Upon standing, the row boat rocked side to side, threatening Riko with a fall over the shallow coral reefs beneath the vessel. His gaze fixed on the distant schooner with a growing sense of unease. The ship was small, a whaler type, designed with little drag underwater to prioritise versatility in sailing over speed or strength. It needed nothing else; its purpose was to chart a course through the treacherous pass way of the Maze’s wall and find an entrance to the Blue Kingdom.

Each time the Tampra navy attempted to cross the eastern shallows, they reached closer to the Ikaban Pass. A set of deeper corridors leading to hundreds of islands inhabited with thousands of refugees from all the countries of the Southern cluster. It would take them more attempts, more ships broken on the rocks beneath the surface, but eventually, they would find a way through. When that happened, they would have a full chart in hand, ready to launch an invasion and destroy the lives of all those poor souls their own countries had already broken.

Adan continued his report, struggling more than Riko with balancing on the rowboat, despite the calm seas. “The Kraken is using machinery to drain parts of the southeast entrance. They’re blasting the corals with explosive underwater mines. Korman told me in the east they’re using chains and dragging gigantic hooks to create passages, too.”

Riko listened, his mind turning over the grim future. “We need to tell Marie to use her ships to evacuate the eastern islands. Move everyone from west to east.”

Adan, tired of shaking, finally sat down, his exhaustion clear. “Cap’n, we can barely sustain the mouths we have here. More people will bring hunger. Revolts.”

Since the plan to confront the Vega’s Kraken had begun, Riko put much effort into organising the upcoming war. It had all been about gathering whoever wanted to follow Admiral Hafiz’s legacy and preparing Ivy. Everything had gone well so far. Ivy had been diligent and hardworking. She’d listened to and memorised his teachings of military tactics, and she’d sweated and bled in her hand-to-hand combat training. Adam had done a great job, too. Men, ships and materials had gathered around him, outside the blue kingdom and hidden on one of the uninvited islands of the thousand kings. Others, numbering in the hundreds, were hiding in strategic places, pieces well placed on the board, waiting for a master move.

But in the face of all this, Tampraparni, the Kraken and the other pirate factions had not sat back with their arms crossed. They had also prepared themselves thoroughly. Perhaps even better than they had. And time was running out. Their claws were already closing around their necks.

The Tampra ship attempted a slow, dangerous manoeuvre, turning north to avoid being caught on a coral reef. Riko scanned the horizon, foreseeing their next move. The ship was reaching Ivy’s trap soon, and they had to be gone before the explosions began.

“Riko?” Adan’s voice broke through his thoughts.

“We will start the attack on the Thousands earlier, then,” Riko said, trying to put on a tone of conviction he lacked. “She’s been training relentlessly for months. She is ready.”

Adan sighed heavily. “Maybe. But are we? Indri’s fleet has grown faster than ours.”

Riko’s expression hardened. “That’s a challenge we all saw coming. When you return, tell the men to ready the ships and send birds to Kirato and to Vassland.”

“So, no reinforcements from the World’s End?”

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

“Our best punches must be against Male. I’ll make sure they come in time, but not before the confrontation against the Indri. The plan will work. Have faith.”

Adan shook his head, doubt etched into his features. “Sorry, but I don’t. I have faith in you and even in the girl. You know me, Rick. But I don’t see that old wolf recovering from his despair. And he is the key to getting the Indri cap’ns on our side. If they don’t agree, they will grab us tight while Tampra’s hammer crushes us under the yoke of Ray.”

A whistle from Adan’s ship diverted their attention. Crewmen on the deck signalled with urgency, pointing arms towards the southern horizon. Adan shaded his eyes with his hand, peering into the distance.

“Riko, it’s an Indri patrol. I need to go, or we won’t put enough water between the ships.”

Riko’s quartermaster jumped into the approaching rowboat and left Riko alone in his. The two row-men saluted with hands on forehead toward an impassive Riko, lost in his worries. Contemplating their dwindling options over the reddening horizon. “After we deal with Indri, we’ll have to face Ray. Have you considered what I told you?”

Adan’s voice carried back to him as the rowboat pulled away. “I’m going to be dead before that!”

Riko glanced over his shoulder, expecting Adan to understand the seriousness of his question required an answer. “Of course, Boss.” Adan yelled. “Of course, I’ll do it! No worries!”

Riko resumed his scouting, taking breaks to check on Adan. When the boat reached his brig, the sails had already deployed. The southern horizon revealed a daunting sight: a vast wall of shallow coral and jagged rocks, forming an impenetrable barrier between the open sea and the Blue Maze. Beyond and threatening with two lines of cannons, a barque with Indri’s colours closed quarters. When Adan’s ship took on the speeds of beam reach, Indri’s one unleashed a double shot from their chasers. Water splashed too close, but it didn’t matter. That was their only chance, and they had failed.

What would happen next, for someone like him, was no secret. Adan had the wind in his favour and a faster lady. He’d put distance, and the patrol would not engage in a chase that could become way too long.

With no need to look any further, he looked for Ivy, something that worried him much more. Relief washed over him when her head appeared in the distance. She swam with the speed of a marine creature, reaching the boat with no surface for a breath. “Done?” Riko asked as Ivy climbed into the boat, filling the bottom not only with his soaked body but by sinking it so low seawater sloshed over the edge.

“Careful kid.”

Ivy nodded, then pointed towards the horizon. In a matter of moments, the bow of the Tampra ship exploded, sending shards of wood away from the blast.

Ivy’s idea of locating underwater mines under the Tampra ships worked. Her inhuman skills bought the powdered filled barrels at location without being seen. Each barrel had a sealed compartment with a timing fuse, activated by a flintstone spark when a cork button was pressed and, with an attached rope net soaked in pitch, they stuck well on the wooden hulls. With the job done, and deeply discouraged by the explosions, it would be weeks before Tampra found the courage to return. Weeks without the pressure of their attempts to invade piled over the Blue.

“Adan’s report isn’t good,” Riko said. “We have less time than I expected.”

Ivy wiped her face and signed, “I’ll speak with AhLong then.”

Riko took up the oars, rowing away from the coral wall, deeper into the maze of islands. “Adan has mustered around twenty ships at Koran Atoll. Indri’s fleet is growing at a rate that overpowers us by three to one.”

“AhLong says many stupid things, but if he says they will agree, they will.” Ivy replied. “You haven’t heard the legends all your life as the people around here have. And you know how serious are legends and tales for a sea dog, be it a merchant or a pirate. Folk of the shallows and the Thousand kings worship the Angler’s King like a god or fear him like a demon. Either way, when Indri is gone, they will do whatever he says.”