I was just reading your name out loud." he explains as he looks over the details. Rubbing his face, he puts the papers down and he leans back into his seat.

"Is everything you want there?" I ask him and he starts to nod at me as he neatens the disturbed pile of paper.

"Yes, yes it's all here. Safe travels where ever you are headed to."

"No... Enjoy your stay at our town?" Brewbrt jokes and the guardsman huffs with a slight smirk.

"Our town is in a bit of a predicament. During any other circumstances, I would say so. But, with how everything is now, you should get going while you can." he explains to us as he gets up to hold the door open for us.

"Sorry for the trouble we have caused you..." I tell him as I approach the door. Glancing at Brewbrt as he heads down the stairs, I wait for a reply.

"Do not worry about it, Lady-Heir Einervaene." he tells me as he raises his hands and laughs.

"Lady-Heir?" I repeat as it is not a title I have heard in some time. The ship's crew just took to calling me 'Lady' on its own. As such, the correctness of it caught me off-guard.

"Lady Bosphama is still in good health, so it's only natural." he clarifies with a smile as he urges me out the door.

"I hope your reconstruction efforts go well." I tell him as he starts to close the door.

"That ship you made will certainly bring in a fair few helping hands!" he tells me just before closing the door fully. Ending my smile, I look down at Brewbrt as he lingers a few steps ahead.

"You are worried about her?" he asks as he inspects my frown.

"He says Mother is in good health, but, I can't believe him..." I tell my friend as I catch up to him. Feeling his arm around my shoulder, I gently touch his armoured hand.

"The common people don't see the nobles often, no? Try and take it as something good, at the very least. She is still presenting herself with a smile in public." he tries to comfort me, but it just doesn't work. Facades are such a basic thing in the life of nobility...

"Of course, she is." I remark as I leave his grip. Heading down the steps quickly, I leave Brewbrt behind. He leans over the stair wall and looks down at me.

"She's going to be alright, Einervaene. Trust me." he baselessly tells me as I leave the tower.