The Vengeful Tide-Ch. 27 (Patreon)

Well, I feel like an apology is in order. It wasn't supposed to take THIS long to finish chapter 27, but as we all know, you're not in control of the characters. They control you! Try and fight it, but it's impossible! Almost 50 freakin pages!

Anyway, here is chapter 27 of The Vengeful Tide. Eric Drakclaw begins his battle against the Son of the Alchemist. The Voyage to the Isles of Delverhold slowly draws to a close!

Again, I thank you so much to those who have supported me thus far. May we all enter 2022 together! Merry Christmas!

-WttW

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“S-Sir!”

I heard Aesteal cry out to me. I felt her pain. I saw where she and my mother were trapped, only less than two hundred men and women of my crew between us. She struggled adamantly against the restraints, her face sweating and contorting in pain. The Son of the Alchemist stared at me, his visage covered by his cloth. I saw the way his brittle bones gripped his cane. It seemed my disturbance worked better than I thought.

“The magic draws closer. I must regain it all before all is lost. Dispose of these annoyances,” the man said, turning his back to me.

Alteria and over fifty of the other members of my crew turned towards me. Lady Knight took out her blade, it’s steel glimmering amidst the glow of Raganthor’s Flames. That said, I stared at the son of Ondolor. I frowned. When was the last time someone had the gall to turn their back to me in battle?

I held up my rapier. “I wasn’t fucking asking!” I exclaimed as I slammed my hand on the ground. A dark green magic array appeared beneath my palm. I felt An’raie’s rage and magic come forth from within me.

“Hnthilen: Zakthuros Gn Tohmen!” The Lonely Wail chanted.

From the array beneath my hand, a cloud of green mist flew into the air. I watched it seep into the ground as Alteria and the others ran towards me. About three of them were casting a spell. From their hands appeared light green magic arrays. The circles cracked to pieces. A furious storm of lightning scattered towards me.

Before the spells could make contact, a pile of bones blocked the blow. “You’re not wasting any time, are ya?” I asked as skeletal knights, their bones covered by pieces of armor, appeared from the ground. One of them blocked the lightning strike, obviously suffering a crucial blow from the spell. Just like back in the fourth trial, I too had used lightning against the undead.

“I care not for chatter and not for senseless boasts! I shall crush this Betrayer’s spawn beneath mine own hands! Such will sate my rage until I am delivered his corpse!” She snarled, her voice turning into that of a more ghastly type.

The walls behind me exploded. The corpses of various beasts roared through the lower chambers. Soon, I had a small army of my own. My corrupted crew stared at them, their faces morphing into rage. Their crowns flared aggressively.

“Gahalrandor!” Ten of them shouted while I outstretched my hand.

“Hankuln!” I cast out. An’raie quickly reached out her hand and placed it over mine.

“Askevn Rnarucon!” she chanted.

A blast of green fire expelled through the matrices of my crewmates while a surge of black flames moved through mine. The flames crashed against each other, a torrent of dust and earth blew against me. The skeletal knights and beasts charged into the fray. Like the commander she was, Alteria charged through them all, swinging her blade with still maintained grace and form.

As my crew clashed with the army of undead, I found myself rather fortunate. Not one of them was on par physically or magically with Diane. Most of the men on my ship weren’t warriors. Of course, the training of the men and women from Hilvir seemed to bear fruit. They showed incredible prowess in disarming the undead army An’raie crafted for us. However, they were all maintainable. Perhaps Liara saw this type of confrontation coming. That might be why she sent me Diane first.

My eyes turned to the old man. He stood far away, chanting his words, ignoring me. I scowled. I saw my mother and Aesteal’s struggling faces.

“Sæń,” I said, feeling the magic swirl around me.

“Art thou going to wipe their blood with thine blade?” An’raie asked.

My frown deepened as I grabbed my rapier. “If a king killed all his subjects, who would be left to follow him?” I asked as I charged forward.

I ran into the sea of my corrupted crew. Some swung at me, others rang the chamber loud with bullets. All of it was worthless before me. “Caerestia!” I cast out.

A bright red magic barrier erupted around me. The exterior was covered by large yellow magic arrays. Those who touched it screamed as they were shocked by a fury of lightning bolts. I didn’t have to worry about killing them. With the Flames of Raganthor infecting them, their magical resistance would see to their continued existence. That said, I’d use them for leverage if I wanted!

I jumped on someone’s shoulder and shot into the air, the chorus of the battle below moving through my ears. A wave of green flames flew over the undead, but I had no need to fear that army turning against me. As undead they were immune to such worthless mind control effects, even from a powerful spell like that. The Flames of Raganthor worked off desire. These things held no desire, only held together by magic. Two of the skeletal knights clashed with the Balamar knight, their broken blades proving to be no match for Hæňgaramian steel.

Luckily for me, they didn’t need to be her match. She sliced through one without effort, but it quickly repaired itself. She fired a stream of green fire at another, but that one repaired as well. So long as An’raie and I had the mana, those sacks of bones would never be destroyed. Finally, I could see the benefits of these damned isles finally bearing their fruit.

I landed with a mighty crash, surrounded on all sides. I still kept my eyes forward. “You’ve probably never met real people in your life, Bastard. Ya don’t turn your fucking back on a pirate!” I said as I pulled out my triple-barrel flintlock. Within each chamber, appeared three magic circles: one blue, one red, and one yellow.

