"Come forth, Caerulean!" Janet yelled, summoning her familiar.

A deafening roar pierced the air as a large summoning circle manifested in the air. A huge, brilliant blue Wyvern emerged so close to the frigate it could have damaged the superstructure. White lightning danced between the scales of the Lesser Dragon as Caerulean rained destruction on the monsters below who dared to threaten her master.

"Praetorians!" Janet raised her hand and three of the Arcadian Royal Guards emerged out of the thin air. "Two of you and you, Caerulean, escort Shadow to the Core's inner sanctum! We will provide you with cover!"

"As you wish, my Lady." One of the Praetorians confirmed as two of them leapt on the back of the Wyvern, closely followed by the Shadow Demon Scion.

"Follow them and provide suppressive fire!" Blackbeard ordered. "What in the hell is Victory is doing?!"

"They are deploying their Dragon Riders! That's too reckless!" Janet explained as twelve summoning circles opened near the Second Fleet flagship.

Victory lowered her altitude and cannons shredded the Dungeon monsters into pieces. Anything that tried to fire back was instantly targeted by the Frigate or the Ship of the Line. Twelve Dragon Riders soon joined the fray with their Wyverns breathing fire, ice, and lightning towards the biggest monsters. They quickly pressed toward the forest boundaries to prevent returning monsters from helping the Dungeon. The Dungeon itself, however, wasn't going down without a fight. Someone screamed as they fell to the deck with an arrow in their neck, clawing at the wooden deck in pain. Janet yelled into her communication device and Victory levelled with Queen Anne's Revenge for a moment needed for a few medics to jump from the larger airship. The Navy healers started treating the people around them which greatly improved Blackbeard’s people’s morale. Some monsters stormed the ship and attacked the pirates when another explosion tore through the air. Flying Monkeys, half the size of a grown-up Human, wielded crude swords and daggers swarmed the sailors. They were fast and their strong wings allowed quick turns during the fight which allowed them to attack from unexpected angles. Fortunately, they attacked in waves so the crew wasn't under a constant siege. Janet managed to dispatch four of them and Blackbeard cut in half or decapitated five of them with even quicker swordplay.

"I didn't know you had a warrior class." Blackbeard grinned at her.

"Not originally." She smiled back. "But serving Arcadia has its benefits. Like obtaining a Valkyrie sub-class though I still have a lot of levelling until I max it."

"I’ve never heard of that class." He shook his head in disbelief.

"It's very rare and, as far as I know, only five people have it, including me." She smiled proudly, but she was saddened as she looked around.

"Why the long face?"

"Well, it's worse than I expected," Janet admitted as she looked at the wounded and dead. "Xariinta had the decency to give up much earlier."

"What I can say..." Edward chuckled. "Xariinta was smart."

"Sorry..." She slightly lowered her head. "Because of my reckless idea, your people are dying."

"Hey, my Lads!" Blackbeard bellowed, almost openly laughing. "Are you sorry to be here?!"

A round of laughter rolled over the pirate ship and, to Janet's shock, even the wounded were laughing. Most of the responses seemed amused but some of the pirates looked offended by her suggestion.

"Why?" She looked around, stupefied.

"Simple!" The Quartermaster approached them with a big grin. "If we manage to significantly help with the capture of a Dungeon, we will earn our place among the people of the Empire of Arcadia."

"You have already earned it..." She said quietly.

"It's... Complicated, my Lady." Jim sighed and slashed in half the last Flying Monkey. "We need something to show our dedication. That's why this particular mission is believed to be it."

"That's why it's not only Queen Anne's fight, Janet." Edward grinned and pointed. "They are finally here!"

Six more airships joined the battle, approaching from different directions, and opening fire on the monsters below. Blackbeard proudly straightened, which still was less impressive than it should have been considering what he was wearing. He started yelling orders at the nearby pirates who forwarded his orders to the newly arrived ships using various flags.

"I will ask the Emperor to allow you to have a radio," The Elf said quietly and approached Edward.

"That might help us... But..." Edward smiled softly and looked around. "Most of my boys are tired, Janet. All who disagreed with me have already left and those who stayed were smart. I think this is our last quest... Or at least the last one as privateers."

