“Captain, sails are still in one piece! No need for’em threads and needles this time.” Shouted a man from the main sail.

“Check the ropes next!” ordered the Captain.

“Aye ma’am!” given their next order, the group that was checking the sails for holes moved to tighten any loose knots to ensure that the sails did not unravel during their journey and that non off them were cut off during the melee.

The crew just had a long battle with the Knights of Azeria, who were trying to capture the captain and her second-in-command, as deserters of the country of ‘Aldu Altanwir. The Knights of Azeria is a group of knights chosen by the top brass for their skills, in other words they were the most powerful knights that ‘Aldu Altanwir chould throw at them.

As to why knights of their calibre were doing something as mundane as capturing a group of deserters. Nowa Al Shams, leader of the Al Ghul pirates, was born from the most powerful military family in Jalalat Alshams. And her second-in-command was part of the clan that has been partnered with the Al Shams for centuries. The Aldaw’ clan is like family to the Al Shams and supports them with all that they have.

Thus, the Knights of Azeria was filled with Nowa and zil’s family members. Feeling responsible for their desertion their family had decided that they would be the ones to drag the two of them back to the capital city, Jalalat Alshams for their punishment.

This also means that the Al Ghuls often encounters the Azeria ships during their journeys. And with the many battles, it also means that they must conduct maintenance on their ship very often during sailing.

Despite the Azerias being their enemy Nowa wasn’t willing to kill them, because family was family and even though they weren’t the most caring, they loved her, and she loved them too. She also understood the reasons for their coming after them so as courtesy, and to show them that she didn’t hold anything against them she always tried to keep the deaths to a minimum.

The Azerias weren’t stupid either, they understood that Nowa didn’t wish them harm, so they also tried to keep from killing her crew members, and tries to drag her and Zil back to Jalalat Alshams alive and well. 

“Sa’rab, is your group about done with swabbing the deck?” the Captain asked a man that just walked past, carrying cleaning tools. The ship was caked in blood from the battle and to ensure that the blood doesn’t cause degradation in the wood, they had to clean everything up.

 “Just about, Captain. Only the stern is left.” Sa’rab rasped; exhaustion evident in his voice.

“Alright keep at it. Take a break when you’re done.” the Captain told them.

“Aye Captain, ‘tis much appreciated.” He replied. Thankful that his group would have a chance to rest a bit before getting back to work, Sa’rab, motivated by the thought of some down time, re-energises and quickly walks to the end of the ship to get his work done.

“Earabat Kabira looks to be in surprisingly good condition after that battle.” A voice sounded from behind her, despite the speaker being visibly cloaked.

“Isn’t it? Perhaps we don’t need to stop at the next island for anything other than a restocking?” unfazed by the voice. The Captain turned back and stared at the empty space in front of her. When the unknown did not show themselves, the Captain raised an eyebrow and asked, “Aren’t you going to release that illusory spell? Even when I know you’re there it’s quite unnerving to be speaking to thin air.”

The unknown person chuckled and replied, “Where would the fun be in that? Nevertheless, if you insist that I show myself…” at last, the illusion cloaking the unknown slowly dissolved, like a haze dispersing into air, the figure became visible. It was at that moment that a few of the crew members coincidentally walked past and screamed in shock when the figure appeared suddenly.

The figure snickered quietly at the show.

“Honestly now, Zil, must you take such pleasure in the reactions of the crew when you appear so suddenly?” Nowa reprimanded, albeit with a slight trace of amusement.

“Yes,” at the blunt reply Nowa could do nothing but give a weary chuckle. “You would think that after sailing together for somewhat over 4 years now that they would get used to it.” Zil remarked somewhat amused by the fact, “After all, you did. But, now when I try to surprise you, you just ignore me and continue with whatever you were doing.” she looked slightly put off at that.

“I have known you for a long time. I also am able to sense where you are, Zil. Thus, you cannot truly compare me and the rest of crew to how long it would take to get used to your antics.”

Zil gave a small laugh and replied, “That is true, however 4 years is a long time they should have-” Zil was cut short by the Crow nest-man.

“Captain, there is an emergency!” the panicked shout came from the Crow nest-man, “A Wyrm, an’s lookin’ like it’s gonna be huge!”

The cannons are still under maintenance from the battle with the Knights of Azaria earlier. Nowa was dreading the incoming battle, knowing that the it would be incredibly difficult without the cannons. Coming to a decision, Nowa unholstered her twin pistols and shouted instructions to the crew.

“Sa’rab, I know you’re tired, but this is an emergency. Get your team and tell the crew to get ready for battle but don’t engage with the Wyrm until you hear my command!” the Captain called out to her crew as she ran into to the stern.

“Aye ma’am!” Sa’rab replied then frantically motioning to his team “You heard’er, get moving!”

Nowa dashed towards the front of Earabat Kabira. Stopping at the ship’s stern she laid her eyes upon what was possibly the largest Sea Wyrm she had ever and probably will ever, see. And it was heading straight for the Earabat Kabira.

