A single word. A single name. A sierance is all it takes to send the ey of the Tower-Ecclesiastibsp;into a panic. At the mere mention of Valentine, both James and Simon rush out of the tent and into the p rain. With a flicker of my ears, I hear them yelling and screaming orders to the ey of the anization.

  Turning to my crew, I find that Emma is in shod Myers has the biggest grimace I’ve ever seen on his face. Even Cy, who’d beeing just retly, is giving myers a look of worry.

  “Myers, mind expining to me who the fuck this Valentine guy is and why everyone is panig?”

  Still grimag, the man looks to me like I’d just stimuted some old trauma.

  “Have you heard of the Corsairs?” He asks.

  “Maybe? I may have heard it mentioned. Why?”

  “The Corsairs are an anization of the highest level [Pirates] in all of Tristique. Ead every member of the anization is a [Pirate Captain] with the ability to fight off a small fleet of ships.”

  I nod. “Soooo, Valentine is a badass high level [Pirate] that's part of the anization.”

  Myers shakes his head. “No, Valentine is the leader of the Corsairs. He is sidered the most dangerous person iehe only ohat could possibly stop him are the major naval powers or a Master csser.”

  I lean bad stretch my paws. I then yawn. “Aren't we in some backwater world? What the fuck is he doing here? Also, why is he sailing through a storm? Isn’t that dangerous?”

  “I’ve no idea why he is here. He shouldn't be, but he is for whatever reason. As for the storm, it’s an invenie best. His ship, the Bohan, is a cored battleship css desigo fight enemy fleets. A simple storm isn’t going to harm him o.”

  I grin. “Sounds like a good ship to upgrade to.”

  “ABSOLUTELY NOT!” Myers yells. “You will get us all killed if you anger him. Nobody here, not even me has any hope of winning, let alone hurting him. Fighting is a death sentence! Do not do it!” the old man warns.

  Damn. If Myers is this worked up, then it is probably best to keep my mouth shut.

  “Fine, I’ll py nice… for now. Anyways, what's the man's personality? Does he pn to kill us all? Should I prepare a retreat?”

  “Etrid crazy.” Is the first words out of his mouth. “He is just as likely to leave you alone as he is to sughter you. He is sidered a tactical genius as well as having martial strength equivalent to an expert cssed Buxon. The only redeeming quality is that the man does not lie. If he says something, then he will do it.” The old man takes a breath.

  “As for retreat. It’s Impossible with any ship here. The Bohan has been known to outrun all but the fastest ships… if he doesn't choose to bst you out of the sky.”

  “Shite.” Cillian curses. “So we just stay here and hope we don’t die.”

  “Da.” Boriss says. He grabs his sword with a smile. “Vhe die fighting. Is good, yes.”

  “No. Fighting is a st resort.” Myers growls.

  “ we reason with him?” Irmgard asks. “We have that core worth a kingdom. A trade for our lives may be best.”

  “No.” Myers shakes his head. “He could just take it from us and we wouldn’t be able to stop him. Actually, don’t eveion the core. If he finds it, he may kill everyoo keep information about the core's existence from leaking out.”

  Just then, Simon rushes baside. The man is drippi. He looks at us. “Apologies, but the Bohan is making port as we speak. I suggest you not stay hidden when he arrives. He does not take kindly to those hiding from him.” Simon turns to leave, but I quickly speak out.

  “Do you know why he is here?”

  He stops. “No. I only hope that it is for something. Otherwise, if he’s here because he is bored, then we may all be dead.” He steps through the fps as into the rain, leaving me and everyone else grimag.

  After a long moment of silence, Boriss looks at me. “rade, vhat is orders?”

  “We go outside and hope that we survive.” I answer. “If it es to a fight, then you all distract them while I retreat.”

  Cillian frowns. “Retreat? Where?”

  “Into the tower.” I say. “I should be able to ehe tower, and I doubt anyone follow. Once you all are dead and he is gone, I’ll exit the tower, hopefully board a ship, and then pn my lifelong vengeance against Valentine.”

  Boriss ughs. “Ha. Is good pn.” The Russian salutes. “Boriss will make good Martyr.”

  “Fuck me.” Cillian whines. “Of all the ways to die.”

  The Russian sps the Scot goodnaturedly. “Is fine unist death, yes.”

  The Scot groans.

  I stand up straight. “Well, lets go outside and check out the ship. I’m curious what the pinnacle of shipbuilding is made out of.”

  Following my lead, we all exit into the p rain. Theurn to the docks to find the massive ship.

  Bohan (Six-Mast Cored Battleship)

  Max Speed: 37 knots

  stru: Wood, Metal, Bone.

  Modifications: Expanded Gun Deck. Wyvern Pens. Fe. Mana-stream Napalm Breath. Armored Hull. Thick Hull. Are Barrier.

  Hull Iy: 319,171/319,219 Mana

  “Holy Crap that ship is fast! And those modifications! And that Hull iy! And it looks so awesome!”

  I 't help but get excited over how the ship looks. It is nearly three times as rge as the Towers-keeper with a bck hull made of wood, metal, and a whole lot of bohe ship looks like it was built within the skeleton of a monstrously rge beast. sidering the he skeleton probably belongs to a leviathan.

  At the bow of the ship's hull, the leviathan's skull is melded into the stru. The skulls eye holes are glowing gold while the mouth is shut closed. But, if I look closely betweeeeth, I notice a massive runed on hidden inside.