"What are you talking about?" She looked at him in shock.

"I'm not stupid, Lady Admiral." He grinned. "The age of pirates was gone with the birth of Arcadia. I simply wanted to go down in history as a winner. The last true pirate who served the greatest Emperor of Nilmerthis."

She smiled but when she wanted to say something, another group of Flying Monkeys stormed the deck. She spun around and gutted one of the monsters in an instant with her glaive but more of them were closing in on her. The deck soon turned into a chaotic arena where people fought with monsters. Janet fought bravely but she knew they were being overrun. Forced to retreat, she knew their only chance to survive was the surrender of the Dungeon. She gritted her teeth and activated all her runes, burning huge amounts of mana and activating her combat buffs while regretting that she hadn't brought a Living Armour with her. Or her Flagship - having Dauntless would certainly help. At one point, she fended off five monsters but, eventually, her shield was broken. As if in slow motion, she saw the vicious serrated blade of a Flying Monkey creep its way towards her stomach and she could only pray that her armour would withstand the blow. However, a golden-black glaive was faster and split open the monster, severing its arms and killing it on the spot. The last Praetorian was protecting her, always vigilant, no matter what. The monster's blade hit the side of her armour, much harder than she expected, and cut away the fall absorber pendant. Janet recklessly looped it on her belt but now she could only curse herself when it hit the deck and shattered into pieces under someone's foot. With a cry of fury, Janet dispatched two remaining monsters and noticed they were finally rid of that wave.

"What's the status?" She risked a look around.

"Fairly good. The monsters are annoying but we managed to fend them off." Blackbeard said as he looked around. "All right... I think we should regroup before they return. Let the rest of the boys have some fun. Helmsman! Take us out of here!"

"Aye, aye, Captain!"

"Are you all right?" Blackbeard looked at her with a worried look.

"Yes..." She nodded and opened the visor. "I just lost my fall absorber pendant. Stupid accident..."

She was angry at herself and her stupid decision.

"That's not good." He shook his head, sheathed his sword, and took off his own necklace. She tried to protest but his stern look made her stop. He put his pendant on her neck and smiled. "That's the least I can do for you, Janet."

"Thank you, Edward." She smiled sheepishly and slightly blushed. "Do you plan to become a dotting boyfriend now?"

"I'm not one already?" He chuckled and winked which made her laugh.

"You are certainly doing your best." She took a step forward just as a massive explosion shook Queen Anne's Revenge.

Janet almost lost her balance but, after years of serving on various ships and living through many storms, she was agile as a cat. The frigate seemed to come out of it unscathed but both of them knew that the ship was done for. Janet's eyes automatically turned towards the source of the explosion that she just knew was under the deck. There was a small hole in the quarterdeck where dense, black smoke flowed out leaving a trail in the air.

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"Abandon ship! Everyone, abandon ship! That's an order!" Blackbeard bellowed and some sailors jumped off of the ship without hesitation. "The core is gone!"

Edward ran towards the helmsman and pushed him away; he skillfully turned the ship and aimed it at the biggest mob of monsters below. The Quartermaster started issuing orders while running towards the captain's quarters but Janet focused on Edward. He secured the steering wheel with a sword of one of the fallen sailors and softly grabbed her arm.

"You must jump, Janet! Victory is following us and, hopefully, she will save most of my people." He took her to the starboard side and she realised that he wouldn't be able to jump. Not without his fall-absorber.

"Oh, Gods! No! Take back your pendant!" She screamed while her hands shot up but he shook his head and held her hands so she couldn't take the necklace off.

"Never." He said softly but with resolve.

"The dead! Edward, we can search for a pendant on their bodies-"

"We leave no one behind, Janet. Jim stored their bodies in the holding item before he jumped." The large pirate smiled warmly and hugged her. "Go, my love, and live!"

She hugged him and kissed him, feeling her tears falling uncontrollably. She felt him lifting her gently in his strong arms. "Nooo-! Please, no!"

"I love you, Janet." He said with the most affectionate smile she had ever seen and everything slowed down once again.

