Chapter 213: Boarding The Seabreaker

Back in Unigarry, at the river edge of the Elf Kingdom, Seabreaker waited at the end of the pier like a creature straining at the leash.

Its hull was long and narrow, built for cutting across hard waters rather than idling gently against a dock. To prepare for departure, the sailors were hauling coils of rope, checking barrels, and shouting orders at one another.

Corisande stood beside her white mare at the edge of the dock, one hand resting lightly on the horse's neck as the animal shifted uneasily against the smell of brine and tar.

"It's okay, Snowbright," she said to the steed. "I'm not fond of the sea either. We'll be seasick together, mhm?"

The mare was elegant, pale as fresh winter milk, with a braided mane and a harness that looked far too refined for a common stable beast. Corisande boarded the ship, taking the horse with her up the wooden bridge.

One of them—a crude, heavily tanned deckhand—frowned openly at the sight.

"Hold on now, fancy Lady," he barked, stepping forward to block her path with thick, grease-stained arms. "Norwick's run is a tight haul today. A spooked horse in the middle of the Dividing Sea can snap a hull rib, kick up a fuss, or throw off the vessel's entire balance. We don't take live beasts unless they're butchered, salted, and packed into barrels."

Corisande did not even look at him at first. She was too busy tightening the strap near her mare's saddle. "You're talking about my horse like it's the common boar you hunt for your savage dinners," she said finally.

The man shrugged. "An animal is an animal."

Then he bristled. "I'm serious. Horses don't belong on a ship this size. She could—"

Corisande finally turned to him, and the man's sentence faltered as soon as he met her eyes.

There was something very difficult about arguing with a woman who looked like she had never once needed to raise her voice to be obeyed.

'By the Gods, just what kind of beauty is this?'

Her expression remained calm, but one lifted brow had all the force of a blade. She took off the silver bracelet on her left arm and handed it to him.

"This should easily stabilize the ship's balance, as well as cover any imaginary structural damage," she said.

The deckhand's jaw dropped as he stared at the fortune sitting in his hand. His posture melted into a groveling bow instantly. "Well, alright. Forgive the mouth on me. Your mare will have the finest makeshift stall we can rig up in the lower cargo bay."

Once her horse was properly settled below, Corisande walked up to the main deck and took her place by the starboard railing, her purple enchanted armor catching the dim light of the overcast sky.

Captain Norwick strode up the gangplank a moment later, tightly securing his weathered sailor's hat against the gusting winds. He glanced at her rigid posture, a low grunt escaping his thick, salt-and-pepper beard.

"You're practically burning a hole through the wood with that stare, my wonderful," he noted, checking the heavy knotting of the main sail. "Anxious to leave the motherland behind?"

Corisande kept her gaze fixed on the kingdom she was about to leave. "It is about time, Captain," she replied sharply. "Let's not linger at the docks any longer."

"Aye." Norwick greeted her with his hat.

When Corisande's eyes moved again, they caught Xayx climbing the gangplank onto the deck with his party behind him. He locked eyes with her and grinned lopsidedly, looking entirely too pleased with himself.

Corisande's expression did not change. But her mouth tightened.

Xayx stopped a few paces away, hands in his pockets, eyes full of amused confidence. "Fancy seeing you here."

Corisande stared at him for a second longer than necessary, then let out a low breath through her nose.

"Ugh."

She rolled her eyes and returned her gaze to the town of Unigarry.

Xayx's grin twitched, but he only laughed under his breath, clearly enjoying her reaction far too much. "Still warm, I see. If the sea gets rough or a stray beast decides to clip the hull, you know exactly where to find a high-level shield. My offer is still open."

When Corisande didn't reply, he chuckled, then motioned lazily to his companions. The Barbarian and two Archers followed him toward the opposite side of the ship, where they began setting down their gear and settling into their own little cluster of confidence and ego.

The Seabreaker groaned once as ropes were cast loose.

