The sea was calm for the first day of Valicar's trip north. The smugglers were poor company with dubious motives at best. Only their fear and Sophia's truth-tell spell kept them loyal. Mike made an example of a man who was lying about a plot to kill Valicar in her sleep. Mike beat the man to an inch of his life and threw him overboard, only due to Sophia's protest at killing him outright. Having time to study for the first time in a while, Sophia threw herself into her new prizes, finding spells she determined to be intermediate up to the masterful. She couldn't read them beyond the description, however, due to the enchantments blocking them, but the potential for powerful sorceries was there. The first book wouldn't even let her read the front page until she had the minimum mana pool requirement. Frustrated, she cast her most powerful spell into the ocean in hopes of rapidly growing her power.

"Fuck yeah! I love this part!" Mike roared as Sophia channeled lightning with her bare hands.

"I do too, but it still takes about half my mana. Now, let me concentrate; I'm literally playing with lightning here." With a forceful incantation, "Goroma Va Kora!", Sophia poured her energy into the spell. Electricity crackled around her, striking nearby metal and scorching the wooden floor beneath her. As the power surged, she struggled to contain it. Finally, she released it in a single bolt of arcane might, sending it crashing into the ocean below. The resulting explosion of sparks created a crater where the water vaporized in a flash. A whirlpool formed as the water rushed in to fill the void, accompanied by a cloud of steam rising into the air.

"Hell Yah! Now that's what I'm talking about, Sis! Imagine what that spell would have done to Bellic... if you could cast it faster anyway," Mike exclaimed, clearly impressed.

"Ah, fuck off. It's a miracle I got the time down to under a minute. I'm just glad I finally get to use this spell again. It grows my mana reserves the greatest, after all. But even GG was scared to let me use it near the mountain," Sophia said, a playful edge to her voice.

"Well, yeah no shit, I'm pretty sure that could be seen for miles around, Soph," Mike replied, amusement evident in his tone.

The men of their crew cowered as far away from the mage as they could, their backs pressed against the farthest walls, eyes wide with fear. Mike couldn't help but suppress a smirk at the sight. "Well, hopefully, that display will keep them in line," he quipped, amusement lacing his voice as he glanced over the trembling men.

Together, they made their way back to the captain's quarters. The room was cramped, dimly lit by a flickering lantern hanging from a hook on the wall. The scent of salt and sweat hung heavy in the air. It wasn't anything special, but it had a bed—albeit a lumpy one—and Sophia was in dire need of a nap after casting that spell twice back to back.

Mike, ever vigilant, could have stayed awake without her, but they had found that Sophia regained her mana much faster if both twins slept. Casting a simple alarm spell on the door, they ensured they could rest easy without worrying about having their throats slit in their sleep.

After healing her ribs earlier, Valicar slept like a baby, her breaths steady and even. Dreams of another world filled her mind, transporting her to a distant life and forgotten memories. This routine continued for several more days until Sophia could cast her spell in less than 30 seconds and three times before needing to rest.

Then, in the dead of night, just as the ship rocked gently on the calm waves, the alarm was triggered. Sophia stirred in her sleep, a soft whimper escaping her lips, causing Mike to jolt awake, his hand instinctively reaching for Blue Dawn, the sword gleaming dimly in the lantern light.

The urgent call from Bitch Boy pierced the otherwise still night air, his voice laced with panic. "Captain! There is a ship on the horizon flying the colors of the Royal Navy!"

Sophia's distress was palpable as she processed the situation. "Oh shit... Mike, slavers were one thing, but soldiers are another. We have to find a way out of this without resorting to killing a bunch of people like a fucking psycho," she exclaimed, her voice tinged with concern.

Mike pondered for a moment before suggesting, "I mean, we can try to scare them off?"

Sophia shook her head vehemently. "No, Mike. I know how that goes with you. The first chance you get, you'll start slashing. These are soldiers just trying to feed their families, kinda like the city guard in Drisco. They're just trying to escape poverty, and they don't deserve to die because of that," she explained sympathetically, her tone weighted with understanding.

