Chapter 9

Isaac should create a list of the unbelievable monsters he'd seen in the last year.

He peeked through Eiko's spyglass to see the Leviathan charging toward them.

The size of the Leviathan was almost unfathomable as it jumped and dived in between the surface of the water. From what Isaac could see, the Serpent could wrap itself around this ship five times over.

It had blue scaly skin that glistened and shimmered under the sunlight. A long stretch of dark blue dorsal fin followed its body up to its tail, which was the most fish-like thing about it.

Its head was similar to the ship's figurehead, which was appropriately named the Leviathan. It had a long snout, decorated with hundreds of fangs in its maw. Its two whiskers on each side gently blew around, as if they were still underwater. The monster regarded the ship with its red beady eyes.

"To arms!" Eiko shouted. "All hands on deck!"

The whole ship was in chaos as they scrambled to get their weapons ready. "Signal the merchant ships to stay back. We'll be charging in towards the Leviathan first. If we are defeated, they will retreat."

"Yes, Captain!" A sailor shouted as he made his way to the rear of the ship where the merchants could see him.

"Meng!" Eiko shouted. "I trust you at the helm. Follow my command, understand?"

"Loud and clear!" Meng shouted back as she gripped the wheel.

"Good. Now bring us to the port side, full sail!" Eiko said.

Meng didn't argue. She spun the wheel so much that the boat jerked to the left and the wind brought them up faster. The only one who was thrown off balance seemed to be Isaac as he tumbled across the deck like a loose cargo.

"The beast beckons!" The sailor from the crow's nest shouted. "Three hundred meters!"

Eiko rushed to the stairs that led to the cargo hold below deck, where their cannons were lined up. "Cannons at the ready! On my signal!"

Isaac found himself staring at Eiko in amazement. Despite the danger, Eiko was calm and confident. She was leading her crew well.

"If you're not gonna do anything, I suggest you go below deck," Meng said as she gritted her teeth. "We can't afford to fight the Serpent and take care of your ass at the same time."

Isaac felt like kicking himself in the head. He'd just been standing still watching everyone do all the work while he's done nothing.

Not wanting to be a burden, Isaac went over and helped a few of the crew who were struggling to pull a rope to hoist a cannon above deck.

"She's within our range!" A sailor shouted from the top of the main mast. Isaac looked over the railing to see the Leviathan was close by.

"Should we slow down?" Meng asked.

"No!" Eiko shouted as she climbed the main mast using the rope ladder. "Full speed! We're going to hit this thing back into the Locker!"

"She's gonna ram her, Captain!" The crow nest sailor shouted.

"Everybody brace!" Eiko shouted. Everyone crouched, steadied their footing, and held onto something to avoid being thrown overboard by the impact.

It was probably just five seconds, but Isaac felt like it was longer than that as he waited for the impact to come with every beat of his heart.

He held tight onto the railing and closed his eyes. At first, there was nothing.

Then it all came crashing at once.

Isaac heard the roar of the Leviathan and a sickening crunch, like bones being broken. The momentum of the ship slowed suddenly, but she didn't stop. Isaac felt himself lurching forward against the railing. He even heard a few screams that literally went over his head before hearing a few splashes down in the ocean.

Isaac didn't open his eyes until Eiko shouted. "Engage!"

When he opened his eyes, he almost couldn't believe what he was seeing.

The Leviathan towered over him like a watchtower, only much more menacing, alive, and smelled way worse.

It smelled like fish guts and bad seawater if that made sense.

Isaac saw dozens of harpoons fly above his head towards the Leviathan. Some missed, and some bounced off of its skin. A few managed to sink themselves into the Leviathan's thick skin, but it did little to nothing for the Leviathan.

The Leviathan let loose a loud roar and swiped its head across the deck with its gaping jaw open, snatching three sailors along with it as it swallowed them whole. From what Isaac could register, it seems the ship was slowly but surely losing momentum. The fact that they were still moving is why the Leviathan hadn't wrapped itself around the ship just yet. It wouldn't get a good hold of it.

Isaac went to work as he started firing his bow at the Leviathan's blue scales. Each of them bounced against the scales harmlessly.

"Explosives!" Eiko shouted. Then, Isaac saw tons of projectiles being hurled at the Leviathan. Bombs, arrows, something that looked like a leather pouch. On impact, all of them exploded at once and sent Isaac flying across the deck, landing next to Liliora. She'd finished chanting and sent a massive fireball straight at the monster's head.

Unlike last time, their attack this time seemed to work. The Leviathan hissed and recoiled in pain. It soon dived underwater after the barrage of explosions.

"It's diving!" One of the sailors said.

"Is it fleeing?" Liliora asked.

"I wish." Eiko grimaced. "Man the cannons!" Eiko shouted. "On my command!"

Without any time to breathe, the sailors scrambled to man all the cannons they could find. Their initial engagement left the top deck in a rough shape, but the ship was still mainly intact.

