They anchored a few hundred feet from the port proper. Sheer cliff faces carved from stone greeted them. Dozens of shanty homes lined the cliff faces from thirty feet above the sea level all the way up the side of the little cliff.

Atop it sat a veritable fortress. Where the cliff face ended and the fortress began was difficult to discern. It was only evident there was a fortress due to the parapets atop it. A black flag flapped chaotically in the wind with a white dragon skull on it.

Robert stood at the port side of the ship as Lak'Lorn jumped into the water. He grew from eight or nine feet in height to at least twice that as he hit the water. Raising a massive hand, the row boat they used before popped out of thin air and into the water. Robert turned to the ship. "First Mate Perishsong is in charge when I am on shore. I know you've all been at sea for two months and want a night or two of revelry yourselves. Let's not forget what happened last time we graced Port K with our presence." The Captain turned a heavy gaze to a group of sheepish-looking men.

The gaze of most of the crew settled hard on them as well.

Wedge grinned and shouted. "You know 'ow this works. Bugger off to yer posts! Plenty of shore leave comin' when we drop the young avatar off!"

The men nodded and turned to go about their posts. Wedge stood next to Illana.

Biggs stepped over to the Captain. "Just the two of us?"

Robert looked over to Trillia. "Care to see the port? You may see things that bother you deeply and stand against all of your morals and principles. You will have to give me your word that you will not act unless you are attacked."

Trillia nodded. "I will go ashore. I doubt I will see anything worse than what I saw in the streets of D'Jamu or the crypts surrounding the place."

Lak'Lorn climbed half up back onto the ship and scooped up the away party before placing them in the boat. The mighty ogre held on to the sides of the rowboat, and away they went.

The Captain and the Quartermaster chatted about supplies and provisions that they needed to get. That being the purpose of the stop, according to Robert. As they neared the docks, Trillia noticed that many ships were tied up directly on the docks themselves. She glanced back at the Argo and then toward the docks.

She figured they anchored so far at sea to be safe and to quickly leave. Dozens of ballista and harpoon turrets lined the cliff. Now that they were closer. She realized the cliff was more akin to a mountain. Hundreds of feet into the air with a giant cavern carved out under it.

The docks were loud and filled with raucous sailors and swindlers. Dozens of shouts for prices and goods filtered in. Trillia saw no less than two dozen people lift spy glasses and look at their group. Her mana dwindled as it kept her safe from people looking at who they were.

The area around them went silent as Lak'Lorn pulled himself onto the docks. The ogre stood over twenty feet in height and had a club on his back that was as long as he was tall. The same skull that the flag above the port had emblazoned on it was carved into his chest.

The Captain pulled himself onto the docks behind the imposing ogre, and even more of the port went silent. This time, far more of the looks were those of anger. Despite the hilarious size difference, somehow, the Captain seemed the more intimidating presence. She hadn't paid much attention to it when they were in Kincairne, but the Captain cut an imposing figure.

A long white coat with a red gryphon embroidered on its back nearly swept the dock. The odd gnomish invention at his side and a sabre that caught the eye of anyone looking his way. A rich red tunic with a golden gryphon on his chest. Now that he was in a place that seemed hostile, Trillia could practically feel the hum of mana coming off of him.

Wedge crawled up onto the dock and extended a hand to help Trillia. She gladly took it and watched the orc grab onto a pylon and lean over, hefting the rowboat out of the water with one hand. Half turning to hand it to Lak'Lorn, who made it vanish.

Whispers began to filter into the area near them. Robert said nothing and motioned for them to follow him. Everyone fell in line. Lak'Lorn walked just in front. Evidently, knowing the path they'd take.

Then, it was Robert. Who scanned the crowd carefully, his hands resting casually on the hilts of his weapons. Wedge motioned for Trillia to fall in behind him, so she did. Wedge took up the rear guard and seemed the calmest one on the docks.

The whispers grew louder, and as their entourage passed, dozens of people tipped their heads or touched their foreheads with a curled-up hand.

"Ahh, fuck's sake! You filthy fuckin' liberator." The voice boomed out over the crowd. Trillia saw Robert's lips tug into a smile and quickly vanish. A woman shoved her way through the crowd. She didn't appear to be an orc, but she certainly had the same physique as Amara. Tanned skin covered in scars hid muscles that would make most orcs envious. The woman had a club hanging at her side, but it almost seemed decorative. She wore a simple pair of leather pants and had cloth wrapped around her breasts.

