We find Waterlord Azurilina trying to sail to the Jaiharan Subcontinent with a captain and his crew. Unfortunately for them, the Shadows patrol the high seas between Ra'Sasha and the Subcontinent, leading to a high-speed chase and eventual capture. Zul's ship has been captured, and now a new character from the Shadows: Icelord Danterius has been introduced.
On his ship, a number of grappling hooks were shot out; they latched onto the hull and some of the upper-deck railings. Resistance was futile at this point. The captain and I stood side by side, watching the Shadow Icelord telling people what to do.
“I take it we won’t make it to the Subcontinent,” muttered the captain.
“It was worth a shot,” I responded.
“Sorry about that.”
“It’s alright. I just need to get out of this situation first.”
“So do I,” he chuckled nervously.
Finally, the Icelord stepped on a large crate, ensuring everyone on our ship could see and hear him. He said, “Another great catch by yours truly! Right, men!”
“Right!” his pirates synchronously said.
“Who do we have here, then?” the Icelord’s arms hugged the air. “A captain and a Waterlord! Has to be, men! Has to be a Waterlord considering how purposeful those waves were!”
“Right!” his pirates synchronously said.
“So that begs the question, who is this Waterlord?”
I stepped forward. “Waterlord Azurilina. And you might be?”
“Azurilina? My my, your merchant ships are a great bounty! Oh, the spices and sugar I’ve raided from them! Now thinking of it, you got any of that on board?”
“Sadly not.”
“But… Azurilina…” he walked around his crate. “The name has me thinking…Weren’t you the legend of the last war? No. A legend must put up resistance when backed into a corner; a legend must fight with honor, not surrender in shame. You can’t be the legend I’m talking about, or am I mistaken?”
“You’re not mistaken.” I chuckled, “But who are you?”
“Danterius. But you may call me Icelord Dante, the most skilled swordsman on this side of Jaihara.” He unsheathed his blade and acted mesmerized, as if it was his first time looking at it. “Skilled at the blade, Azurilina? Or are you a magic-only person?”
“No blade to my name. Just magic right now.”
“Right now? Ah…” Icelord Dante cleared his throat. “Men!”
“Yes, sir!” the pirates yelled synchronously.
“Those banners are a bit blue, don’t you think? Why don’t we commandeer this ship of theirs and… Oh, I don’t know, hold them all for ransom. How generous am I, men?”
“Generous!”
The Icelord turned to us. “What do you say?”
“It’s a deal!” said the captain beside me.
“But!” Icelord Dante clicked his tongue, shaking his head while looking at me. “To offer no resistance, now that would be pitiful.”
“Who said I wouldn’t be?” I smirked.
“Ah! Artist!” A man rushed forward. The Icelord then posed with his sword high in the air, saying, “Engrain this in your memory, for it will be the minute before another victorious battle.”
“Engrained!” yelled the artist holding a palette.
“Watch!” Icelord Dante called back his men. “And draw…”
He signaled me to “come forward” with his hands. The Icelord proudly kicked the crate he was standing on aside and struck his sword in a wood slot.
“Come hither,” he said.
“Very well,” I jumped off the ship, letting a wave propel me upward. As I twirled in the air, I landed upon his deck and tried snatching his sword.
At an unnatural speed, however, Dante seized his blade and backstepped, saying, “Get your own!” One of his pirates threw a sword on the floor.
Alright, then, I thought—I’ll play your game, Dante.
Our blades interlocked at the center of the deck. I sustained a slash to the chest, grazing my hip and arm. It was incredible how Dante maneuvered around the battlefield. He ran with impeccable speed, sliding on thin ice sheets and slashing whenever he could. Our swords glistened at each other, though his gleamed brighter as it was made of some bluish material. Despite his fanciness, I nicked his cheek.
We stopped, catching our breath. Using his thumb, he got a droplet of blood and looked at it. “Huh,” he said before tasting it.
“What the hell,” I commented.
“Nothing like a bit of ichor on this fine battle,” Dante swung his blade in the air. “I feel empowered already.”
“Right.”
“You know, Zul,” he walked lustfully around me, “I heard of your high-sea trickeries. Your Water Legend-turned Water Merchant journey sure got you the clout to start your business. But it’s funny, you know. After all this time, you’ve grown weak while I became a legend of my own.”
“It’s funny, yeah.”
“Ah, but it’s not funny to make you laugh,” he sneered. “If you wish, grant me an answer, will you?”
“What?”
“Are you still friends with the others? The Knighthood of the past was a force I feared personally. Yet here you are, alone and destitute. In need of a sword, as you haven’t brought your own. What happened to that twirling maelstrom you once were?”
“You don’t see it?” Like a prophecy, he foretold my next move. I resembled a typhoon as I slammed against Dante’s blade, him groaning as he was hit.
“God, Him and all!” one of his pirates yelled.
Icelord Dante had been knocked to the floor. “Hah,” he looked at the man who spoke, “Have faith in me, will you? The petty Waterlord finally stepped up to me. It’s time to turn the tide.”
I fired a water bolt at him, which froze mid-air. Then, as the projectile fell, he got a hold of it. He threw it up and with a bolt of his own, he broke the large chunk into a hundred daggers. Not until I processed it was it too late. I was struck and collapsed on the ship’s railing.
“Splash me again, Zul. Splash me with a wave!”
He had predicted my move again. As the water rose above me, the Icelord simply stuck his hand out and froze the whole thing solid.
He was too powerful. I had to get away. Before the ice arc collapsed like a falling building, I dashed aside. With a violent slash, I used some water around me to make a hole, jumping down to the lower deck.
“Move the party downstairs!” Dante laughed. “Take that side, men!”
“Yes, sir!”
Hurriedly, I went through crates of cannonballs and tipped one over. I wasn’t sure if it stopped Dante, but he said, “Wait a minute, men. Is the legend running?”
Then, I broke open the ceiling and climbed up to the roof. Why? Well, I always knew that near the aft, lifeboats were stored. My guesses were correct when I found one. Slicing at the string that had it holstered, the small craft landed on the water. With it, I began to use as much momentum as I could. Creating a wave, I rode outward toward the edge of the ice circle.
“Ah, she runs in shame!” Dante declared. “Artist! Engrain this in your head.”
“Engrained!”
“A victory! A victory, men!”
The pirates roared, hollered, and cheered as my ship made it to the ice wall. When I spotted a slanted part of the structure, I used it as a ramp and flew my way toward Ra’Sasha.
I was beaten, bleeding, and sore from that fight. Why did I even choose to fight him? He instigated it, I surmised. But now, ahead of me, was the open seas.
I had to get back to Ra’Sasha
Regroup and go back to Square One.