"This will be our true test of strength," Eiko said. "Keep a full canvas and maintain speed!"

"What do you mean?" Isaac asked.

"There are two ways that Serpents usually attack," Eiko said. "You just saw the first one, the full frontal assault. The other one is coming next."

"Which is?"

"An attack from below," Eiko said. "It will dive deep under the ocean before shooting up towards the surface. As it pops out, it will jump going above and under the ship as it wraps its body around it and tries to crush it."

Dread filled Isaac's stomach. The Leviathan will wrap around the ship? "Will it hold?"

Eiko gritted her teeth. "We're about to find out." She said as she jumped below deck.

Isaac had to help with something because his arrows are not doing anything. So far, Isaac had done nothing but be useless.

But he remembered something that happened months ago during an emergency. Elisa had run out of Mana and Scarlet was dying at the time. So, Isaac had Elisa teach him healing magic and he did it the first time.

Could he do that with combat magic like Liliora's?

So she went to Liliora, who was drinking a Mana potion.

"I need your help," Isaac said.

"What is it?" Liliora asked. It was obvious she was tired from using a lot of magic. She was sweating heavily and her breathing was ragged.

"Give me a quick crash course on your fireball spell."

"Excuse me?"

"That fireball spell you did against Leviathan. Teach me how to do it."

Liliora scowled. "I hope you're joking."

Isaac shook his head. "Just make it as simple as you can."

"Simple?" Liliora said. "You do know that most magic spells take months to learn, right? Even more so to do it in combat."

"I'm a fast learner," Isaac said. "Come on, we don't have much time."

Liliora sighed. "Fine." She said, "I usually do incantations, but depending on how good your imagination is, you might not need it"

"Just explain it in the quickest way you can."

Liliora held out the palm of her hand. "Focus on one point of your body where you want the flames to come out. Picture your energy all flowing to that one spot. The higher the amount of Mana you put into it, the hotter your flames will be."

"How will I fire it?" Isaac asked. "Or make it fly towards the target?"

"Again, that depends on how good your imagination is," Liliora said. "How I like to imagine it, is like the boilers we have back at the White Kingdom. I imagine the flames trapped in a ball, where the thing keeps expanding and expanding before it all explodes and releases everything all at once."

"Does it have to be like that?" Isaac asked.

"It depends on the user," Liliora said. "For you, I'd recommend . . ." Liliora looked around to see if she could find anything to use. Then, she noticed Isaac's bow. "Ah, do it like you're shooting a bow. Picture an arrow made out of those flames and just pull the bowstring. After that, you can–"

"Incoming!" Isaac heard someone shout before the Leviathan burst from underneath the ocean surface and made an arc above the ship before diving back to the other side. Its long body was slithering along from where the Leviathan had been before it tightened up, crashing against the deck and the sides of the ship.

It was starting to coil itself around the ship.

"Watch your surroundings!" Eiko barked. "Stay on the cannons or so help me god I will shove you lot into it and launch you myself!"

The Serpent made another full loop before its head towered at the front of the ship. Its body tightened around the ship and Isaac could hear creaking and the sound of planks breaking and snapping. A few of them did break, but it was a good fight. The ship was sturdier than it looks.

"Hold your fire!" Eiko shouted. "On my command, we blast this thing to hell!"

Isaac gripped his bow tightly as he tried to do what Liliora had told him to do. He's staying focused on getting the flames out of his hands.

Staying focused.

Yeah, that's kinda hard to do when your ship is being squished by a giant snake.

Isaac could feel the Leviathan struggling to destroy the ship. Everybody was also on edge, waiting for the Captain's orders.

"Hold your fire," Eiko said as they stood in a stalemate. The Leviathan was staring at them as it struggled with the ship. The ship creaked and cracked under the Leviathan's power, but she was still holding strong. "Steady!" Eiko said.

Isaac gripped his bow. He was really nervous. The Leviathan's body was all around them, like how a snake would coil itself around its prey. He could feel his fingers tingling with energy as he got ready to shoot if needed.

The Leviathan roared and went to grab someone from the front deck with its maw, but thanks to it being wrapped around the ship, it doesn't have that much reach anymore.

"Bait it in!" Eiko said. The crew starts to attack from a distance, just outside the Leviathan's reach. The monster tried to attack, but it couldn't reach any of them. Isaac took it as a sign that he should fire right now.

So Isaac focused on what magic or energy he had at his fingertips. He took a deep breath and pulled the bow's drawstring back. From where he pulled, a line of burning light appeared. Isaac aimed carefully and let loose his arrow.

The flaming arrow he sent flying left a trail of flames in its path. When it hit the Leviathan, it exploded on impact, bigger than any explosion Isaac had ever seen so far today. The Leviathan recoiled and squirmed in pain before it set its beady eyes on Isaac. That's when Isaac felt the Serpent's Aura. A heavy pressure suddenly pressed against Isaac's skin as the Leviathan made sure Isaac noticed its presence and its intent.

The Serpent had its sights on Isaac and now wants his blood.