Crewmen shouted from the pier. The sails caught the wind. The hull shifted with a heavy, living shudder beneath everyone's feet, and the ship slowly pulled away from Unigarry's dock.

The distance between land and sea widened.

The fishing town shrank behind them.

And ahead, only the Dividing Sea remained.

Corisande rested both hands on the rail now, her purple hair lifting in the salt wind as she watched the gray waves spread endlessly before the ship. Somewhere beyond them lay Valoris. Somewhere beyond that lay the path she had chosen for herself.

'Just wait for me, Outworlder,' Corisande thought to herself, her fingers tightening against the damp wood of the railing. 'Don't be too difficult to find.'

Back on the deck, just as Seabreaker ventured away towards the Human Kingdom, three figures arrived at the Unigarry docking area.

They looked quite tired. Their breathing was ragged, their powerful-looking armor was caked in a thick layer of road dust and dried mire. Undoubtedly, they were Awakeners.

Nessa, Deron, and Stenya had traveled by foot, all the way from the Sunstone Lands to Unigarry without a single hour of rest.

Nessa stood at the forefront, her dark eyes sharp and scanning the empty docks with the cold, calculating discipline of a true Shadow Assassin. Deron leaned slightly against a wooden post, calmly wiping a thick layer of salt-sweat from his forehead, his grounded Knight instincts keeping him functional despite the grueling trek.

Behind them, Stenya looked uncomfortable and subservient. The Arcanist, who had previously been one of Aethelstan's supporters, had spent most of the trip apologizing to Nessa and Deron.

Nessa had assured her that it was fine. All they had to do now was find Percival Nightstar and ask for his help.

Nessa led the group, her dark boots clicking against the damp cobblestones until she approached an elderly, sun-baked Fisherman who was meticulously mending a thick nylon net by the water's edge.

"Excuse me," Nessa demanded, her sharp demeanor instantly commanding the commoner's attention. "Are there any ships currently chartered to clear the harbor for Valoris today?"

The old fisherman squinted through the mist, taking an appreciative glance at their expensive, high-tier armor before shaking his head. "Valoris? Hah! You three just missed it. The Seabreaker took off some minutes ago, heading straight out into the deep currents."

"Come to think of it, a young, beautiful woman boarded it just before they cast the lines. Wore expensive armor such as you three, but gods above... her beauty was by far the greatest thing these old eyes have ever witnessed. No human, no elf, and certainly no dwarf has ever held a face of that caliber."

Nessa's eyes narrowed. "This young woman. Did she have purple hair? Silver eyes? Pale skin, with an air of royal nobility about her?"

The fisherman clapped his calloused hands together. "Why yes! That's exactly her! A sight to make an old Fisherman's heart skip a beat."

The three Awakeners exchanged a knowing glance.

"Corisande," Stenya breathed, her eyes widening in realization.

The old man's eyes bulged, his jaw dropping as the name clicked. "Corisande? You mean... the King's daugh—?"

"When is the next vessel leaving for Valoris?" Nessa interrupted cleanly, cutting off the fisherman's rising royal panic before it could draw a crowd.

The man rubbed the back of his leathered neck, looking out toward the dark, turbulent swells of the sea. "There's none other. Not today, at least. But Aelyod will be docking here soon with his boat. It's significantly cheaper, aye, but it's far more dangerous."

"And…" the Fisherman continued, "Well, truth be told, it's a little illegal. The high-end docks in Valoris won't accept a basic boat coming out of Eldermoor. The Barons don't want to be penalized or fined by the Elven Crown for encouraging unauthorized transit and endangering citizens via dangerous transportation. So, if you ride with him, you'll likely be dropped off on an uncharted harbor."

He gave them a grim look. "And that's only if the sea beasts don't get you first."

Nessa turned her gaze away from the pier, looking deep into the vast, unforgiving distance of the Dividing Sea awaiting them. The horizon was bleak, swallowing up the final remnants of light, but her iron resolve did not waver for a fraction of a second.

"We'll survive," she said.