"Lakky! My boy, look at how tall you've grown!" The woman's voice continued to boom over the crowd and the water. "Has the filthy goody two-shoes kept yer belly full?"

Lak'Lorn offered her a brief glance before looking toward the Captain. Who stepped up to the woman. Despite his own intimidating stature, she was still slightly taller. "Governor Maple. You didn't have to travel all the way down here to greet us, lowly merchants." The way the Captain said it dripped with sarcasm. The woman offered a little smile.

"Don't be silly, Captain Highwind. All of Port Korinthien is keen to know what trouble the mighty liberator brings to our shores today! I see you've picked up another pact-bound. Collecting them now that you've chained yourself to someone, eh?" Trillia realized immediately she was the topic of conversation. She looked the woman over again and saw no markings. But they were fairly easy to hide if they weren't on your face.

Not that the woman tried to hide much of anything. Long red hair framed a face that held an odd beauty to it. Bright orange eyes glowed as the Governor locked eyes with Trillia. Trillia put a smile on her face and stepped forward, raising a hand to the woman. "A pleasure to meet you, Governor Maple. My name is Trillia Demonsbane, Avatar to Lord Arlyss."

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

More than a few people had gathered around to stare at the spectacle. The woman looked down at Trillia's hand. As she reached out to grab it, Robert grabbed Trillia's arm and stepped in front of her. "Careful of this one, Lady Trillia. She has a tendency to break people's hands on their first meetings. See, she's just so strong and powerful that she can't seem to help it."

Maple's innocent smile twisted into something sinister. She shrugged. "I'm sorry. Not all of us are gifted at controlling our abilities. Why are you here, Highwind. The last time you came through, you sunk four ships, and your crew killed forty people. I told you then, you aren't welcome here anymore. The only reason we didn't turn your precious Argo into a reef is because we don't want to trouble the good Queen."

Robert nodded, and his voice raised in volume to ensure everyone around him heard. "I am here to restock provisions and supplies. I am here on behalf of the Deity of Knowledge and Unity, Arlyss Ocrey Darktone. I have no intentions of interfering with Port business." People seemed content to hear that. "Unless." Tension immediately filled the massive port. "You interfere with my business. In which case. Well...We will see how many ships we take with us."

Maple's smirk dropped into a glower. "Handle your affairs and leave, dog. Port Korinthien has no patience left for your ever-growing list of important benefactors. Keep your little guest here on a short leash. She reeks of naivety and ignorance. I'd hate for something to happen to her."

"I'm sure our patron, Lord Arlyss, would also hate for something to happen to her. He is watching us right now, waiting to ensure his most precious follower survives this trip."

That not-so-subtle threat made most of the crowd disperse. No one wanted to anger a deity, especially not when so many of them couldn't communicate with their own deities. Maple motioned behind her. "I'll make sure a few port soldiers follow you around. To ensure that you don't run into any trouble." The woman looked down at Trillia with venom in her eyes and words. "Absolute pleasure to meet you, Lady Trillia."

The governor turned and left, and two humans began to shadow the group. Robert sighed and seemed far more relaxed. "That went extremely well. Let's get our business done quickly, Wedge. I don't want to risk anyone getting antsy or seeking vengeance."

The orc nodded, and Trillia hurried behind them to keep pace. "May I ask what happened?"

"Later. For now, keep your scan abilities off. I don't want to have to fight out of the port again. We lost seven crew members last time. I want this to go as smoothly as possible."

Trillia nodded. It took them about three hours to get everything they needed. Most of it was stored in an item that Robert had.

A few crates were piled onto an odd-looking harness that Lak'Lorn had equipped at some point. It looked like a backpack that just held massive crates of goods. At some point during their outing, Wedge had vanished to take care of some other matters. She didn't understand what exactly, but she figured the orc would be safe in the port. He stood out the least of all of them.

Trillia was a bit sad to not be able to explore the place, but she didn't trust she would be safe without the others. Plus, she had seen more than a few people being dragged along in chains. It didn't seem as bad as D'jamu, but something about the air in the port was rancid as they got further away from the sea.

Lak'Lorn dropped the rowboat into the sea, and once more, they were off. It didn't take them long to get back to the Argo.