The Leviathan let out an ungodly roar and made a beeline straight for Isaac. This meant that it loosened its grip around the ship as its body extended from the front all the way towards Isaac.

"FIRE!" Eiko shouted. Moments later, the sound of a barrage of cannon fire boomed on either side of the ship, rattling Isaac's bones and teeth. Some parts of the Serpent's body were caught by it and it was immensely injured. The Leviathan swayed back and forth before bellowing in pain. After a few more rounds of cannon fire, the Leviathan let go of its grip on the ship and dived back into the sea.

Isaac thought it was going for another surprise assault, but he then noticed the Serpent's dorsal fin above the surface of the water, swimming away from the ship.

"It's retreating!" The crow nest sailor shouted. "We've won!"

The whole ship cheered, except for Isaac who collapsed on his butt in exhaustion. He didn't do much, but that last attack almost drained the energy out of him.

In the midst of the celebration, Eiko whistled loudly. "We may have won today, but our work isn't done. The Leviathan might come back for us, so we must be ready. Start on repairing the damages and treating the wounded."

The crew wholeheartedly agreed and went to work despite just winning a tiring battle.

Liliora went over to Isaac and offered her hand. "You never stop surprising me," Liliora said. Isaac took her hand and she helped him up. "How do you use magic spells that fast?"

Isaac managed a tired grin. "Told you I'm a fast learner," Isaac said. The duo made their way to the helm, where they could rest and wouldn't get in the way of the crew repairing the ship. This time, Eiko was on the wheel.

"Where's Meng?" Liliora asked.

"She's repairing the damages to the hull," Eiko said. "She wields a hammer better than anyone here, so I let her do her thing." Eiko looked over her shoulder at Isaac. "Nice shot, by the way."

Isaac tried to reply with 'It's nothing', but since he was tired it came out as "Yeh thing."

Eiko chuckled before turning towards the horizon. "That makes it two-one to us."

"What do you mean?" Liliora asked.

"This is not the first time we've met the Leviathan," Eiko said. "We've encountered Serpents before. They're usually pretty easy to handle. Then, the Leviathan showed up. The biggest and worst Serpent of them all. Before this one, we've met on two other occasions."

"I'm surprised you're still here," Liliora said. "We came pretty close to death with just this encounter."

"Oh, we've come closer," Eiko said. "Our first encounter ended up with our victory. Most Serpents would just leave us alone after they know they can't beat us. But not this one. Which is why we let our guard down when it attacked the second time."

Eiko gripped the wheel tightly. Isaac could tell this was a painful experience for her. "It got you good, huh?" Liliora said.

"Almost lost all my men that day," Eiko muttered. "Took me a whole year to get back on my feet and repair my ship."

Isaac tried lifting the spirits. "Hey, you won this time."

Eiko sighed. "This time. Hopefully, it will be the last. I was hoping to kill the beast for good, but it looks like that won't be happening today." Eiko said. "Thank you for your help today. I am in your debt."

Liliora and Isaac nodded in gratitude.

The crew of the Leviathan worked quickly. In just over an hour, the ship was ready to set sail once more. They signaled the merchant fleet to follow and they continued their voyage. Isaac found Meng and Liliora sleeping in hammocks after the tiring day. This time, Polus stepped up to help as the ship's cook.

"I didn't know you could cook," Isaac said as Polus chopped vegetables at a ridiculous pace.

"My friend, there are only three things I'm truly passionate about." Polus swiped the vegetables from the cutting board into a pot of soup with his knife. "Being a merchant is number one. Taking care of Tristina would be a close second. And the third one would be gourmet cooking."

"And you know about gourmet cooking?"

Polus stabbed his kitchen knife onto the cutting board and looked at Isaac with annoyance with his hands on his waist. "You think I'm big because I eat whatever I want?" Polus asked. "I travel the world to experience the best food made by the best chefs. I have a refined palate, my friend and I think of myself as a great cook. Now if you'll excuse me, go wait outside. You'll ruin the flavor." Polus shoved Isaac out of the kitchen.

"Can't I have a slight taste test?" Isaac asked.

"No," Polus said before he closed the door on him.

Line Break

Aside from the occasional monster attacks, the journey went by relatively peacefully and quickly. Throughout their journey, Isaac lost track of time. Eiko said that they’ve been sailing for over a week now.

Today was the first time she decided to stop and drop anchor after a while.

"What's wrong?" Isaac asked as he climbed up the stairs to the helm.

"We're here," Eiko said. "Shipwreck Maw."

Isaac looked at the horizon and saw nothing but water. "Where?" Isaac asked.

"Trust me." Eiko exhaled deeply. It was then that Isaac noticed her breath started to steam. That means the air was getting colder. "We're here."

Eiko called up everyone, even captains from the ships of the merchant fleet, to join her for a briefing.