I pulled the trigger. The familiar crack of the arrays moved through my ears. A mixture of fire, ice, and lightning magic fired from the three chambers. The three elements roared and formed into dragon heads. The three roared, flying towards the man who took my crew hostage.

I noticed Maelson drop his dagger from Aesteal’s throat. He grabbed his twin blade and stood between me and my target. Luckily, I assumed as much. I was no stranger to the use of using those close to you to evade attacks.

An’raie opened her hands. “Shanthul He Yiun,” An’raie chanted.

The mixture of elements were quickly coated in a grey magic swirl. The three spun together before they blasted apart in three different directions around my male elf. True to his elven nature, Maeloson quickly tried to counter one of them, his blades glowing in the light of the Flames of Raganthor. However, I had changed since the second island. I was also augmented by the Lonely Wail. Plus, my mana had finally been fully restored.

Sorry Maeloson, this be not your day!

My male elf was blown away as a thunderous explosion crashed. The other half of the chamber lined with so many runes and sacrificial pillars exploded. Of course, I knew I hadn’t succeeded. I could easily tell that when I was getting overrun by my crewmates.

“Kaligasha fuhnul ga hitlvoic!”

I heard a mighty shout as Nz’ia landed in front of me. He twirled his spear, crashing it against all who stood against him. Those in front of us were blown back by the strength of the Xhaluter’s swing.

I barely had the time to turn my head before I saw Alteria crash to the ground next to us, her face bruised. I fully turned my head around and noticed Diane near the entrance to the split open island I’d created in my haste to get down to this level.

Even now, the fifth island rumbled. Debris from above crashed down to our level. Papers and small notes flew everywhere.

One of my crewmates charges at Burnwood. The muscular woman smirked and rolled back her fist. She then blasted it forward right in their face. That sent them right through three others. She rolled her wrists with a smirk on her face.

“We really gotta work on your fucking planning! Do you know how long it took to get down here?!”

I turned and noticed Ellen growling at me while she, Racaell, and Gurok stood next to each other. Above, I sensed the two men and one woman. They were holding Rieth. I didn’t see the succubus anywhere.

“Hgnhato! Faskgalvaldi gun retu faluik!” Nz’ia said. When I turned to him, he threw Nei in my face. Her tiny hands hugged my face and she cried happily. For someone not eager to contract with me, she sure seemed to miss me.

“Alright, alright, I ain’t dead yet! Quit your bawling!” I said as I picked her up. She then stuck her tongue out at me, flopping her way into my shirt pocket. Unfortunately, our moment was ruined when I saw the green hue of flames overhead. One of my crewmates screamed, their mouth blazing with the Flames of Raganthor. Nz’ia bore his fangs at them, grabbing their face. His large, rough fingers sent them crashing into the ground. Thankfully, by the way they grabbed his arm, they were still alive.

“Hakul gn renmeanen!” The Xhaluter growled before he used his inhuman strength to throw the fucker through the air. They crashed into five other men and women.

“Truth be told, you Hæňgaramian cunt, I’ve always wanted to try fighting you at least once. Too bad you can’t use light magic in that state, but I’ll take what I can get,” Diane said from behind me. Based on the nationality of said cunt, I assumed she was talking to Lady Knight.

I touched Nz’ia’s back. “Battle as much as you desire. However, don’t kill them. What worth shall I be as a captain if I return home with all of my crew dead?” I asked.

I wasn’t expecting much of an answer, but I got one in the form of a mighty roar. Nz’ia hollered as loud as he could, his bronze chest pumping fervently. He then charged into the crowd. It seemed I didn’t need to strengthen his body with spell enhancements. He blew through the crowd of people, slamming some to the ground. He flew through the air like a cheetaran, dodging spells every which way.

Now that I took a look at his spear, I noticed it was a bit different to what he had last time. There seemed to be a hum of magical energy radiating from within it, something protecting him even as he was struck by spells. That didn’t seem to have much effect on him, at least not from these men and women with low magic training.

With just his strength, my crew was pushed away from me. I watched this being capable of decimating armies clear the path for me. Even those behind me were caught up in the war with the undead, Diane, and Racaell.

“Ugh fine! Just stay there and stop pissing me off! If you get in my way, I’m throwing you back in the damn jar!” I absently heard Ellen say while I saw Maeloson get to his feet.

He glared at me for a moment before he charged at me. His speed was great, but I felt the movement of demonic magic. Beneath his feet, red thorn-like vines erupted from the ground, ensnaring him and at least twenty others. They all snarled, their mana draining at a rapid pace.

“Mmmmm, such wonderfully malignant forces! These centuries of captivity have indeed been worth it. Such destruction and mayhem tempt my wells to overflow. You have quite the special curse for trouble. You almost make me wish to observe you forever. Even I shudder as the Eternal Witch’s power cascades through the entire realms. I wonder if you’ll be able to protect such a treasure trove from the forces that desire her. Perhaps we'll even do combat for her. You better be up to the task, if not she’ll be my toy and so will you.”

