Chapter 10 – Welcome to Port Royale
THE WEATHER WAS NOT in favor of the sailing of the trio. A few hours after their departure, a storm brought strong winds and raging waves that significantly slowed down their seafaring. If only it was smooth sailing, they could have reached Port Royale in just half a day.
Somehow, the trio did manage to survive the stormy sea and almost reached the port safe and sound. Almost.
The unfavorable storm was bad enough. They did not need to be attacked by a serpentine sea monster. Just when the port was already visible, a sea serpent had to appear and attack their boat.
“Uhh, guys...I think we need to do something about that,” Daisuke pointed at the raging sea serpent that breached into the surface.
The sea serpent had magnificent azure scales embedded in its long, slender body. As it breached the surface of the sea, its scales glimmered even though the sky was gray. The sea serpent was at the center of strange buoys where strong cables were attached to it.
Looking at the sea serpent, harpoons that were connected to the buoys via the cables had impaled its body, making it wail and flail in pain. When the sea serpent tries to dive and swim away, the buoys would automatically counter the serpent’s movement, keeping the serpent in the same location.
“I got this,” Riku said, being the only one who was essentially good at long-ranged combat among the three.
She created a bow made of rose plants and shot rose arrows. Her aim was good enough as she managed to hit the sea serpent’s right eye.
“Yeah! Good shot!” Jack exclaimed way too early.
The sea serpent screeched in pain and started to release pressurized water from its mouth towards the trio’s direction. At that moment, the trio knew that they were screwed.
“Oooooh. That is not good,” said Jack.
“A-Abandon ship!!” Daisuke shouted as he dove into the water.
The sea serpent released another pressurized water from its mouth. This time, the boat got directly hit and was immediately destroyed. Jack and Riku managed to jump into the sea just in time, narrowly escaping the pressurized water.
Riku breached the surface and gasped for air. “Daisuke! Jack!”
“Over here!” Jack yelled. He already got into a piece of wood from the wreckage as he called for Riku.
Riku swam towards Jack and held on to the piece of wood. “Where’s Daisuke?”
“Come on, give me your hand,” As soon as she was both on the boat’s wreckage, they started to look around for Daisuke.
Daisuke had just breached to the surface despite being the first one to jump on the water, holding on to what used to be the mast of their boat.
The serpent’s pressurized water comes from the seawater itself, being absorbed by its body. As it continued to shoot continuously, its body does absorb more water as well, causing a current that goes towards it.
As Daisuke held on to the mast of their ruined boat, he got swept towards the angry serpent, still wailing and releasing water from its mouth.
“Daisuke! Get over here!” Riku yelled.
Jack created a few long logs that easily floated on the water. Riku used her rose magic to create rose whips that tied the logs together, creating a poor makeshift raft that was barely floating.
As soon as Jack and Riku got on the raft, Riku immediately shot a volley of rose arrows again, trying her best to grab the serpent’s attention. The scales of the sea serpent were too durable, however, which made her wonder how the harpoons impaled it.
The sea serpent did not pay attention to the projectiles and instead focused on Daisuke who was dangerously near it. As soon as Daisuke was near enough, the sea serpent roared, then lunged towards its prey.
“NOOOO!!” Riku shouted.
“DAISUKE!!” Jack yelled.
* * * * *
A few hours earlier, at the Port Royale, a young man was preparing all of his tools for fishing. Unlike other fishermen though, the young man was not using a pole or a net. Rather, he was using harpoons, suggesting that he was hunting for a larger catch.
The young man seems to be the same age as Daisuke and Riku. He’s got dark blue spiky hair, and dark brownish skin, probably from being exposed too much to the sunlight.
“Oy, Raijin! You forgot your tonfas!” shouted a shorter, sturdy-looking old man who was running towards him.
The young man named Raijin tapped his sides. “Oh! Hahaha! Thanks, Boris!”
The old man named Boris handed over the tonfas to Raijin. “You’re always in a hurry. You should try to take your time, lad.”
Raijin laughed. “Easy for you to say; you dwarves live for more than a century.”
“Well, the secret is to drink good ales,” the dwarf said laughingly.
“Keeping that in mind, Boris,” Raijin managed a chuckle.
“Okay, then. I’ll head back to Maelstrom. You better get a good catch, lad.”
“I will!”
As soon as Boris left the harbor, Raijin started the engine of his boat. Unlike other fishing boats, Raijin’s was fully electric. On the side of the fishing boat was written what seems to be its name: Kaminari.
“That’s one unique boat you got there, Raijin,” A bulky, bald man said with a shark tattoo on his shoulder. He was accompanied by two lackeys who were huge on their terms but looked small when compared with the bald man.