"This is it. We're at the final stretch. Shipwreck Maw." Eiko said to the group of people around her. "This will be the toughest challenge any of us will ever face. There's a high chance of death here that I cannot protect you from. If you have any doubts and want to turn your ship back, now is the time." Eiko warned. "Because this is the point of no return."

Surprisingly, no one wanted to back out. Eiko waited for a few more seconds to see if anyone changed their mind at the last minute.

"Very well," Eiko said after no one said anything. "Now listen to me, and listen very well. You are to follow my lead when sailing through this area. We travel in a line, like a snake and I'm the head. The currents will be strong and vision will be limited. Follow me closely but also maintain your distance so that we do not crash. It’s likely that we will be sailing for days without any breaks."

The more Eiko explained the more Isaac got nervous.

"There will be times where we will speed up or slow down. You are to adjust accordingly. Do not in any circumstances break the formation and move out of the line. Do not take any shortcuts. If you see someone veer off course, you are to let them be. They've chosen their fate."

"You won't save us if we get lost?" One of the merchant captains asked.

Eiko shook her head. "I will only guide you. If for any reason you decide to stop or stray from the formation, you are responsible for your actions. I won't save you. If you crash or ask for help, I will not save you. The rest of you are welcome to try and be a hero, but you will die if you do."

Isaac gulped. What kind of a place was Shipwreck Maw?

"Lastly, the bell." Eiko pointed at the Leviathan's helm, where a large brass bell was placed. "This bell will be constantly rung throughout the journey. If you find yourself lost, follow the bell. This is the only signal I can give you. Follow the bell and you will live." Eiko took a deep breath. "This will be a dangerous trip. Either we make it or we die trying. Stay safe, gentlemen, and good luck."

After the merchant captains went back to their ships, Eiko was preparing herself. She's about to lead a hundred or so people into the most dangerous area in the ocean and try to survive it.

Eiko let loose one last sigh. "Hoist anchor! Make way for Shipwreck Maw!"

Line Break

Shipwreck Maw let us know when we got into its territory.

The fog thickened almost instantly. It was tolerable at first, but as Isaac stood at the helm alongside Eiko, he could barely see the front of the ship. After a few more minutes of sailing, Isaac had trouble seeing even the main mast.

The fleet sailed at half sail, which means some of the sails were pulled up to decrease their speed. For now, it was eerily quiet. The bright sun was no longer visible. It looked cloudy with the white mist surrounding them.

Isaac heard nothing but the sound of gentle waves, quiet winds, and the signal bell being rung every few seconds.

Eiko then spun the wheel slowly as the ship turned port side slowly. Though when Isaac looked, there was nothing in front of them to avoid. At least, nothing that Isaac could see.

With the sense of impending danger looming over them, the ship waited for it to come with bated breath. They expected the place to be dangerous and they were waiting for it.

The next hour went on like that. Slightly turning left and right, but not really moving very fast. If Isaac didn’t know any better, it looked to him like Eiko was just making random turns.

It wasn't until then that they had their first major event. Behind them, Isaac could hear the sound of a loud crash coupled with a few screams.

It appears a merchant ship has crashed with something, but Isaac couldn't see anything through the fog. He could only hear the sound of people screaming for help and the sound of a ship slowly crumbling and sinking.

True to her words, Eiko did not stop. She didn't even so much as turn her head around. She locked her eyes straight forward and kept sailing.

"Are you really just gonna keep on sailing?" Isaac asked in a soft tone.

Eiko didn't answer as she kept on sailing. A few more minutes after that, Isaac could hear the waves getting stronger. The ship starts to rock back and forth more violently. Isaac had to hang onto the railing to avoid getting tossed around.

"We're hitting some slightly rough water," Eiko announced. "Everybody brace yourselves."

As she said that, the ship caught a massive wave, and a wall of water splashed onto the deck. Isaac was almost thrown off balance by the impact.

"Slightly?" Isaac asked as he struggled to regain his footing.

The ocean was not messing around anymore. Violent waves hit the ship from every angle. The ship shook in every direction. Isaac felt like a ragdoll being tossed around by the ship. A few loose cargos were also rolling and tumbling around the deck before they flew overboard.

The crew wasn't faring any better. Some of them held on. Some were being tossed around like Isaac was. Some, unfortunately, got thrown overboard.

Isaac caught a glimpse of Eiko as he held onto the railing. She was unwavering. The water from the waves had plastered her hair against her face. But she looked resolved to forge onto this unrelenting challenge. She firmly held her footing and had a strong grip on the wheel. Eiko was determined to get through this.

Isaac felt slightly reassured that Eiko was on the wheel, knowing they have a competent Captain on their side.

It wasn't long before a storm was upon them as if the rough waves weren't enough.

Because of the rough weather, Isaac made it a point to help the crew where he could. He could barely hear them over the storm, but he got the gist of what they wanted help with. He helped secure some of the loose cargo, secured one of the sails that got loose, helped a man from almost being thrown overboard, and also helped carry a few unconscious crewmates down to the cargo hold.

"Eiko!" Isaac shouted over the storm. "How much longer?"