I looked up and saw the succubus flying in the air. It seemed everyone that I could gather stayed with me. I kept my eyes on the spawn of this demoness and the ancient magic caster. Even now, it pales in comparison to what I feel emanating from Liara. Even now, I wish these matters weren’t so severe. I would love to glean knowledge from watching the immense change in the Witch of Draegnar’s ascension. There was great power to be found there.

Unfortunately, that was not permitted to me right now.

Aesteal and my mother groaned in pain as the crowns started to glow with an even more greenish color than before.

Suddenly, An’raie screamed from within me. Her form bursted from my own, her spectral body racing towards the son of the Alchemist. The undead mana stored with her body exploded, reverting her back to her ghostly form. “Mine palette shall be wet with the bones of the Betrayer’s spawn! I shall taketh thee first and drag thine soul through the endless void for the suffering I’ve endured!” She screamed as she sailed to the elderly man casting his spell.

She spoke the arcane words of the dead. Five pillars erected around the old man, each of them held by a skeleton golem. I noticed the spell. It was a very harsh and unforgiving one. If she could touch him, then he’d be infected with a deadly mist that would bind his soul to hers allowing her to torment him at her leisure. The only break to this spell was if she died. Well, fat chance of that. Her existence was built upon black magic. Clearly something like death wouldn’t stop her.

However, I wasn’t prepared for him to yank her out of the air by the throat. “You’re an unsightly thing. I read my father’s notes of you. A composition of malignant magics and the black arcane swirl around your body. I sense a deep seed of anger within you. No wonder my father threw you away. You’re not even worth studying, An’raie, the Woman Forgotten By the Annals of Life,” the old man said, his fingertips slowly being coated by a blue fire. I shivered. I couldn’t allow that spell to be completed. If I did, the Lonely Wail would be lost to me.

I cursed and performed the necessary motions for another spell. “Ya never had your father to slap your ass when you spoke out of turn. I’ll fucking do it for him! You don’t touch what is mine,” I said as I extended my hand.

“Un!” I called out. A blast of fire blew from my hands and towards the alchemist. I noticed Goron move to interfere, but the succubus effortlessly smacked him away. She didn’t even seem to notice he was there. He crashed into the far wall, the feeble side of the island barely standing from the explosive blow the succubus offered. Even someone as strong as Goron, known to be in the presence of the Witch, no slouch the mystical arts, enhanced by the Flames of Raganthor, couldn’t stand in front of this archdemon. I was left slightly amazed at her strength.

The elderly man turned his gaze to my flames. Finally turned towards me, the old sack of shit moved one of his fingers through the air. He crafted a rune which quickly absorbed my spell and fired it back at me. The orange flames quickly turned into a dark purple color.

Summoning runes in my right hand, I slammed them against the flames. They flew into the air and bounced off a ticking light-blue matrix I’d set up earlier. The flames flew into the array before a thunderous roar of purple light. The old man stared at the blast before it fully engulfed him. I felt the grip on An’raie vanish before she slipped back into my body.

When the smoke cleared, I noticed the elderly man staring at me, mildly annoyed. The blast had removed his hood and I finally got to see his face. There wasn’t much to describe the old fucker. He was wrinkly, like a bastard who stepped out of the sea after many sunhours. The left side of his face was covered in vicious burn marks. His front teeth were rather crooked and a piece of his right ear had been torn off.

“I see. You have a similar aura to The Witch of A Thousand Realms. However, you wield your talents rather recklessly. I’d disregarded you the first time. I also see that you have freed my mother. Your presence has become something of an annoyance, time traveler,” He said in a raspy voice that chilled me. I wasn’t sure how, but this old bastard knew this wasn’t my first life.

“Aye, I be an annoying bastard. In fact, I’ll show ya just how annoying I can be if you don’t release my mother, Aesteal, and the rest of my crew right this moment. I shan’t tell you a second time!” I answered.

“That is not possible. I have need of them, the elf especially. I sense some things hidden deep within them, they have been marked. Thus, I’ve deemed them worthy to stand at my side and travel with me in search of my father. I have grown fond of them and their considerable beauty though they are indeed lesser beings. It would be a much more fulfilling life than that of mere piracy. As an reward for bringing these things into my hand, I shall let you…,”

A mass of thunder and fire fell down on top of the alchemist. The explosions behind me from those of my crew not corrupted seemed so distant in my ears. The lightning and fire swirled like an uncontrollable storm of turbulent rage. My mother and my Bonded elf were mine. No one else would lay their hands upon them.

“For all your knowledge, tomes, and books, ya ain’t too smart a man. Name a pirate who’d share what it is rightfully his!” I proclaimed as the smoke settled. A barrier of runes covered the son of the Alchemist.

The elderly man stared at me before he turned to the vines of hell the succubus used to trap Maeloson. “Begone then,” he said as the rune barrier around him instantly appeared around the succubus and I.

“My own spawn is trying to kill me. If I were capable of feeling love, then this might be it!” the archdemoness said with a cruel smirk on her face as she stared at her son.

The magical pressure in the dome quickly got stronger. If I refused to act, it would crush me into nothingness. So I did just that. Just like before, I could see the words holding this spell together. With a simple rearranging of the words, the constructs, the flow of mana that kept this barrier around us, I broke it into pieces. A dome vanished in a beautiful array of white and blue lights.