Once they were on deck, the crew seemed especially impatient. Robert immediately started to bark orders. Trillia felt an odd shift in the mana in the air. "What's wrong?"

Wedge grabbed her arm and motioned for her to follow. She was brought up to the helm of the ship where Robert now stood.

His voice rang out over the decks of the ship, followed shortly by Biggs' own booming voice. "Battle stations! Prepare the barriers. Load all cannons with magic and ready to intercept harpoons!"

Trillia's heart quickened. Battle? Why? She hadn't noticed anything go wrong in the port. Well, after the initial meeting with the Governor.

A few minutes later, the Argo's sails lowered, and a dozen loud thumps were heard. She watched as giant balls of metal flew out from odd-looking holes in the cliff face. A dozen crew members shouted spells, and explosions rang out in the air as the cannonballs were dealt with. A half dozen other ships had already started to turn toward the Argo. Angling themselves so that they were half approaching and with half of their broadside ready.

Another volley of thumps came from the ships around them. Trillia watched Illana raise her hands and felt the mana reserves of the ship fall rapidly. A shimmering barrier fended off the attacks that the crew couldn't intercept.

The deck rumbled, and Trillia watched metal balls fly from either side of the Argo. Wrapped in mana and covered in a black liquid substance. The other ships quickly raised their own barriers.

"Set it off now, Wedge." The Captain called out to the orc. Wedge nodded and looked out toward the Port, raising a wand in his hand. Trillia felt a ripple in mana all the way out on the Argo. The deck rumbled again as a loud bang was heard at the Port. Fires broke out, and with her enhanced sight, Trillia could see hundreds of people being dragged onto ships as the port guard tried to quell a hundred different fires.

"Fire at will. Aim at anything that isn't flying colors! Trillia! Keep the ship full of mana if you can. Ten thousand every three seconds for as long as you feel comfortable."

Trillia was sitting on millions of mana. She grabbed the railing of the ship and began to pump in the requested amount of mana.

Illana's voice rang out. "Do not conserve mana! Fire everything we have! We are blessed this day by Lord Arlyss and his Avatar! Let the sound of freedom ring out across the seas!"

The rate of fire from the Argo tripled. Trillia watched as ship after ship was hammered with so much firepower that their barriers broke down. Watched as ships were turned to flotsam.

The metal balls ignited as they neared enemy ships, turning into heavy flaming orbs that splattered the barriers with sticky flames.

The fire continued to burn in the water, and the sound of people screaming traveled all to well across the sea to the Argo.

A dozen other ships had also raised anchor and were sailing out with the Argo. The crew wasn't firing at these ships. A notification popped up into her face.

A pact-bound of your patron, Captain Robert "The Liberator" Highwind, is requesting to tap into your mana and skills. Do you wish to allow him to utilize your abilities?

"How much do you need, Captain?"

"Give me a limit, Trillia."

"Five million mana."

She accepted the notification, another status window popped up near hers, and she saw everything the Captain had to offer. Trillia watched as her mana dipped by a few hundred thousand. "Hold on lads! This is going to hurt!"

As the Captain finished his statement, the ship lurched forward. As did the other dozen ships behind them. Their speed tripled.

Trillia got the feeling that their trip here had been planned for months in advance. Deep down, she knew Arlyss wouldn't let so many people stay enslaved if he could fix it.

The port and other ships quickly vanished over the horizon. The crew stayed alert and ready at their battle stations. The other dozen ships quickly overtook the Argo and began sailing in front of it.

Robert kept up the boost until all five million mana she had offered had been used up. Wedge and Biggs walked up to the Captain once he had turned the helm over to Illana. "Seven thousand freed Captain. That's all that could be found in the entire city."

Trillia finally released her hold on the railing, making sure the Argo's reserves were topped off. She looked out at the other ships and then to the Captain. "Explain yourself, Captain Highwind. What did I just take part in?"

To everyone's surprise, the Captain kneeled in front of her with his saber extended. "I deceived you, Lady Trillia. I offer my life in exchange for the lives of everyone else to make up for it, should that be your wish."

Fear tried to creep into her mind, only to be crushed by her traits, which very much felt this situation was still hostile. Layla ran up on deck. "I'm ready to depart whenever we are ready, Captai-" The acolyte's words froze in her throat as she saw the Captain kneeling. "Trillia. Don't be angry."

Trillia looked over at Layla, a bit puzzled.