"They're coming!" Fredrickson's voice boomed over the chaotic noise on deck, his urgency mixing with the wild wind at their back.
Lady Amber kept her eyes fixed on the impossibly large vessel trailing behind them. She couldn't fathom how it had appeared on the horizon, seemingly out of nowhere when they sailed past the mouth of Brancourt river. The sleek and nimble ship they were aboard had been well known for its speed, easily evading larger vessels and had the illustrious record of never been boarded.
Fredrickson had the utmost confidence in the scouting ship. Now that same confidence was being tested.
While their voyage had been swift and quiet, with no interference from any hostile vessel or bad weather. But their luck ran out as soon as the King’s galley came into view. For the past few hours, the massive ship had relentlessly closed in on them, as if propelled by dark magic.
While Lady Amber stared behind them at the vessel, she glimpsed the all too familiar winged logo on its sails, unmistakably the symbol of the King's army. The galley was undoubtedly carrying a significant number of her husband's enslaved soldiers.
She turned to the bow. The town was rapidly approaching. "Aren't we going too fast?" she asked, concerned.
Fredrickson stroked the side of the railings, a tinge of regret in his expression, before cautiously glancing back at the approaching galley. He calculated their chances silently. "I'm so sorry, milady," he said with a hint of sorrow.
Lady Amber shook her head, knowing what he was about to say. "It's not your fault."
"I’d planned on finding a safe place for you and the children before we reached the town."
Lady amber shook her head and smiled regretfully. "I understand. Fate hasn't been kind to us," Lady Amber replied, her attention briefly drawn to a ripple in the water. Something darted among the waves created by the wake of the ship, shimmering green under the glimmering light cast by the sun. Dismissing it as a mere fish, she refocused on the imminent threat behind them.
"We don't have time for a comfortable stop," Fredrickson said, turning to the first mate and barking order. "Tell all crew and passengers to make their way topside. We're preparing for a rough landing."
The first mate stared at him in shock. "But there's no beach to—"
"The docks will serve as this ship's final port," Fredrickson interrupted, his voice resolute.
Sorrow filled the first mate's face as he hurried to carry out his captain's instructions. Panicked crew members appeared all around them, and scurried about, hastily preparing for the impending collision.
Two little heads popped into view, out from under the deck, their faces filled with confusion.
"Okay, children, we'll be fine. Just find something to hold on to," Lady Amber reassured as she beckoned them close.
"What's happening, mummy?" Rossel asked.
As Lady Amber stood smiling reassuringly at her daughter, her loyal manservant appeared from below. Swiftly he approached, carrying a few tightly strapped travelling bags. With a deft motion, he tossed them their feet, ensuring their luggage was within reach, then disappeared back to the lower decks to retrieve the last of their belongings.
Lady Amber gazed into her daughter's eyes, kneeling to pull her into an embrace. Cody stood beside them, looking left out, so she drew him close as well, enveloping them in a collective hug.
Meanwhile, the crew rushed about, gathering their own packs and weapons, preparing themselves for what seemed like an inevitable disaster.
Amidst the commotion, a crew member shouted, "What is that?"
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A green flash rippled from the surface of a brilliantly coloured gem as a watery creature pulled themselves onto the deck. Its body was in the shape of a young human woman formed from a body of churning water.
Lady Amber gasped at the sight.
Her transparent form and watery clothes were mesmerizing. In a moment of panic, one crew member not knowing what to think, lunged at her with an oar.
The watery creature glanced up briefly as the oar struck her head, sinking into her form before coming to a rest near her collarbone. Lady Amber then recognised the green glow—it was definitely not a fish.
The crew backed away as the oar slipped from the man's grasp and clattered to the floor. The creature fixated its gaze on Lady Amber, its attention drawn to the arms wrapped protectively around the children.
The water creature tilted its head, observing the children silently, then turned its attention to Fredrickson and the others. The creature seemed to peer into their eyes as if trying to detect their intent. After a moment, it seemed to reach a decision, then inclined its head toward the rapidly advancing galley.
The uneasy crew inched away, contemplating abandoning the ship to get away from the creature.
Fredrickson unsheathed his slender blade, flourished it in front of the creature, and took a cautious step forward. Just when he was about attack, the creature did something completely unexpected.
The water creature smiled and bowed.
Fredrickson paused, his gaze shifting from the passive creature to the rapidly approaching docks. "Damn it!"
He turned to the crew. "Raise the sails! Prepare for landing!"
The crew ignored the strange creature and scrambled up ropes, furiously hoisting the sails high above them.
The watery creature turned its attention to the docks, realizing the imminent disaster that was about to unfold.
Crew members shouted in all directions swearing and rushing about to secure their positions.
The sudden yelling startled the children, prompting panicked tears. Lady Amber tried to calm them, but between their distressed state and the chaos on deck, it proved impossible.
Lady Amber caught one last glimpse of the watery creature, its eyes fixed on the children with a look of concern etched on its watery features, before leaping off the side of the ship, abandoning them to their fate. Determined, she gathered her strength and guided the children toward the mast, positioning herself against the stern, using the wooden pole as a barrier to prevent them from being thrown off the ship when it crashed.
Holding the children tightly, Lady Amber braced herself, closing her eyes as the men's shouts reverberated around her.
“Get ready!” Fredrickson shouted. “Impact in five seconds!”
Lady Amber clutched the children and held her breath under the darkness of her eyelids.
A deafening wave slammed into the ship's bow as the ship's bow lifted. The force propelled them up and forward, but far less than she expected. Water cascaded over the deck as subsequent waves battered the vessel, causing the ship to rock back and forth.
When Lady Amber opened her eyes, they hadn’t crashed into the wharf. Instead, they were a short distance from the dock, and their momentum had considerably slowed almost to a complete stop. She released her grip on the children and stood up, surveying the advancing galley’s position.
"We need to get off the ship," she said urgently.
Fredrickson nodded, shaking off his confusion, and as if in response to the lady’s words, the ship lifted slightly and swayed towards the dock. The sensation was strange, sending a rush through her head and flipping her stomach. A spray of water erupted from the starboard side as a long plank crashed into place.
Not wanting to squander their sudden stroke of luck they went into action.
"GO!" Fredrickson shouted as crew members, burdened with their packs and weapons, sprinted down the plank.
Lady Amber grabbed her two small travel bags turned to the children. "Okay, let's go as swiftly as your little legs can carry you."
With brave faces, the two children nodded in understanding and followed her and the manservant off the ship, with Fredrickson bringing up the rear as the last to disembark.
They hurried toward the docks, but the sight that greeted them froze them in their tracks.
"What’s happened here?" Lady Amber gasped, observing the bloodstains and dark marks splattered across the docks. Workers stood idle, their faces vacant, staring off into the distance.
Lady Amber recognised the signs of the ghost eyed poisoning. "The King has tainted these people, too."
Fredrickson grumbled, his anger surfacing. "At least we know he's here."
Footsteps echoed ahead from between the houses. Fredrickson nodded to the men, and the crew readied their blades, prepared to face their first threat.
"Hope?" a young man's voice called out. He poked his head out between the buildings. Alarm coloured his expression as he spotted the new arrivals on the docks. "Shit!" he said, as he quickly withdrew.
Fredrickson turned to Lady Amber, a look of disbelief on his face. But before they could advance, a rush of water echoed from behind them, and the watery creature reappeared among them, darting through the ranks of the crew. The men jumped away, granting the creature a clear path, their blades useless against its form. The creature disregarded the metal and paused in front of Lady Amber.
With a single glance at the children in her arms, the watery face broke into a kind smile