“Orders, Captain?” asked Zil, who was once again under her illusory cloak.

“Zil, quickly put up a barrier, stop it in its tracks before it can reach us!” Nowa ordered Zil, who was better than her at barrier magics.

“I’ll do you one better,” Zil pointed at the direction of the Wyrm and gathered mana at her fingertip, “Tawaquf.”

And the Wyrm had stopped right in its tracks. Tawaquf, a support spell that stops the time of the targeted enemy, though only for a few seconds, and it takes quite a bit of concentration to cast so it’s not the best of spells to use during an emergency, but this allowed some time to get a stronger barrier up.

“Hajiz!” And the moment the time spell dispelled, a transparent barrier came into existence and the Wyrm rammed right into the barrier. The barrier broke as easily as glass, which surprised both Nowa and Zil. Nevertheless, their objective was met and the Wyrm stopped in its tracks and emerged from the waters, looking left and right in confusion.

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

“That Wyrm… Could it be possible?” the Captain thought aloud, confused as to how to handle the impending danger, “Zil, tell me, is that thing about to reconstruct?” The captain asked.

“From that thing’s size and the amount of power pouring out of it, it is quite possible.” Zil whispered back.

Nowa clicked her tongue in annoyance, the Wyrm needs to be killed as quickly as possible before it can restructure. However, to defeat one of this size within the short time frame the crew has, Nowa couldn’t think of a way that it would be possible. To make things worse, if that thing does restructure mid-battle all the damage it would have taken would be healed before the crew could hit it hard. If that situation comes to pass, they would no doubt be at even more of a disadvantage than they already are.

Without their cannons Nowa wasn’t sure if they could finish it before it restructures.

“Nowa, let me fight in front. I can deal more damage than you. Please support me from behind with your gun magic. The long range can keep it distracted.” Zil pleaded.

“Zil, don’t tell me you plan on fighting that thing at close range? You would have to leave the ship and fight on the Wyrm to do that kind of damage!”

“That is exactly what I am going to do. We can’t afford to have the Wyrm restructure. If that happens we would need to bring the whole crew up in arms. We cannot have them tire when we are not even halfway to our next island!” Zil strongly advised.

Even though Nowa knew it was true, she was apprehensive. This Wyrm was strong. What would happen if it manages to land a blow on Zil and throw her out further into the sea? Zil was the Captain’s partner, her Protector, her Guardian. Nowa would be all but lost without her.

“Nowa.” Zil’s voice broke Nowa out of her subconscious debate, and she looked up at Zil’s masked face, not realizing that Zil had dispelled her illusion…

“Trust that I would not” Zil paused to reconsider, “will not die.”

Even though Zil’s face was covered, she was smiling and Nowa could see it. Zil was that confident in her abilities that she would not allow herself to die to the Wyrm. And above all, she was certain that Nowa as her partner, as the one supporting her, would never allow the Wyrm an opening to throw Zil off of it.

“You’re the captain of the Al Ghul pirates, aren’t you? Show some spine.” Zil encouraged Nowa and at that cheeky remark, Zil jumped back, unsheathed her twin swords, and with a running start leaped at the large Wyrm.

The sudden uncharacteristic remark shocked Nowa enough that she stilled for a moment. It was only when the Wyrm cried out in pain and the ship rocked from the waves that she broke out of her shock.

An eerie laugh escaped Nowa’s lips, “Oh, I’ll show you some spine all right!” Nowa exploded in irritation. With much zeal, she cocked her guns and fired shot after shot, her bullets emitting flames and ice at the Wyrm, “I’ll murder that thing myself if I have to!” She yelled.

Zil, her right sword pierced into the back of the Wyrm, hung on for dear life. The Wyrm was thrashing around trying to avoid the many bullets raining upon it. She thought to herself with a chuckle, ‘Ah… Nowa and her trigger-happy tendency fuelled by irritation, t’is scary like no other.’

Zil tightened her muscles and planted her feet against the creature, climbing up the Wyrm by alternately stabbing it and using the sword as handholds. When she pulls out her swords blood splattered outwards, causing her to get covered by more and more blood.

“Take this…” a sudden soft whisper from Nowa, “Flames of Inferno and Ice of Nifelheim!” Nowa yelled. Releasing the magical powers of her weapons Inferno and Nifelheim, the pistols that had absorbed the powers of the underworld, the mana of pistols precipitated from the guns, “The Ballad of Ice and Fire.” Nowa continuing her incantation saw Zil standing on the head of the Wyrm.

“Fire the spell Nowa, I’ll support!” Zil exclaimed, having prepared herself to avoid the incoming blast. A fearless grin had formed on Nowa’s face.

“Nar.” Nowa said and the magical power concentrated in Inferno and Nifelheim unleashed in a flurry of fire and ice heading straight for the Wyrm. Right before the moment of impact, Zil jumped upwards to avoid the blast and chanted her own spell, “‘Aswad w ‘Abyad!” at the moment of impact, the spell intertwined with The Ballad of Ice and Fire and its power was strengthened even further.