Raijin looked at the source of the voice. He was displeased to see the man who just spoke as he wore a fake smile. “Mr. Sera. What a pleasant surprise. What brought you here?”
Sera walked closer to the Kaminari. “Just...making sure you do not forget that your due date is in four days.”
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“I haven’t forgotten. Just as I didn’t last month. Or two months ago. Or for the last five years.”
Sera scoffed. “That’s good to know.”
“Can I go now? Got some serpent to catch,” Raijin replied, impatient to get away from Sera.
Sera simply smirked, walked back, and left with his lackeys.
“Alright, Kaminari. Time to catch that sea serpent.”
* * * * *
The seas around the island of Maria were known for serpentine sea monsters. For that reason, only large ships were capable to cross the seas around the island. The seabed was so deep that only sea serpents and other extreme marine life were able to live down there. The dark, cold, deep seabed was a favorite breeding place of sea serpents.
Sea serpents do not always breach the surface. They do not have to do so since food was rich down below. However, this particular sea serpent that was attacking the trio was lured to the surface by some bait. The buoys had a trap that activated when the sea serpent took the bait, shooting the sea serpent with several cabled harpoons.
“DAISUKE!!” Riku shouted as she fired a volley of arrows towards the serpent.
Jack somehow managed to attack in long-range as he threw a volley of jackfruits at the serpent as if the jackfruits were boulders.
“Why are those scales so tough?!” Jack continued to attack even though he was frustrated.
Riku was already shedding tears, but she continued to make a rain of arrows.
The sea serpent also continued to roar. However, it acted strangely all of a sudden. Even Riku and Jack got confused and stopped attacking.
It then changed posture and shoot water from its mouth skyward.
“FREEDOOOOOM!” Daisuke yelled as he was shot towards the sky with several tree branches.
“DAISUKE!!” Riku and Jack shouted in relief.
While airborne, Daisuke charged his right arm with mana and aimed at the sea serpent. As soon as the serpent stopped releasing water, he started to drop from the sky. The sea serpent opened its mouth wide, ready to catch Daisuke and return it to its belly. However, when Daisuke was in range, he used his power to create a giant wooden arm and punched the serpent in its mouth.
Rather than getting knocked out, the serpent roared even louder. Daisuke continued to drop to the sea. He released his wooden arm and quickly swam towards the makeshift platform where Riku and Jack were.
“I think you just made it angrier,” said Jack as helped him get onto the raft.
“Daisuke!” Riku hugged Daisuke but quickly got off because of the slimy goo that was left on his body. “Eew. Sorry.”
“Naaaah.” Daisuke shrugged.
“We thought you were actually eaten,” said Jack.
“Well, I hope that that serpent has a good stomach because that’s gonna digest some woods I left inside.”
“Great. Now let’s chat later. That thing’s still firing those water jets.” Riku suggested.
“Okay. What do we do?” asked Jack.
But before they could do anything, a fishing boat—the Kaminari—appeared that they failed to notice because they were all preoccupied with attacking the sea serpent.
From the fishing boat, Raijin fired a dozen white-hot harpoons that pierced the tough scales of the serpent.
“Alright! You’re mine now!” shouted Raijin.
The serpent howled in pain. It released pressurized water again, hitting and destroying several buoys. The sea serpent attempted to escape, but before that could happen, Raijin pushed a red button. The harpoons glowed even more and release a high voltage of electricity, electrocuting the sea serpent inside out.
As the harpoons stopped glowing, smoke rose from the serpent. It then collapsed, crashing to the sea surface, and floated lifelessly.
“Yes! Got one!” Raijin celebrated.
He went around the serpent to examine it, only to find a makeshift raft and the trio. He saw that the skin of one of the people in the raft glows with a green light while the other one with reddish pink.
He curiously went towards the raft. When the boat was near enough, he went out and greeted the trio.
“You guys are elves, right? Are you alright?” he said coolly.
“Uhhh, yeah. And yeah, thanks for asking. We got it under control though.” Riku casually replied.
“Wow. I've never been this close to elves,” Raijin said in amazement.
“Would appreciate it if you didn’t stare at us,” Riku complained as she stopped using mana, making her skin patterns stop glowing.
Jack released his ability as well, making the glowing pattern on his skin disappear.
Raijin noticed that the trio was trying to balance themselves on their makeshift raft that was barely afloat. “You guys need a ride? I don't think that raft would hold any longer. Or get you anywhere for that matter.”
* * * * *
The trio did not hesitate and went over to the fishing boat.
“I’m Raijin, captain of Kaminari,” he proclaimed as he handed dry towels to the trio.