I then wasted no time and charged at the fucker. I fired bullet after bullet, crashing arrays left and right. Storms of fire, ice, black magic, and violent storms raced towards him. His hands blocked one spell, removing the mana from each. One by one he destroyed them all, but that didn’t matter to me. I didn’t stop firing. The ringing of rounds moved through my ears.

“Feel free to help out, you demon bitch!” I exclaimed as the array for a powerful array appeared at my feet. I jumped out of the way, sailing through the air as An’raie slammed her hands together. A large black coffin was summoned in front of me. When it opened, an enormous, monstrous arm pulled itself through it.

“The words of a mortal are like those of a wild oscuncruh deep within the lava pools of Gunil. I am helping. In fact, I am quite burdened in the face of such unholy power,” the succubus replied. When I turned around I saw her blocking each one of Goron’s thunderous blows with a flick of her nail, smiling as she did so. With what I thought was a gentle shove, she blasted the big lug away, making him skip across the ground like a stone on water. I felt for the poor bastard, but the succubus didn’t seem intent on killing him. That at least left me to face the alchemist alone.

Far off, I could barely make out Ellen and Diane in the sea of green. It was a sight I never thought I’d see. The both of them, back to back, fists for one and guns for the other. The smirks on their faces were ones I knew too well. Despite the intense danger, the thrill of the adventure was with them. The dire straits we were all in moved their spirits for greater fame. I couldn’t say we all wouldn’t fall here, but that was where the blood and sweat laid! This was where the true essence of a pirate laid! This was the world I wished to share with them.

Nz’ia roared at the top of his lungs. He swung his spear through the masses, his inhuman, warrior speed keeping him nimble against the barrage of spells and magics targeted at him.

Racaell and Gurok stood together, the monk constantly buffing the gun-sorcerer with spells. A flurry of the elements rushed through the air, scraping the walls and roofs.

The demonic arm that An’raie summoned reached out, longer than any arm should have been capable of extending. It made for the old man, but he was agile. Having increased his speed with another spell, he maneuvered away from the monstrous claw. It struck the ground, tearing through earth and rubble. My mother and Aesteal watched in agony. I knew the means by which I could free them, but I wondered if I would be given the fucking time!

“Ehsun!” The Son of the Alchemist said before my entire world was encased in darkness. The sounds of battle were drowned out by the nothingness. I felt rather unsettled since I couldn’t even feel my limbs, or hear my heart beat. Luckily, that didn’t last too long. I landed on the ground, The Lonely Wail removed the mind spell afflicting us and it felt like it never happened at all.

“I be open to any ideas you’ve got concerning this fucker and what he’s doing!” I said as the elderly man blocked my rapier with a wooden cane. What the fuck kind of shit was this?! This bastard should be coughing up blood and wheezing in goddamn rocking chair.

“Though mine mind cannot ascertain his interest in thine women, mine reasons dare suggest that he shall pact them to himself with a Soul Eater. Should thee not stop the ritual, their mana shall fuel his and he shall use them to reach… wherever he feels he is destined to go. They shall serve him in every manner he desires.”

I sure as hell didn’t need An’raie to further explain what she meant by that. I clashed my rapier with the bastard’s cane. Magic exploded around us, thousands of runes lit the cavern walls. I swiped left and right, a flurry of snow and ice crashing out of my blade. It tore through the ground while the elderly fucker parried every shot.

Sweat dripped from my brow. I could feel the mental strain placed on An’raie as the old man and I traded blows left and right. Each swing burned my arms as my legs slammed against the ground. Waves after waves of magic, cold, hot, and all in-between moved through us. Yet, I couldn’t fucking stand that nonchalant, almost bored look on the fucker’s face. When my blade clashed with his cane, I felt a near boundless well of mana being pushed against my own. It felt less like we were clashing and more like he was knocking my blade away, blasts of frozen magic expelling from it.

I could feel An’raie’s frustrations as well. A ghoul appeared from beneath the old man and grabbed his legs. The wrinkly fucker stumbled, seemingly unaware of what happened before the formed a dark green array beneath his bound feet. His movement restricted, I thrust my rapier forward, hoping to see the blood of an annoying bastard on its steel.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t granted the honor. The Son of the Ondolor, with a wave of his hand, turned the ghoul into powder. He then levitated into the air, staring down upon me. “I have lived upon these isles for thousands of years, my body tempered by all my father hath left me. Am I to fall by a pirate forgotten by his time? You have gathered my interest, especially wielding that garbage left by my father. I shall retrieve you later, once I’ve put down this pitiful resistance,” he said.

An’raie and I barely had the time to cover my body in a magic barrier before our dimension quickly began to change. Suddenly, I wasn’t standing on solid rock of a broken island. I was falling through the air of what I could only think to be hell itself. Demons and creatures without eyes flew through a land of bright fire and exploding volcanoes. In the distance I saw a massive fireworm screech, its slithering body moving through the sea of flames without worry.

I had to admit, I was rather honored. For someone to use a tenth tier spell and teleport me to another realm was rather interesting, if terrifying.

“Where the hell are we?” I asked.

“‘Tis a land of burning rock and sulfur. Care that it doth not touch us, for we shall become the burning smoke, feeling every flame coursing through our mortal coils until the lands turn cold. Many rumors claim that these be the lands of the first phoenix. We should leave. Thine skin has already begun to burn away,” An’raie warned.