Eiko didn't break her stare from the horizon, but she held out five fingers for Isaac.

What does it mean? Five hours? Five minutes? Five meters?

With that helpful information, Isaac continued doing what he could.

Isaac didn't know how much time had passed, but the storm died so suddenly that he found himself frantically looking for anything to do because of all the adrenaline.

They were now back to somewhat calm water. Isaac assessed the situation. The ship was still mostly intact despite the vicious storm. Isaac couldn’t see the merchant fleet, but judging from the lights trailing behind them, they had lost two more ships leaving them with five more.

Isaac found himself in exhaustion as he sat on the stairs. The crew didn’t look much better than he was.

At this point, they’ve been sailing for so long that Isaac was convinced that a few days had passed. But for now, the waters were calm and quiet.

Eerily quiet, which made Isaac uncomfortable.

“It’s strangely quiet.” Liliora said next to him as Isaac looked over the railing. Not that he could see anything in the intense fog. “I don’t hear anything.”

"Ready yourselves," Eiko announced from the helm. Her voice sounded hoarse. Isaac was sure she was just as tired as the others, maybe even more so, she just doesn't show it. "We're entering the graveyard."

"What do you mean?" Isaac asked as he struggled to stand up on his wobbly feet.

"It's how Shipwreck Maw got its name," Eiko said. "Despite what we've seen, these waters are shallower than you realize."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Isaac asked.

"You'll see," Eiko said almost begrudgingly. "Throw out everything we don't need. Food, cargo, nets, everything!" The crew was confused, but no one questioned her. They trusted their Captain.

Within the minute, tons of stuff was getting thrown overboard. Crates, barrels, useless cargo, just about everything that they could live without.

"Pull the sails!" Eiko shouted. "The current will take us."

Then, for the first time in hours, Eiko let go of the wheel. The wheel started to rotate by itself as it was dragged by the current.

"You sure about letting go of the wheel?" Isaac asked. "If you're tired I can call Meng downstairs."

Eiko shook her head. "It's necessary," Eiko said. "If I try to steer against the current, we'll die and we'll end up like them." Eiko gestured to the right side of the ship. Isaac looked over and finally knew why this place was called the graveyard.

At first, it looked like a weird rock formation since Isaac couldn't see very well through the fog. But then, he saw the unmistakable figure of a ship's main mast jutting out of the water.

And it wasn't just one.

On their left and right, Isaac could see the wreckage of dozens of ships, boats, and even aircraft. They were mangled up together, forming clumps of wreckage that could easily destroy ships that ram into them.

It was an unsettling sight. Hundreds, maybe even thousands, of lives were lost here.

"Oh god . . ." Isaac managed.

"Unfortunate souls," Eiko said grimly. "Claimed by the Maw."

"How are we supposed to succeed where hundreds of others fail?"

"As I said, the current will take us," Eiko said. "Everything from the outer side of Shipwreck Maw gets swept by the current to here. The current will then take us directly straight to the other side of the Maw." As Eiko finished explaining, Isaac saw her eyes rolling back and her knees buckling. Isaac moved just in time to catch her before she fell to the floor.

"Whoa," Isaac said. "You okay?"

Eiko groaned. "I'm fine," Eiko said but Isaac knew she was anything but fine. "Just a little tired."

"Uh-huh," Isaac said, clearly unconvinced. He whistled for some of the crew to get here. "Call Meng from downstairs. Tell her the Captain needs her to man the helm." The sailor nodded and quickly went downstairs.

"I said I'm fine," Eiko said, but judging from the weary expression, she wasn't. They've just been through days of grueling sailing. Of course she’s tired. They’ve been sailing for days non-stop.

Isaac slung her arm on his shoulder and slid his arms behind her shoulders and knees and carried her bridal style.

"What do you think you're doing?" Eiko asked but Isaac ignored her.

The sailor came back just in time with Meng who also looked worse for wear. Guess she was busy handling things on her end as well.

"Uh, you said you called me?" Meng asked as she observed the situation.

"I didn't," Eiko argued.

"She did." Isaac countered. "The ship's currently on its way to the White Kingdom and it's only a matter of time before it gets there. The current is moving the ship, so you just have to keep a lookout so we don't crash into something. But you don't have to steer."

"Uh, so I take the wheel but don't move it?"

"Precisely," Isaac said as he carried Eiko to the captain's cabin. "Let me know when we're on the other side."

"Let me down." Eiko struggled but she was too tired to do anything.

He'd only been into the cabin twice. The other side of the cabin had windows that looked over what was behind the ship and in front of it was a massive wooden table where maps and books were lying around. Considering what the ship's been through, everything was scattered everywhere. The cabin was a mess.

As Isaac gently set her on her bed, she groaned. "I told you I'm fine." Eiko insisted.

"Get some rest," Isaac said. "We'll keep an eye on your ship."

"I just have to–" Eiko tried to get up but Isaac stopped her.