He pushed her out of the mortally wounded ship. She screamed, extending her hands to grab him, but she couldn't reach him anymore. He pulled himself back among the raging flames as they consumed the legendary pirate ship. Through her tears, Janet saw Edward standing proudly at the railing, smiling softly at her. Victory rapidly descended, crossing the air above the frigate too far away to save him. A few dozen figures jumped from Victory's deck - the Royal Marines - and flew like spirits of vengeance to save their Admiral. However, that did not matter at all to her. She cried bitterly and her tears slowly clouded her vision. She couldn't feel anything but a heart-shattering loss. She had finally met a man who understood her, her kindred spirit, but she lost him as soon as she had given love a chance. Another explosion shook the lifeless hull of Queen Anne's Revenge and the frigate plummeted uncontrollably into the ground. Fall-absorbing gel engulfed her, painfully slowly turning her so she would land on her feet. The burning hull, carrying the man she loved, sliced through the air above her head. As she tried to turn around, another explosion shook the ground. She screamed in pain and fury when the gel finally released her, throwing herself with reckless abandon towards the wreckage. The monsters that stood in the way were cut down mercilessly as the Marines followed, unable to stop her. Within moments, she was near the maimed ship.

"Edward! Where are you?!" She screamed with tears in her eyes. "Don't leave me, you bastard!"

"He's gone..." Jim was kneeling and staring into the roaring fire. He was staring at what was left of the once mighty ship with his tears falling on their own. "I can't believe it... I... If I only knew... Oh, Ed..."

"No! Blackbeard!" She screamed with pain and wanted to run inside the burning ship but the Marines stopped her. "Let me go! This is an order! Let me go!"

"Ma'am..." The Marine stated but he held her firmly. "He's gone, Ma'am... I... I'm so sorry."

"Nooo..." She whispered through her tears and slowly dropped to her knees, held by the Marine.

The Marine let her go and suddenly straightened at attention.

"I believe this is yours, Janet."

She turned around, hearing the amused voice of Theon Avalon, and couldn't believe his cruelty. How he could be amused... He flipped his fingers and Edward Teach appeared, standing proudly, with closed eyes as if he were standing near the ship's railing. She jumped at him with a happy cry, causing them to fall to the ground. Blackbeard opened his eyes in shock and looked around, surprised that he was alive.

"All right people, give us some space." Theon Avalon yelled and looked around with a sigh, seeing the soldiers staring at their Admiral in disbelief. "Get the fuck out of here before I find you a better job to do!"

Janet chuckled hearing the annoyed tone of her Emperor. She was lying on top of Blackbeard, holding him tight.

"You stupid! I hate you!" She yelled at him and kissed him briefly before she tapped his chest with her fists. "I love you..." She added with a whisper of relief then she followed to tap his broad chest with her fists. "I warned you to not do anything that would upset me! Dying is definitely one of those things!"

"I... I'm sorry, Janet. But I didn't want you to die! I love you!" Edward responded with nervous laughter and looked in shock at the Emperor standing nearby. "Janet, our Lord is here!"

"Oh, no! Nope! Hell, no! Don't involve me!" Probably the most powerful person in the world chuckled, amused. "You have created this monster, it's your problem now."

Janet took a deep breath and stood. She turned around and kneeled in front of the Emperor and lowered herself so much that she extended her hands on the ground and touched the ground with her face. "Once again you saved my life, my Emperor..."

Blackbeard quickly joined her and prostrated himself as well.

"Oh, please, you both..." The Emperor once again flickered his fingers, teleporting them above the ground which made them stand up instinctively to avoid smacking the ground painfully. "It was a promise I made, wasn't it? As long as you serve me faithfully, I will protect you. You two are among my greatest commanders and you, Janet, are my friend."

"Still, I'm again in your debt, my Lord!" She said.

"And so do I!" Blackbeard smashed his fist on his chest and looked into his eyes. "I will make any vow you wish, my Lord! You are my only Lord!"

"Can you both ease up a little?" Theon Avalon sighed and shook his head. "I get it. I value loyalty but don't take it too far. Janet, I told you once that I consider you my friend. But, if you plan to act like a child then, maybe, I should consider you my daughter?"