It was true. Even as I fell through the hot air, I could feel the heat threatening to burn my skin away. If I got any closer to that fiery pit below, I’d be dead before I even hit the ground. Not to mention, Nei would be turned into a nice fish stick. I couldn’t let that fate befall her.

I quickly summoned forth my mana, An’raie supplying me with her own to fuel the spell even faster. I cursed as I felt like I was being roasted alive. “Hun!” I chanted and a wide light enveloped me.

I gasped as I crashed onto a bed of wood. When I opened my eyes, I noticed I was back aboard my ship. Fuck, it felt like an eternity had passed since I’d walked on it. That said, I couldn’t entertain it much longer. I quickly cast a healing spell which repaired the damage done to me. I thanked the Fates that I still had that teleportation array on the boat.

I quickly stood up and looked over Nei once more. She seemed a little weak from the intense heat, but she gave me a stubborn smile nonetheless. “You’re a tough one, ain’t ya?” I asked.

Her grin widened.

Pleasantries done, I crashed out the door and jumped off the side of the ship. This time, the wind I passed through wasn’t hot. In fact, it was very cold. Aye, my ship was still in the air even after all this time.

“Ajun!” I cast. Wind magic swirled around me and increased my speed, diving me down to the fifth island. The entire thing looked completely destroyed from the spell I casted earlier. One island became a fucking split, held togethe by one a few bridges of earth that I still needed to keep the whole damn thing from collapsing in on us.

As I came through the clouds, sailing my way down, time around me seemed to freeze. I took in the scene around me. Where Liara was still conducting her ascension, I felt the pressure of great mana. The largest array I’d ever seen floated above her head. Waves crashed against each other. Towers of flames crashed down into the water. Hot steam filled the sky for miles. That steam forced torrential lightning down. The elements mixed together, the earth quaking and rumbling like the Spirit of the Earth grew a violent temper.

Twenty or so pillars of earth erupted from the waters, each of them lined with the languages of hundreds of dead nations. A cornucopia of various magics fired at Liara. The dragon heads continued to stare down at her, their eyes squinting while I felt something in my chest burn. Ripples and storms of dark blue and violet waves pierced through the sky. Each rolled through the clouds, traveling far, traveling wide. I wondered if they would reach the other side of the world with their brilliance.

Clearly, I’d underestimated just how powerful Liara might become from the studies of the Alchemist. It also made me wonder just how powerful that fucker became before his death.

How I would have loved to be at the very center of all that power and glory, feeling the rush of mana moving through me. Just the way the earth trembled reminded me of when I used to make the seas rise with only a wave of my hand.

As I looked at the spectacle around me, I suddenly stopped to levitate in the air. I suddenly had a rather interesting idea. “Hmmm, I shall praise thee. ‘Tis quite the ingenious idea to fight amongst this chaos. Clearly, the Witch’s enemies are many. So many of the divine realm and demon spirits seek to stop her. Even I feel mine mana transcendeth the realms within her vicinity,” An’raie said before I felt her mana intermingle with mine.

“Aye, well, we’ll have to admire it later. I’ve got a fucking crew to save and a deal to honor!” I said as I, once again, slapped my hands together. Mana poured out of my body.

“Shu Vanol Lukthrik Dansfan Ilgul Lluhnin Indul Jashme O Gan!” I chanted, finishing with a slow exhale. I gritted my teeth, the sweat from my brow rushing down the side of my face. The fifth island beneath me quickly started to shake violently. The struggle was immense, the pain nearly tearing me apart. My single lung worked hard to move air and mana through it to the rest of my body.

I roared, the ground beneath the fifth island trembling like it might break into a thousand pieces. Thankfully, I didn’t lose control of the spell for that to happen. Instead, massive stone arms erupted from the sides of the island. They were the arms of Banlanthro, the Great Earth Mover. He was a deity supposed to be birthed from the Spirit of the Earth. His arms were said to expand all of D’orn. Even now, these two I summoned were a great strain on me.

An’raie moved out of my body, placing her hands over mine.

“Sun shalvu ghi reme Lithvalarium,” she said and a thick mist of death and decay wrapped around the two arms. Dark green tendrils flew out the sides of the arm and shot down into the island’s center. It didn’t take long before we felt a pull. An’raie pulled out our target, flying them into the air. I grinned. Ya better put up your best defenses, you fucker! The dragons don’t take too kindly to interference of an ascension.

I recognized the success of my plan when one of the dragons turned to the person we’d sent flying, the Son of the Alchemist. “Tir Ti Cofn!” a voice like a boom of thunder said before one of the heads opened its mouth. From the rough translation I’ve got, the divine beast uttered ‘Do not Interfere!’

I was then greeted with my first glimpse into the realm of void magic. A piercing blast of dark light crashed against the Son of the Alchemist. The fucker barely had the time to chant a barrier before the void magic crashed into him. I was then greeted with an explosion that rocked the sea floor. All that remained as a giant hole that quickly began to fill with water.

I grinned. Aye, void magic. It was some nasty shit. Unlike other types of magic, that type was specifically targeted towards the person’s soul. While it wouldn’t leave any physical injuries, damage to the soul wasn’t so easily repaired or avoided. A subset of Dark Magic, Void Magic wasn’t so easily practiced. I’d never faced a user of void magic in my previous life. I’d count my fortunes for that. I wasn’t one for the arcane arts in my past life, I doubt my powers over the sea would benefit me against a wielder of void magic. Fuck, if I could, I would like to have one as part of my crew. It was rumored that those who wield void magic walk the line of those hated by all mortals, for their bodies bring only despair and bad luck. Calamities follow them wherever they go.