"You don't trust me?" Isaac asked. Then, their eyes met. Isaac could see that Eiko had a determined look on her face to see this mission through while Isaac was genuinely concerned for the Captain of the Windy Fleet.

"It's not that."

"Then get some rest. We'll be fine." Isaac assured her. "Plus you're gonna be talking to the White Queen soon. I don't want you to pass out then."

Eiko looked like she wanted to argue, but she sighed reluctantly. "Fine," Eiko said. "Don't do anything to my ship."

"Can I paint it red, at least?”

“Don’t you dare.”

Isaac chuckled. “Get some rest.”

"As if I could sleep," Eiko mumbled but as soon as she relaxed her body, her eyes were already closing.

Isaac went out of the cabin and back on the helm with Meng. "How is she?" Meng asked. He noticed that the ship was starting to pick up speed despite having no sails open.

"She's just tired," Isaac said. "She'll be fine."

Meng nodded. "We're getting close." She said, "The air is getting familiar."

Isaac noticed it too. He recognized this coldness. The shivering coldness of the White Kingdom.

"Are you feeling alright?" Isaac asked. "You were down there for quite a while."

Meng had been on standby in the cargo hold to keep an eye for any damage they might take from this trip through Shipwreck Maw. She had patched a few holes from their fight against the Leviathan, so she was keeping an eye so that the leaks didn't get reopened.

"I'm fine. By the sound of it, you people on the upper deck took the worst of it." Meng said.

Isaac's body still felt sore. He had bruises and cuts from being tossed around the ship like a ragdoll. "You can say that again."

"Considering what the ship went through, I'm amazed she wasn't capsized," Meng said. "Eiko's one hell of a captain."

Isaac couldn't agree more. His thoughts went back to what they had gone through to get this far. Regrettably, there were some objectives that they had failed to complete.

Prior to their voyage, Isaac had asked Liliora to try and find Iola's wife to see if she had any extra information that could help them. Unfortunately, she was nowhere to be found. There were rumors that she left the city, but nothing else.

Isaac just hoped that she was safe. He wouldn't want Iola to be worried.

“We need to be ready for the traitor.” Meng said.

Isaac nodded. "When we get to the White Kingdom, Eiko will have to hold up her end of the deal. She needs to tell us who her guide is. The traitor we're looking for."

"Liliora said she had gone through the ship top to bottom," Meng said. "She even spoke with all crewmates. Apparently, they have no idea about this guide. Seems like Eiko didn’t let any of them know about her guide. For all they know, the guide doesn’t exist."

"For the sake of the White Kingdom's safety, I sure hope so," Isaac said.

This fleet wasn't meant for an invasion and they've thrown away most of their cargo including some cannons, but not all.

So if the traitor suddenly fires a warning shot out of nowhere and Scarlet decides to retaliate, they will be destroyed and fated to join the unfortunate souls in the graveyard.

Because as far as Isaac knew, Scarlet is preparing for an invasion just in case something happens. That was the purpose of Isaac's adventure. It was to make sure nothing happens and both sides come out of this alive.

Now it’s time to see if his plan worked.

Line Break

It probably took an hour or so, but the fog started to clear. The ship was slowing down as the currents started to slow as well.

"We're almost through," Meng said as she gripped the wheel. "Half sails! We'll take it slow." Meng told the crew. Isaac was impressed that they listened.

Isaac waited nervously. The fog was getting clearer and clearer until the sailor at the crow's nest shouted. "Land ho!"

Almost everyone scrambled to the railing at the front of the ship to get a first look at the shorelines of the White Kingdom.

The fog soon cleared up and showed the White Kingdom in all its glory. Isaac had never seen the White Kingdom from the ocean, but it was just as magnificent as Isaac had first seen it from Whitewash Peaks.

It was sundown, but Isaac had no idea how many days it’s been since they entered Shipwreck Maw. But finally, they were home.

A smile crept into Isaac's face as the crew cheered for the success of their voyage. They have done what many thought to be impossible. They have ventured through Shipwreck Maw and survived.

"We're back home." Meng grinned.

"I'll wake up the Captain," Isaac said. "Take us home, Meng."

Isaac went over to the captain's cabin to see Eiko already up and looking more fresh than before.

"Oh," Isaac said. "Didn't realize you're already up."

Eiko just smirked. "I take it that we've arrived?"

"Told you everything will be fine." Isaac grinned. "Come, the crew wants to–"

Isaac was interrupted by the sound of a loud explosion going off. The sound of cannon fire. Isaac and Eiko had a look of confusion on their faces.

Who fired?

Isaac and Eiko rushed outside to see the deck in a state of panic and chaos. There was no damage done to the ship so Scarlet couldn't have fired first. She wasn't meant to fire first. Scarlet was supposed to be on standby just in case the enemy attacked first. She’s not supposed to fire the first shot.. Eiko whistled loudly to get her men's attention.

"Who fired?" Eiko asked angrily. No one answered. "Who fired?!"

The crew looked among themselves. It seems everyone was also confused.