“Thanks for letting us here, captain!” Daisuke replied enthusiastically.
“The name's Jack. That idiot is Daisuke and this is Riku. We're elves from Maria Island,” Jack shook hand with Raijin.
“So, captain,” Riku asked with a patronizing tone as she dry her hair. “Where’s your crew?”
“I don’t have one. I, alone, operate Kaminari,” Raijin answered smilingly.
Jack raised a brow. “Aren’t you still too young to be fishing on your own here? Turns out there are sea serpents here.”
“Yeah. This part of the seas is a good spot for hunting sea serpents. They live far below. But, if you know how to lure and trap them, then it is easy peasy.”
“And what do you do with your catch?” asked Daisuke.
“Gotta make some money somehow, so I sell it,” Raijin replied. “Also, thanks to you guys, I managed to finish that sea monster without a problem. It seems you have already exhausted it. That thing is nasty, but could be sold for thousands of lanias back at Port Royale.”
Speaking of Port Royale, Riku told Raijin about that being their destination. Raijin decided to take the trio but first hoisted the serpent before it attracted sharks and get eaten before he got the chance to sell it.
“Those harpoons you used, how did it manage to pierce the scales of that serpent?” Riku asked.
“Sea serpent scales are not good with heat. Heat the harpoons and those will surely pierce ‘em good.
“These are not chained to the boat but lit up with electricity. How did you do that?” asked Daisuke who was holding the harpoons that killed the sea monster.
“Those are embedded with unique batteries that release electricity when I press a button. The same electricity that heats it. I guess you guys are not familiar with electricity?” Raijin replied.
“Actually, we are. We just don’t use them.”
Daisuke and Raijin talked more about Raijin’s harpoons, although Daisuke wasn’t sure he understood what Raijin is saying most of the time. But he was glad that he is learning new things.
A few minutes later, they finally reached Port Royale.
* * * * *
Even before they reached the harbor of Port Royale, there were already many boats and ships scattered on the sea. Most of them were fishing boats which made sense since fishing was the primary source of income in Port Royale.
As Kaminari got closer to the harbor, many people on their boats and ships were astonished at the sea serpent being pulled by the small fishing boat. Some were surprised, but most fishermen got envious.
“Hey, isn’t that Raijin’s boat?”
“Yeah. Looks like he got lucky killing another sea serpent.”
“The azure scales alone would already sell for hundreds of lanias. Imagine how much he could get for selling the meat, innards, and bones.”
“How did he even manage to kill that thing?!”
“Are those elves?”
“Well, those could sell for even more...”
Kaminari finally docked. People flocked around the boat trying to see the serpent. As soon as Raijin and the trio came out of the boat, the people were surprised even more to see three elves.
“Mr. Manta!” shouted Raijin.
“Already making an audience I see, Raijin,” Said Mr. Manta cheerfully. “Are they friends of yours? And that sea serpent…”
“Well, these are Daisuke, Riku, and Jack. They are elves from Maria Island. They helped me bring this serpent down.”
“I see. So, you guys are the so-called ‘Seekers’, I guess.”
“Yeah, sort of,” Riku replied as he gazed towards Daisuke.
“You think you can find me a buyer for the serpent?” asked Raijin.
“I’ll see what I can do. I’ll contact you once a buyer sees interest in buying a sea serpent,” Said Manta.
“Thanks, Mr. Manta.” Raijin then faced the trio. “Come on guys. I’ll show you around for now.”
* * * * *
Port Royale was a unique place; it was not a village, a city, or a country. It doesn’t belong to any kingdom. It simply became what it was after people from different places started to settle near the coast of the Northwest Aria Sea.
From a simple fishing settlement, it became a fishing port. The people developed the place by paving roads, building houses, and essentially turning the place into a business and tourist spot.
There was really no government on Port Royale. The people were simply living in mutual trust, discipline, and cooperation. Still, it was officially recognized as an autonomous region by the countries and kingdoms around Aria after it became part of the United Alliance when a citizen from Port Royale became a high-ranking official.
“And that’s History of Port Royale 101.” Said Raijin.
“Wow! This cold creamy strawberry-flavored milk on a fried dough is so delicious!” said Daisuke as he gobbled on his ice cream while still drying himself under the sunlight.
“You’re right! Good thing you didn’t lose our money inside that serpent’s stomach,” Jack replied, sunbathing himself.
“Mmmm. We should buy more of these. I want to taste the cookies 'n' cream one,” Riku added.
“You know, you guys could at least pretend to listen when someone is…never mind. On to the tour!” Raijin resigned as they continued walking around the town.