As a troublemaker myself, a wielder of the void was well within my desires to board my ship in the future.

I slammed my hands together. The stone arms followed my movement “Ijn!” I chanted while An’raie spoke with me.

“Fulnir!” She responded.

A large blade formed from thousands of undead souls. The stone arms grabbed the handle of the blade and crashed it into the waves. The oceans split in two and rose so high they touched the bottoms of my levitating boots. A chorus of the ocean resounded in my ears.

All remained quiet for a moment. I could feel the Flames of Raganthor growing stronger on what was left of the fifth island. An’raie’s mana was constantly being sucked away, repairing the fighting corpses, ghosts, and ghouls. I wondered how many had fallen while the others worked. Even now, in response to the battle, Diane and Nz’ia did not falter. In fact, their battle prowess seemed to be growing even higher. The Xhaluter I could understand, but where the fuck did Burnwood find this capacity for battle?

Unfortunately, I couldn’t give any more thought to the matter. I felt the sudden rise in mana beneath the tides. “Fucker can’t stay dead, can he?” I asked.

I seemed to get my answer when I heard An’raie scream. Before I could even ask her what was wrong, a pain more severe than getting my body eaten by sharks overwhelmed. I wasn’t sure how I kept myself conscious through it all. The seal around my soul that kept the Lonely Wail tied to me was forcefully destroyed. Blood spilled through my teeth and tongue as An’raie’s sweet voice slipped from my mind. Her power, her mana, her archaic voice, all of it was gone in an instant.

The physical and spiritual shock of such a severing broke my concentration of the spell for only a moment. That moment was all it took for hands to wrap around my throat. My body being tempered and strengthened by the island’s benefits were the only thing that protected me from the crushing blow of dark magic pushed through me. So much pain rushed through me at one that I actually couldn’t feel what part of me was more broken than the others.

“Your interference annoys me. It was amusing the first few times. Those things shouldn’t mean that much to you. They are there to be used and then discarded. A brief respite from the trials that plague the physical limitations of the mortal vessel. Now you shall endure mine wrath for the sake of these lesser beings. It seems my father’s notes were not all they might have claimed to be. I shall remove you from my sight, cur!”

I was then slammed into the icy cold waters of the Isles of Delverhold. My mouth filled with water. I couldn’t speak any arcane words. The pressure of the water and the magical gravity placed on me restricted my arms and legs. I couldn’t weave a spell!

All I had was my rapier and even that didn’t do me much of any favors. Suddenly, the water became hot, suppressing the ice magic with my blade. This old bastard, his grip was powerful, the sealing array in his palm sucked away the last vestiges of my mana.

“I now understand, Traveler of Realms and Times. You might have the knowledge, the power, the instruction, but you have not the feel of magic, the affinity, the will. You are not a mage! You are no alchemist! You are not one with the arcane forces which permeate the realms. This life shall not be as bountiful as your last!”

The voice of the bastard moved through my head, my body frantic for air. He continued to keep me pinned, my eyes growing dark. Once again, I found myself submerged in my kingdom, my empire, surrounded by its crumbling, turbulent forces. My lung burned, the pressure getting to me in ways I couldn’t fucking fathom.

Through the pain, I barely saw Nei. She grabbed the old man’s hair, struggling, clawing at him every which way. She opened her mouth and bit the side of his cheek, gnawing at him like a tiny shark. Hardly any damage, but fucking annoying all the same.

The man grabbed Nei and pushed her away, sending her crashing into the ground of the turbulent seas. I watched her growl before she swam over to him again. I couldn’t deny her grit, and the steel of her own resolve. She fought and fought, doing what she could while I could only watch.

Aye, that seemed to be something that happened to me a lot. I could only… watch. I could only watch as Leah was taken away from me. I could only watch as my former crew left me to die. I could only watch as the Isles of Delverhold put me to the test, with me failing them miserably. I could only watch as one by one my crew was taken away. Now, here I laid, my life fleeting and my dreams of greater fame and glory nearly broken.

If I could, I’d laugh. The Son of Poseidon, defeated on his first voyage.

Rather than any angst or frustration, I felt oddly fulfilled. Don’t fucking ask me why. I had no idea why it felt like this. Though it was short, I had a great adventure. I got to see my mother’s face filled with love and self-worth. I got to make stupid mistakes and explore amazing caverns. Mountains of gold and silver laid before me. I got to engage in such a wonderful relationship with the Witch of Draegnar. Many things I’d done that would put my old life to shame.

While I was angry that I’d not be able to take my revenge, something told me that my mother and Aesteal would be more than willing to take up the task. Such a shame that I’d never get to see their glorious asses kick men and women from high heaven to low hell.

With that, I closed my eyes and waited for my death. I doubted I’d get a second rebirth.

“ARGH!”

At first, I thought that was me, the pain causing me to scream within the confines of my mind. However, I knew I didn’t have the voice of an old man. With what strength I had, I opened my eyes. I laid stunned as I saw an arrow, laced with the green flames of Raganthor, pierced through the chest of the powerful bastard who kept me pinned against the ocean floor.