"It came from the cargo hold," Meng said from the helm. Her expression was grim. She knew the consequences of what just happened.

Isaac looked over to the shore and saw smoke coming up from the harbor. It didn't hit the main city, which was good. Isaac just hoped there weren't any unfortunate souls in the harbor at the time.

Scarlet will see this as a declaration of war.

"Stay here, and look out for any retaliation," Isaac said to Eiko. "Be prepared for anything but do not fire back. Let them know that we're surrendering."

Isaac jumped down to the cargo hold and was surprised at what he was seeing. Liliora and someone else were in a standoff as if both of them were waiting for the other to make a move.

"Doesn't have to be this way," Liliora said. "Surrender peacefully and the Queen might just let you live."

The other person was wearing a hooded brown robe. Isaac couldn't see their face clearly but from their voice, Isaac assumed it was a woman.

"The White Queen will burn with her kingdom," The robed woman said. "Along with her wretched sister."

Isaac saw her arms tense and instinctively, Isaac knew she was about to attack. By reflex, Isaac drew his bow and fired. Luckily, he used normal arrows. Also luckily, he had bad aim. He tried aiming for the head but missed and the arrow lodged itself on her shoulder instead.

The woman yelled in pain and clutched her injured shoulder. Liliora rushed in instantly and tackled her to the ground. The woman struggled, but Liliora pinned her down.

Isaac called up a few of the crewmates upstairs. "Tie her up before she escapes," Isaac said and they did just that.

"She's the one that fired," Liliora said. "I was too late to stop her."

Then, Isaac heard and felt explosions outside of the ship.

"You have her?" Isaac asked.

Liliora nodded as a couple of men helped tie the woman up. "Go."

Isaac went to the top deck only to see a few fireballs heading their way. Despite the ship barely moving, the fireballs missed. Some even detonated mid-air.

“What happened?” Isaac asked

"They’re firing shots, but they missed," Eiko grunted.

"They're warning shots," Isaac said. "If we go any closer, they'll bomb us down."

Eiko grunted in frustration. "Drop the anchor and lift the sails! Raise the white flag so they know we’re not attacking.” Eiko said angrily. The crew furiously went to work. "How's the deck below?"

"It's under control," Isaac said. By the time the Leviathan stopped, Scarlet had also stopped bombarding them with fireballs.

"What now?" Eiko asked.

Isaac knew what Scarlet had in mind. She's waiting for them to make a move. As far as she's concerned, they were the enemy now. Unless Isaac could find a way to let them know that they're not.

"Get me a boat," Isaac said. "I'll go up to shore as an envoy." He turned towards Eiko. "I need you to come with me. We'll come under a flag of truce."

Eiko nodded. "Prep a boat for us." She told one of the sailors. He nodded and started doing work. "Meng!"

Meng looked over from the helm and climbed down to them. "Here."

"If anything happens, get my men to safety. I'm leaving you in charge, okay?" Eiko said.

Meng looked surprised, but she nodded. "I'll see to it."

Eiko gave a nod of gratitude. She then turned towards Isaac. "Let's go."

Line Break

The only thing Isaac hated about the boat that they had was the fact that it relied on manual labor. This means Isaac had to row the boat himself.

Eiko looked nervous and agitated. Despite the attack not being her fault, she was concerned about the safety of her men and the merchant fleet.

By now, they were minutes away from shore. So far, Scarlet hadn't fired any more fireballs. Isaac takes that as a good sign.

"Sorry," Eiko said.

"For what?" Isaac grunted as he rowed the boat.

"For this," Eiko said with regret. "I was reckless."

"Uh-huh." Isaac's mind was focused on the rowing. "Not your fault."

Eiko didn't seem convinced with that argument.

After a few more minutes, Isaac managed to reach the harbor and he collapsed back-first in the boat. That was tiring, and he hadn't rested since when they entered Shipwreck Maw.

Eiko stood up and jumped onto the harbor. "I'll join you in a sec," Isaac said. She was about to say something when he heard a familiar voice.

"Hold!" Scarlet said. "State your name."

"Eiko Kamura." Eiko introduced herself. "Captain of the Windy Fleet. My friend and I have come under a flag of truce."

It seems like Scarlet hadn't noticed that Isaac was here right, but at the moment Isaac could barely care. His arms felt like lead and he was out of breath.

"Well then, Captain," Scarlet said. "You are currently speaking to the Queen of the White Kingdom, the White Queen herself." Scarlet introduced herself. "I'm sure you have a very good reason to attack my city without warning whatsoever, but I must ask you and your friend to come with us so we could find out your true purpose."

"Very well. But I need you to promise you won't harm my men." Eiko said. "They're currently just waiting for my signal."

"You have my word," Scarlet said. "Bring your friend and we shall discuss this somewhere else."

"He's . . . uhh." Eiko glanced at Isaac. "He's a bit tired right now. The boat rowing got to him."

"Nope, I'm up." Isaac groaned as he struggled to stand up.