"You know what they say about soldiers just following orders, right?" Mike quipped, a wry smile playing on his lips.

"Mike! No, we are gonna do this my way for once," Sophia asserted, her voice firm with determination.

"Okay, and that is?" Mike inquired, deferring to his sister's judgment.

"Captain, what do we do!" Bitch Boy's panicked voice pierced the tension, interrupting their discussion.

"Shut the fuck up and let me think," Mike bellowed, his frustration evident as he returned to their inner monologue, Sophia's mind racing for a solution.

"Well, let us try outrunning them first, and if that fails, we'll pin this on the men and claim we were kidnapped," Sophia suggested, her voice laced with uncertainty.

"That's a shit plan, Soph. For one, we have a small crew and no chance of outrunning that thing. And second, what about the men just telling them we're a witch?" Mike countered, his brow furrowed in skepticism.

"I have a spell for that, actually. It's not the greatest, but I can change the men's memory temporarily to make them believe our story," Sophia explained, her tone more confident now.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

"I'm just hearing this now? Why?" Mike's voice betrayed a hint of frustration.

"Because I knew you would have wanted to abuse it while we were working for Taylor, and I'm not okay with just messing with normal people's free will to make some prick money," Sophia rebuked, her tone firm.

"Fair enough. So what about our books and sword? I don't exactly expect them to let us keep them," Mike pressed, his curiosity piqued.

"I found something pretty cool while playing with them. There's another enchantment built into the new books," Sophia explained eagerly, rushing over to her tomes. "Shiavor." With her incantation, all three books shrunk from their original size down to practically the size of a keychain.

"Pretty cool, but what about Blue Dawn and the other book?" Mike wondered.

"I'm sad to say I can't do much about the original book James gave us. I don't need it, though. I could tell you every spell like the back of my hand even if I haven't mastered them, so we can throw it overboard. As for Blue Dawn, we will probably have to retrieve it later, but it has an enchantment on it that can help with that. Can you put it down real fast?" Sophia explained as Mike placed Blue Dawn on the desk and walked across the room. Sophia reached her hand out and called, "Alvu." The sword flew across the room into her awaiting hand.

"Fuck, that's cool! That's some Thor shit, Sis!" Mike exclaimed excitedly. "So what's the plan once they catch up to us?" he asked, a bit relieved but still doubtful.

"We ask for a ride back to land, asserting our nobility. It's time we make use of the Norail name," Sophia declared, her voice ringing with confidence as she outlined their strategy.

"Fine, let's try it," Mike acquiesced, conceding to her plan.

Without a moment's delay, Valicar sprang into action. Casting a spell to manipulate the slavers' memories, she ensured they would believe the fabricated story. Then, with swift movements, she applied a dark oil through her hair, staining it black to complete her disguise. With purposeful steps, she descended below deck to the cages where the other girls had once been imprisoned, preparing to await her "rescuers."

"Are you sure the eye patch isn't too conspicuous?" Mike's voice echoed through the dimly lit space as he adjusted the patch, his concern palpable.

"How many little girls do you know with a crimson red eye? Assuming stories of us didn't reach this far south, it doesn't hurt to be careful," Sophia pointed out their abnormality.

It took the better part of an hour before commotion erupted above deck, accompanied by shouts and clanging metal. After a brief scuffle, the hatch swung open, revealing several men descending the stairs. Among them were three adorned in the colors of the royal navy, dark blue against a field of green.

Putting on her best act, Sophia cried out with a trembling voice, "Over here! HELP ME PLEASE!"

"By the Gods, they have a child down here!" The sailors rushed to break open the lock, their urgency evident as they sought to comfort the crying child in their grasp. Valicar was brought upstairs, cradled in the arms of a sailor, her cries echoing through the air. Meanwhile, the soldiers had dealt with several of the slavers, leaving the remainder bound and kneeling in a line, awaiting judgment. Among them stood a tall man, dressed similarly to the others but distinguished by a fancy feathered hat.