Through the clear, watery depths, I barely made out the form of Aesteal. Her eyes were blazing with green fire and the crown laid atop her head. She screamed in agony, the green flames pouring out of her. I could feel her aura. She absolutely abhorred this feeling. She’d intended to shoot me, but the last bit of her will against the flames moved her bow to the Son of the Alchemist.

Suddenly, my throat was freed. The bastard fired to the surface and I saw him shouting, but the water deafened my ears. All I knew was that I saw him slap her as she fell out of my view. However, I could feel each blow the fucker inflicted in her. Somehow I could sense her emotions, her pain, desire, frustration, anger, and desperation.

Aesteal, even now somehow you still fight, freed from the bonds placed on you. I guess that meant the others had been successful in driving back Goron, Maeloson, and the other members of my crew.

I clenched my hands, my lungs burned, and I cursed. What sort of fucking captain dies while his crew still puts in the damn work?!

I screamed, pushing my body up, trying as hard as I could to remove the magical restraints around me. I used whatever strength I could muster. This. This would not be my grave for a second time! I was not fated to die like this. I be Eric Drakclaw! I be the Son of Poseidon!

Suddenly, I stilled. I could feel it. I could feel all of it. I could feel the waves move as every creature within them swam away. I could feel the heavy drops of rain strike each part of the ocean. I could sense everything around me. Blades of water, one by one, slashed at the ground, freeing me of my bonds. Though the magic restraints were still on me, I felt myself cradled by the undersea waves. I moved a finger, a large blade of water slashed the ground a few feet from me. I wove my wrist, the earth broke apart as waves pushed one side from the other.

My powers over the sea had returned. After so long, they returned to me once again. If I could, I would have savored the moment, but that was no luxury for me. Pushing the water beneath my feet, I blasted for the surface. I exploded from beneath the ocean, coughing as sweet air filled my lungs. I then dropped back down rushing towards Nei. I picked her up and smirked. “Ya got grit, you stubborn lass! I respect that,” I said as I placed her in my shirt pocket.

I stared at the surface. My fists balled. An undersea boom exploded all around me. A thousand balls of water compressed and burst at the same time. My eyes narrowed. The wonderful feeling of my connection to my kingdom moved me forward. I exhaled a stream of water from my lips.

WIth my hands and feet, I swirled the waves around me. A tornado of the tides wrapped around me as I propelled myself forward. I bursted out of the sea, five towers of water raging around me. I survived the entire fifth island. The Son of the Alchemist stood over a fallen Aesteal. The crackle of lightning and drums of thunder moved in my ears, as if to signify my rage, frustration, and anger. When he turned to me, I saw that brief expression of shock on his wrinkly face.

I landed on the ground, tornadoes of water moving at my command. I swung my left arm. The waves spun through the air like spiralling bullets. The Son of the Alchemist tried to put up a magic barrier. Fucker probably thought I used some pill to restore my mana or cast a water spell. How I wish I saw his fucking face when the force of the sea crashed into his old body.

I sent the bastard crashing through ground and trees, covering everything that laid in front of me. When I stopped for only a moment I turned my head to Aesteal. Her face was heavily bruised from the lashes inflicted upon her. It seemed that the Flames of Raganthor had dispersed, her body unable to sustain them anymore in her injured state. I slowly picked her up into my arms. Had I the mana, I would have healed her immediately. A lot of my jars had been broken in all the fighting.

“Aesteal, I said to myself, brushing a piece of her silver hair from the side of her face.

I turned back to the battle raging below. I could hear the moving moisture in all of them. By my name, no one else aboard my ship would die this day!

I felt a shuffle in my shirt pocket. Nei climbed out. She looked at me before she hopped onto Aesteal. The fairmaid kissed my bonded elf’s cheek. I then watched a green sea of magic wash over Aesteal. One by one her injuries were healed and her face returned to that lovely shape I’d come to know. Nei then looked at me, I could almost see the desire for praise in her eyes.

“Could she always fucking do that? Is that how she healed me back on the third island?” I thought to myself.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t entertain the thought much more. “Thank you, Nei. You’ve made this salty scourge grateful. I’ll make sure you’re properly rewarded for this,” I said. Her fin slapped my palm happily, her chest being with pride. Clearly, her powers as a fairy revealed themselves, if only slightly.

I turned back to the heavy storm outside, the winds growing ever more turbulent. The dragons continued to monitor Liara. I swirled the waters around me and blasted off towards the broken entrance An’raie and I created.

On the way down, I dodged broken rocks and sharp stone cliffs. I ignored the destruction of the valuable resources the fifth island provided. It’d just piss me off even more if I didn’t.

My ears picked up the sounds of battle. Now that I thought about it, I wondered how the others fared. Without An’raie, the skeletal army must have collapsed. That sure as hell didn’t mean much good for the others. I had no fucking doubts that damned succubus would leave them all to die just for the chaos of it all.

I crashed down from the ceiling around next to Nz’ia and Diane who were protecting Ellen, Racaell, Gurok, and the others. All of them were stunned as the waves came down with me. I weave my left and right hand, smacking my corrupted crew with each strike of making them scream.