"Wait . . . That voice." Isaac could hear Scarlet rushing over to him. "Isaac?"

"Long time no see, your Majesty." Isaac managed a tired grin.

"What the . . ." Scarlet kept exchanging glances between Eiko and Isaac. Her expression was funny, but Isaac was too tired to laugh. "Get the healers. And bring him to the infirmary."

"Yes, Your Highness." The soldiers said. Scarlet started to follow them but stopped for one second. "We'll speak in the infirmary."

When Scarlet was gone, Eiko helped Isaac up. "Special treatment from the Queen," Eiko said with a small grin. "You must be a big shot up here."

"You have no idea." Isaac managed a smirk.

Line Break

Isaac got bandaged almost everywhere. He looked like someone who tried to turn him into a mummy but with less effort and stopped halfway.

"Now." Scarlet stood next to his bed alongside Eiko. She had ordered everyone to clear the room while the three of them talked. "Explain."

"Before that, tell me what Elisa told you," Isaac said.

Scarlet frowned. "She told me you took the bartender and the blacksmith away for an important adventure." Scarlet said. “And you didn’t want to tell me about it.”

Isaac sighed. "That’s one way to put it." Isaac said. "Well, it's not her fault. You're stubborn anyway."

"Excuse me?"

"The gist of it is this," Isaac started. "You were concerned about the incoming merchant fleet from Losteria. So, I went to Losteria to see for myself and make sure that they weren't a threat."

"We're not a threat." Eiko chimed in.

"Tell that to the harbor you blew up." Scarlet countered.

"It's not their fault," Isaac said. "It's the traitor."

Scarlet seemed to realize what Isaac was talking about. "Their guide."

Isaac nodded. "She hates you, for some reason. And your sister." Isaac pointed at Scarlet. "Liliora managed to subdue her, so she's in our custody."

"As a Captain, I take full responsibility," Eiko said. "I didn’t know she was a traitor and she didn’t tell me anything about launching an attack. We have apprehended the traitor and have everything under control."

Scarlet was still wary, which was understandable. Eiko was still a stranger and like it or not, the fact remains that her ship did shoot first.

Isaac knew that Scarlet was being cautious right now. She was debating if this was a ruse by Eiko, or if there was some other scheme going on under her nose.

"I don’t trust you.” Scarlet said to Eiko. “But I trust Isaac. If he says you’re an ally, then I will see you as one.”

"Thank you, Your Highness." Eiko bowed in appreciation. For someone as strong as Eiko, she had good formal manners.

"We will discuss the purpose of your visit later. Tell your men and the merchant fleet that they can make port in our harbor. Leave your weapons on the ship." Scarlet said. "I need some time alone with Isaac."

"Very well. Thank you again, Your Highness." Eiko said before giving Isaac one last look of . . . sympathy? Why was she sympathizing with him? Eiko then left.

Leaving Isaac alone with Scarlet.

"Glad that's sorted. We should be on the harbor to–" Isaac was interrupted by a slap on the face by Scarlet, effectively shutting him up.

He almost shouted back to ask what her deal was until he noticed the streaks of tears on her face.

"I was worried," Scarlet said. "For weeks, you were missing."

"I was trying to help out the kingdom," Isaac said.

"Did you have any idea what I felt when you left?" Scarlet sobbed. "I had it in my head that you ran away. That you didn't want to be king. I thought . . . I thought you left me."

Scarlet sat down on the bed. She held back her tears. Crying was not befitting of a Queen.

"I didn't mean to make you think like that," Isaac muttered. "I gave you my word that I’d helped and I meant it.”

"Well, what did you expect? You left without a word." Scarlet said. "Before we got here, you’ve always doubted yourself. You said that you weren't fit to be king. I just thought you had hit your breaking point and left."

"Then today, I almost killed you," Scarlet said. "If only I'd known you were on that ship."

"Technically that's Elisa's fault. She should've told you everything." Isaac said. Scarlet chuckled in between sobs. Isaac pulled her in and gave her a comforting hug. "I'm sorry."

"I’ll think of something as punishment for making me worry like that.” Scarlet said. “You’re a horrible husband.”

"It’s not official yet." Isaac muttered. Scarlet smacked him playfully on the shoulder. Isaac just grinned. "Let's welcome our new guests."

The two made their way to the harbor, where people were crowding the area. At first, Isaac thought they were excited to see new people from the outside world.

Then Isaac heard someone shout. "Let her go!"

Isaac and Scarlet looked at each other before they rushed in and pushed through the crowd until they got to the center of the commotion.

Liliora and a sailor were holding onto the traitor, the person who fired the cannon. Her hands were tied and her hood had been pulled back. A beautiful fair-skinned elf with yellow hair. Her pointy ears jutted on each side of her head and her green eyes sparkled.

On the other end was Iola, who was struggling against two guards that were holding him back.

"What's going on here?" Scarlet demanded.

"Let her go!" Iola yelled defiantly. "That's my wife!"