Janet opened and closed her mouth, turning red and pale in turns. She let out a terrified shriek and very slowly collapsed to her knees. Instinctively, Blackbeard caught her and helped her to safely sit on the ground. Edward was stupefied by the Emperor and what he just said and everything that happened. He looked up and felt a sudden impulse to stand up; he, almost, instantly followed his impulse. The Emperor was as tall as Blackbeard and looked at the privateer with a smirk. The two towering men were standing face to face but it was obvious which one of them was more powerful.

"So... Until Janet discovers how to use her tongue again, we have a few words to exchange, Edward Blackbeard Teach." The Emperor put his hand on Edward's shoulder and lowered his voice as he led him a few steps aside. "So it looks like you want to date my daughter, Blackbeard..."

An unspoken threat in the Emperor's seemingly casual tone was more than terrifying. Blackbeard never once in his life was afraid. He wasn't afraid when he and his crew fought against the Bernans. He wasn't afraid when they met Arcadians for the first time. Even facing death, Edward wasn't afraid as he was plummeting towards the ground onboard his burning ship. He was never afraid until now. Now, for the first time in his life, Blackbeard was afraid. However, he smiled. Despite all odds, he saw his Lord worthy of all the trust and respect the people of Arcadia put in him. In this moment, he understood the loyalty Janet put in the man.

"Date? No, my Lord." Blackbeard denied with an honest voice. "I want to marry and protect her!"

"That's what I wanted to hear." The Emperor smiled. "I can see that determination in your eyes. But I must warn you, Edward Teach. Your life will never be the same."

"I'm aware of that, my Lord. I must work much harder for the people to accept me."

"I see that you have no idea how it works, have you?" The Emperor laughed. "The fact you want to keep up your good work is commendable but that alone won't help you much."

"I don't care, my Lord." He lowered his head and clenched his fists in determination. "I must do it for her."

"Oh, by all means do that. But it certainly wouldn't hurt if someone... were to say a good word or two about you, would it?"

Blackbeard instantly understood what the Emperor meant. He kneeled on his right knee in front of Theon Avalon and lowered his head. "You saved my life so it's yours now, my Lord! I pledge my loyalty to you and Arcadia. I vow on my life that I will be forever loyal to you, my Lord!"

"Today a new Hero of Arcadia was born, Edward Blackbeard Teach." Theon Avalon smiled softly and, in his hand, manifested a magnificent sword. It was a black, wide blade which was a bit longer than a typical naval cutlass. The Emperor put it flat on Edward's shoulder. "Rise, my Knight and take this sword. May this blade strike only the evil and the wicked."

"From today since the day I die, I will follow your will, my Lord!" Edward felt his eyes growing wet from emotions as he accepted the sword from the hands of a man who changed his life forever.

The Emperor just smiled and walked to the side where the Shadow Demon Scion was standing. Blackbeard watched the man who had the power to change the world at his whim and slowly shook his head in disbelief. Janet was still sitting on the ground so he numbly walked towards her and sat down. However, he suddenly felt so incredibly weak that he lay on his back, still firmly holding the black sword.

"You are alive..." She slowly patted his head, still kneeling nearby.

"I don't know anymore..." He smiled. "Because I think I have died and I'm in heaven... That's actually strange since I probably shouldn't be in heaven... Isn't that just a dream?"

She laughed and kissed him. "Then let's stay in that dream together..."

"I don't want to be a killjoy but we have work to do, kids!" The Emperor chuckled as he slowly walked away. "If you wanted to have a vacation you shouldn't have gone into the middle of a warzone, Janet! Now, take your boyfriend and count the heads who survived your reckless raid. After that, scram, out of my sight before I revoke your leave, Miss Grand Admiral!"

Janet giggled but instantly stood up while Blackbeard rose very slowly. "Did he just call us kids?"

"It's complicated." She giggled again. "Better to do what he ordered because I think I want to continue my vacation."

"You know what?" Edward smiled widely as he looked at her. "You are absolutely right."