  At the top of the ship, six bone masts that look like spines rise up into the sky. At the sides, instead of masts, the ship has a massive pair of leathery-bone wings not dissimir to a bat.

  Finally, the stern of the ship has an elongated spine-like tail dragging a rge bck fg with the picture of two crisscrossing bones and a leviathan skull in the ter.

  “That’s a Mors kingdom vessel made on the isnd of Cadaver. They are the only ones who produce ships using bones as a material.”

  “Mors? Are they a major pyer or something?”

  “You could say that.” Myers nods. “Cadaver lies closest to the tral ti and is thus subject to tless motacks. They are a people who know bat, and are sidered a major military force as strong as the other major powers.”

  “I see. So let me guess, Valentine is part of that kingdom.”

  “Formerly part of that kingdom. He was exunicated by the [King] for some travesty.”

  “Exunicated with a battleship.” I add. “You’d think the [King] would have taken the ship.”

  “When a [Prince] or [Princess] of Mains an expert css, the [King] of Mors orders the produ of a vessel using the best resources they muster. It is said that such vessels bee the lifeblood of the [Captain] and that separation is only allowed through death.”

  “Wait, are you tellihat Valentine rince]?”

  I never get an answer as James rushes from the docks apanied by an army of people. He quickly notices us. “e, we will wait by the divine ear. If he is listening, we may be able to avoid a catastrophe.”

  “Or we make it easier to kill all of us.” I answer.

  He shakes his dripping fur. “The divine will protect us.” He tinues running towards the tower's ter with everyone following behind.

  “Should we follow?” Irmgard asks.

  I nod. “Of course. Easier retreat for me. s go.”

  The run to the tower's entrance is a short one. When we arrive, the tower reveals itself in all its glory. At the base of the tower is the entrance. Looking through the entrance, I find a lot of sand alongside a set of wide stairs leading upwards.

  When I look above the entrance, I find a spiked wheel and a metal pque underh it. At first, the pgue is in an odd nguage. But as I stare, the words e ience.

  Here lies the test of the Chariot:

  Through Perception you will find what you seek.

  Through Enduranbsp;you will strive long enough to find it.

  Through trol you will overe the limits of your body.

  “Huh. So it won’t just be an easy go in and grab what I want.”

  “Grab what?” Simon arrives wet and exhausted from all the running. Behind him are the rest of the people that were in the ships.

  “ons.” I answer.

  He shakes his head. “No need. We’re dead if we have to fight.”

  “I’d still prefer to be armed.”

  He sighs. “Too te now. Valentine is probably leaving his ship now. But, if it does e to violence,” he ys his hand on the handle of his mace. “Then I will be the first to reuh the divine.”

  I snort. “Right. If you could fight first and avoid the dying part. I think that would be better.”

  The man cracks a smile, then he frowns. He looks into the distance. “He’s here.”

  In the distance, a group of seven people are making their way towards us. Five of them are covered in runed gear, and the st two carry simple leather armor.

  It is also in this group where I am met with my first look at a Phytonid. The woman, at least that is what it seems like, looks like a nymph or dryad from mythology. They are tall, with female human-like proportions. Their skin is green and they have roots, leaves, and bark throughout their body. Instead of hair, green leafy vines flow down the head to rest upon the full-body armored runed robe. In the womens right hand is a staff nearly as tall as her. At the top of the staff is a glowing violet core.

  I stare at her until her job shows up.

  Gazania, The Hurrie: Level 72 [Storm-Fe Navigator]

  She is named and she isn’t even the [Captain]?

  I look at the persoo her- a wolven male with pitchbck bck fur. The man is as tall as the woman but also wider with clearly pronounced muscles bulging under his runed yoroi armor. At his hip is a sheathed odachi whose bde alone looks to be four feet long.

  Daichi Chikara, The Formless Bde: Level 66 [Stealth-operations Security Chief]

  o him is a human woman with a full-body runed leather bodysuit. Throughout her legs, hips, and arms are dozens and dozens of sheathed knives while several massive runed javeli squarely on her back. The womao be of asiaage, at least with what I see that isn’t being covered by her hood.

  Min Daiyu, The Lightning Toss: Level 69 [Thundering Artillery Chief]

  is what I only io be a [Knight] of some form. The man is very rge in stature, nearly seveall. He has a longsword at his hip, a shield on his back, and a halberd resting on his shoulder. Sihe man's visor is down, I 't even tell his species.

  Darran art, The Sky Piercer: Level 68 [Vigorous Aerial Chief]

  , we have the singur Buxon. The man is rge, thick muscled, and wears thick leather throughout his body. But, most notable about him is that the man is smothered in ons. Seven swords, three axes, and two knives are at his hip. On his back is a back with eight battle-axes, two swords, three spears, and a warhammer. All of it is runed, which is very odd since Buxons dont have the necessary internal mana regeion to use ruems.

  Regardless, staring at the man's face shows an inquisitive and intelligent mind apanied by what is another named.

  Maksim, the Sacrificial on: Level 70 [Bde-Brazen Security Chief]

  o Maksim and of a slightly smaller stature is a male gemma with e-grey skin. He wears a full body of leather armor and carries a battleaxe on his back. Out of them all, this guy seems the weakest. When I attempt to check his job, nothing shows up.

  “Odd.”

  Finally, I look at the st member of this group and the most piratey person I’ve ever seen..

  Valentine Vaevictus, The Astral Phantom: Level 74 [Pirate-Prince Captain]