‘Aswad w ‘Abyad was a support spell that increases the power of other spells that combines opposing elements. The Ballad of Ice and Fire was one very good example of such a spell.

Zil used her ability to manipulate gravity and levitated to the impact point, trying to confirm if the Wyrm was down.

But she didn’t have to wait for the smoke from the impact to clear. The Wyrm wasn’t even winded from the attack. In fact, it was so energetic that it thrust its body quickly and lunged straight at the ship.

Surprised, Zil’s instinctual need to protect Nowa had taken over and she manipulated the gravity acting on her, by increasing it to the very limit of what her body can handle, she plummeted straight towards the Wyrm. Clasping her swords in her hands tightly, she swung down the blades down on the monster’s snout. Piercing through the sea dragon’s scales and into the mouth, blood splattered upward, adding to the blood that covered her earlier when she climbed the Wyrm.

The force of the attack was so powerful, that the Wrym was pushed down into the water. The torrent jetted up and the tail of the Wyrm whipped up above its head from the energy of its lunge. However, even after that, the Wyrm was still alive despite the hole in its snout and the trauma from the impalement. Zil quickly leapt back, landing into the waters in between the Wyrm and the ship.

“How is it still alive! A normal Wyrm would have died 5 times over with the amount of damage we did!” Nowa was speechless. ‘What kind of Wyrm is this.’

Angered, the Wyrm let out a loud screech, and trashed about, creating large waves that obstructed Zil from swimming back to the ship. That was when Zil sensed a sudden sharp increase in magical energy being centred at where the Wyrm was.

“Nowa, retreat, the Wyrm is going to use its breath!” Zil shouted in desperation, she herself trying to quickly get further away from the Wyrm. Her muscles battered and strained from the amount of exertion that the attack costed her.

True to Zil’s words the Wyrm knocked its head back and took a huge breath. Zil was still reeling from impaling the Wyrm and could not intervene.

However, Nowa did not have time to retreat, the ship couldn’t sail quickly enough to escape. If nothing is done to counter the breath: she, the ship and the crew were goners.

“Captain, the crew is awaiting your orders!” shouted Sa’rab, having watched the battle so far in silence, not wishing to impede upon the captain and the first mate’s combination play. However, the crew was starting to get restless and they couldn’t afford to stand back, not when the whole ship was in danger.

“Everybody that can cast barrier or reinforcement magic do it! The rest of you save your strength for escaping. Get as many barriers up as possible before the breath hits.” Nowa ordered them, and immediately a chorus of magical incantations rang out from behind her.

Despite all the barriers being put up, Nowa and the crew knew that this much wasn’t enough to take the breath. Not by a long shot.

Grunting in frustration, she fired barriers of ice using Nifelheim and thickened it further with as many bullets as possible. She hoped that this would be able to allow them to live through the attack with enough strength for them to quickly get to the nearest island possible to recover.

“Men, the Wyrm is about to fire off its breath! Brace for impact!” the Captain warned the crew.

Zil, who recovered enough to use her gravity magic to get herself back on the ship and behind cover, tried to gather up enough mana to support the barrier of ice.

“Wataeziz Wataqwia!” It was a somewhat basic spell used to strengthen and fortify wards. That was hopefully able to buff the ice enough that it wouldn’t collapse so easily.

And not a moment later, the Wyrm had exhaled a stream of pure and unadulterated magic. The amount of pressure from both the magical and physical impact was overpowering. Both Nowa and Zil were almost blown away from the force of the impact alone.

“Unbelievable, that Wyrm is capable of firing a breath with this much magical power.” Nowa had to strain just to get her voice to sound out. Zil couldn’t help but agree. And as if things could not get any worse, the Wyrm started to glow white. Zil noticed this and cursed every deity she knows.

“Nowa the Wyrm,” Zil said with dread, “it’s starting to deconstruct...” and those words alone caused Nowa’s heart to nearly stop. Slowly the barrier started to crack. And slowly the breath started to increase in power due to the Wyrm restructuring itself.

“No, no, no, no, no, no” Nowa starting to feel the anxiety get to her, ‘This is not good’.

And the barrier has finally collapsed, holding up for just enough that the breath ended. However, what was in front of the ship caused them to feel nothing but anxiety and panic.

What was once the Wyrm gave out a cacophonous screech. It has strengthened, grown and evolved. The Wyrm went through its restructure and is now in its reconstructed form: The Lord of the Seas, the Leviathan.

“Crew, go, quickly prepare for escape, Zil go with them. I’ll distract it, I have enough strength left to do this much.” Nowa ordered, and the crew quickly dispersed to their stations.

Nowa, alone for the moment pointed Inferno straight at Leviathan and declared, “I am the captain of the Al Ghul Pirates, Nowa Al Shams wanted for two hundred million gald. I will not go down here, we will not go down here; we will not fall to you Leviathan, count on it.”

persequendum est.