"Captain! We found a little girl down below, along with several barrels of the drug Vix. There were several cells down there as well, but only one was occupied," the man leading Valicar's group reported to the captain.

"Evil men have no right to sail the same seas as the rest of us. Take her to the doctor while we finish up here," the captain commanded, drawing his sword and beginning the grim task of meting out justice to the slavers, one by one.

"Shit, I guess that takes care of them," Mike stated coldly, his voice tinged with a sense of finality. He could sense Sophia flinching inwardly each time the blade was brought down on yet another neck.

Valicar was escorted to the Navy Ship, a vessel far larger than the Salty Dog. The ship stretched over 60 meters in length, casting an imposing presence on the water. As Sophia stepped aboard, she couldn't help but be reminded of a Spanish man o' war due to its sheer size. Despite lacking cannons, it boasted an arsenal of firepower, with the deck lined with scorpions and other ballistae.

Below deck, Valicar was led to a medic's office, where she was greeted by a kind older man. He conducted a thorough examination, checking for injuries and showing concern for her well-being. Attempting to inspect her eye, he paused as Valicar explained it was the result of a previous incident, prompting him to respect her privacy.

Later, Valicar was taken to the captain's quarters for questioning. The room exuded an air of authority, with a man seated behind a desk. Among the array of weapons, Blue Dawn hung prominently on display, its gleaming blade catching the light, no doubt this captions most recent prize from the salty dog.

"By the fucking gods, you couldn't have given her a bath before bringing her in here; she is filthy," the Captain reprimanded his soldier, his voice laced with irritation.

"I'm sorry, Captain. The doctor cleared her, and I thought you would like to talk to her right away!" The soldier squirmed under his superior's gaze, offering a feeble explanation.

"Well, she has already stained my fucking chair. You'll be scrubbing the deck for a week, understood?" With a dismissive wave of his hand, the soldier hastily retreated from the room, leaving Captain to deal with the situation at hand.

"Hello, child. I have some questions for you. To start, my name is Easton Von White, and I am the Captain of the Storm Breaker," the man introduced himself, pouring himself a glass of whisky as he spoke.

"I am Valicar, of House Norail, and I was captured by those men after our ship was raided by pirates," Sophia fabricated, hoping the captain had no real knowledge of their adopted house.

"Oh, that's quite the prestigious name. May I ask why you are so far from home?" Easton inquired, taking a sip of his drink.

"My uncle thought it would be a good idea for me to see the world, but he was killed by those evil men. They were going to ransom me back to my house once they found out who I was," Sophia replied, her voice carrying a hint of sorrow.

"Well, we will make sure to get you back home safe, my Lady Norail. Now, I have a few other questions. The ship seemed to be low on crewmen, and several of them seemed wounded. Would you happen to know where the rest of the men are and who gave them these injuries?" Easton inquired, his gaze steady as he downed the rest of his drink in a single swig.

"Yes, it was our guards and my uncle. They fought valiantly, but alas, it wasn't enough," Sophia explained, knowing they would question the crew size.

"Ah, brave men all of them, it is an honor to die in battle but a shame nonetheless. Well, you may go now, my Lady Valicar. I will make sure you are afforded proper quarters worthy of your station." With that, she was escorted to a fine room, larger than the captain's quarters on the Salty Dog. The bed was even bigger, with plush furnishings that spoke of luxury. Surprisingly, there was a change of clothes laid out for her, and even a bath had been drawn, the steam rising invitingly.

"You know, Sis, I think I could get used to this noble shit," Mike commented as they stepped into the warm water.

"Enjoy it while it lasts; remember the plan is to dip once we hit port," Sophia reminded him.

"Yah, Yah, let me enjoy my soak," Mike replied, sinking into the comforting embrace of the bath.