The knight from the Apurina house, Sir Damian, stood at the prow of the ship, a sturdy galleon of dark wood, with immaculate white sails fluttering in the wind. He was pondering over his current mission, to escort his master's fourth son, the young Lucios, on a voyage to the Kamaiura house. The mission seemed straightforward, and the house had sent only him and three other soldiers to escort the young noble. For half of the journey, everything was fine, with no problems in sight.
However, the situation had now changed. Sir Damian watched as another ship, slightly larger than his own, approached rapidly. It was a menacing-looking vessel, with torn sails and a hull worn by time and battles. On the deck, Sir Damian could clearly see some warriors in tattered clothes and various weapons. They were clearly pirates.
Sir Damian couldn't believe that common pirates would dare to attack a ship bearing a noble flag. He narrowed his eyes and thought, "They didn't choose us randomly as their target. These wretched scoundrels are after the young noble."
The tension in the air was palpable. The sailors on Sir Damian's ship began to panic as the pirate ship approached. They ran back and forth, preparing for the inevitable confrontation. Sir Damian, keeping his cool, gave an order to one of the three soldiers under his command: "You, stand by the young noble in the cabin and keep him safe. Do not leave there, no matter what happens, understood?" The soldier confirmed the order and quickly entered the ship's inner compartments.
Then, Sir Damian gave some quick orders for his men to organize the sailors into a line of defense. Beside him, the ship's captain, a young man still in his twenties, who must have gained the title of captain through family connections, sweated profusely as he unsheathed a sword. "At least he has some courage," thought Sir Damian about the captain before turning his full attention back to the pirates who were already boarding his ship.
Sir Damian, despite being outnumbered, had a strategy in mind. He knew that the key to defeating the pirates was discipline and battle formation. He organized his men and the sailors into a solid defensive line, with the strongest soldiers at the front and the sailors with makeshift weapons behind.
He instructed his men to maintain formation, no matter how chaotic the battle became. "We are the steel wall, they are the wave. Let the wave crash upon us, but do not move!" he said.
Finally, he planned to use the advantage of his superior fighting skills. As a knight, he was a warrior in the metamorphosis stage trained and had combat abilities far beyond those of a common pirate. He planned to confront the pirate leader directly, knowing that if he could defeat the leader, the other pirates would likely lose morale.
"Prepare for combat!" shouted Sir Damian, his voice echoing over the sound of the sea and the wind. "Do not let these pirates take our ship!"
The battle was intense and brutal. As soon as the pirates boarded the ship, the fight began. The sailors, though frightened, maintained formation under Sir Damian's leadership and his soldiers. They fought bravely, repelling the initial attacks of the pirates.
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The pirates were wild and ruthless, but disorganized. They attacked in waves, trying to break through the defense line, but the discipline and formation of the sailors and soldiers resisted.
Sir Damian, with his shining armor and sword in hand, was a force to be reckoned with. He moved with lethal grace, cutting down the pirates who dared to approach. His presence was like a beacon for his men, inspiring them to fight with all they had.
Finally, the pirate leader advanced to challenge Sir Damian. The pirate captain was a big man, with thick muscles and a disheveled beard. He wielded a broad and worn sword, with marks from numerous battles. His eyes were wild and filled with fury, and he advanced towards Sir Damian with a roar.
Sir Damian, on the other hand, was the epitome of calm and discipline. He was dressed in his shining armor, and his sword was clean and sharp. His eyes were cold and focused, and he faced the advance of the pirate captain with a firm stance.
The battle began with the pirate captain advancing with a powerful blow, trying to crush Sir Damian with sheer force. However, Sir Damian dodged the blow with a quick movement and responded with a precise cut that slashed the pirate captain's shoulder.
The fight continued in this manner, with the pirate captain attacking with brutish and wild blows, and Sir Damian responding with precise and controlled movements. With each blow the pirate captain struck, Sir Damian dodged and counterattacked, quickly wearing down the pirate captain.
Finally, with a quick and precise movement, Sir Damian delivered a blow that pierced the pirate captain's defense and struck him in the chest. The pirate captain fell to the ship's deck, defeated.
The fight was a testament to Sir Damian's training and discipline. Even facing a fierce and wild opponent, he remained calm and used his superior skills to win.
With the fall of their leader, the remaining pirates lost morale. Some jumped back onto the pirate ship, while others surrendered. The battle was over. Despite the victory, the ship's deck was in chaos, with wounded sailors and pirates.
Sir Damian and the two soldiers under his command, who miraculously survived the attack without a scratch, began to gather the surviving pirates. They tied up the pirates with thick ropes and lined them up on the ship's deck.
The pirate captain, gravely injured, was brought forward. He was pale and sweating, clearly suffering from the pain of his wounds. Sir Damian looked at him with a stern gaze.
"Who gave you the route of our ship?" asked Sir Damian, his voice cold and hard.
The pirate captain hesitated for a moment, then spat out some blood and began to speak. "I do not know the identity of the man. He was dressed in fancy clothes and surrounded by guards. He came to me with a bag full of silver coins and information about an easy raid. He said the ship would not have many warriors and that the captain was inexperienced. The only requirement was to capture a boy who would be on board."
Sir Damian frowned upon hearing this. Who would be so desperate to capture the young noble to the point of hiring pirates?
The ship's captain, who had suffered a deep cut in his leg during the fight and was gritting his teeth, trying to ignore the burning pain radiating from the wound, when he heard the pirate captain's words about a nobleman who was paying pirates to attack his ship, the revelation hit him like a punch in the stomach, leaving the captain stunned. But there's no time to process the information. The captain, despite his pain, straightens up. His face is pale but determined.
He gives orders, his voice resonating above the chaos. He demands that his sailors redouble their efforts. They need to reach the port of Sucundo as quickly as possible. The urgency in his voice is unmistakable. The sailors, though shaken, respond to his command. And they begin to move with renewed determination.