“What the…” I absently heard from Ellen behind me.

“Stay behind me,”I said as I spotted the succubus handling Goron with minimal effort. No matter how angry he became, a swipe of her finger was enough to bring him to his knees. When she looked at me, I swore she could already see where I was going with this.

I didn’t give my crew the chance to cast any spells. I didn’t give them the chance to raise their mana. The corruption had already been on them longer than Diane. Some of their skin even started cracking, illuminated by green flames. I had to act fast.

I raised my hands into the air, everyone watched as a massive bowl of water floated there. I then bring my hands down. The bowl drenched my former crew, Maeloson, and Goron. The succubus flew out the way as the torrential tide fell on them all. I quickly weaved two fingers, the waters wrapped around their arms, restricting them. I then took a deep breath and pushed smaller helmets of water over their heads. I crossed my hands and clenched my fingers, increasing the pressure of each bowl.

I did not enjoy this method, hoping to pass out my crew so that the flames would release their hold. While the flames were strong, they could only be used by a conscious target. This wasn’t my preferred method either. There was always a chance of the flames laying dormant in the wielder until they were cleansed.

One by one, they all grabbed their throats. They gargled on water, the flames burning in their eyes. I especially took no pleasure in doing this to Lady Knight. Watching her swing her sword in her vain attempts at freedom unnerved me slightly. I could only be thankful when she finally stopped struggling. Soon the others followed. The rest of Raven’s Shadow, the men and women of Hilvir, Maeloson, my mother, and all the others. They fell over unconscious.

It took a moment or two for Goron but once he fell, I finally dropped the water from everyone else. I breathed to ease myself and turned back to the others. They all looked at me in amazement but, more than any other, my eyes rested on Ellen. She just stared at me silently before I turned to Diane. I gave her Aesteal. She slumped the elf over her shoulder.

“Glad to see you’re fucking back,” she said while I smirked.

“Aye, but the storm’s not yet passed. Any of you got a mana potion?” I asked.

Unfortunately, they all shook their heads. I sucked my teeth and sighed. “This place is gonna collapse soon. I’ll take you all to the surface. Once you’re there, get to the ship. I’ll lower it for you,” I said.

“What about you?” Ellen asked.

I chuckled. “I’m gonna teach that old shit what happens when you mess with a pirate’s crew. I’ll bring the others up with us. Ellen, I trust ya to look after these sods that got captured. They’ll be nursing a fucking headache worse than any ale your tavern can provide. You’ve all done your parts. Now it be time for me to do mine!” I returned as I floated my mother in a bed of water towards me.

Her hair was completely soaked, I brushed a piece from her mouth. I handed her to Racaell. The Gun-Sorcerer picked her up. I turned to everyone else. I summoned the waters in the air, and they floated beneath each body. The hundred and fifty or so men and women still left to me floated over to us. I then wrapped myself, those still conscious, and those unconscious in a swirling tide together.

I flew us through the caverns and into the air. “How did Aesteal free herself?” I asked.

“Fuck if any of us know. Ever since your little ghost army turned to black smoke and dust, we hardly made any headway. Girl went fucking crazy, exploded from the pedestal and levitated off. You also look like you got the shit kicked out of you,” Sothshore answered.

My eyes narrowed. An’raie seemed surprised when she discovered Aesteal’s origins. Whatever those were, they granted my bonded elf very strong willpower.

“And how are all of you?” I asked.

“We’ll fucking live. This ain’t even the worst shit I’ve survived. You sure gave me a lot to hit though!” Diane replied.

We all made it to the surface. Thankfully, Nz’ia kept his little fear of water under control. I wasn’t in the mood for him to shout every nonsensical word at me about how evil the seas were. Of course, I could feel his shivering and his heightened heartbeat. He obviously didn’t like traveling this way.

I stared into the domain that was the Isles of Delverhold. Everything seemed more broken than the last. The third island had all but sank away. Vicious storms, booming thunder, heavy rain, all of them seemed so abundant. When I thought about making my return here, this was definitely not how I anticipated this going.

I weaved everyone to the shoreline. I then brought the ship down with a string of water. The two men and women who survived couldn’t seem to wait to get on. Ellen started barking orders while I felt the surge in mana in the distance. I faced that direction when I saw the sky above us turn into a sea of orange.

I looked up and a downpour of fire was ready to consume us all. I quickly moved, my fingers and arms wove a shield of water over the ship and my crewmates. Hot steam roared over the upper side of the shield.

“You are quite meddlesome. Everything, so much planning has been ruined in such a short amount of time. By a cur like you no less. So this is your answer, my wretch of a mother? To your last breath, you shall deny me?” the bastard said as he turned his head.

He and I saw the succubus flying in the air, smiling without a concern. “My spawn, you judge me harshly. I have never been more proud of you than now. Such sin, such desire, such destruction. Look at you, I’ve not taught you anything. I thought you an annoyance, but it seems I was wrong. You’ve become the perfect manifestation of myself. I could use someone like you when I return to the lower realms,” she replied.

“I am not your spawn. I am Dalmor Deuichan, Son of Ondolor and a thing which sustained his physical needs,” the elderly man said with a glare of hatred toward his mother. I knew that glare all too well. I’d worn it many times myself.

The archdemon smiled. “Mmm, your hatred is quite delicious. IIt’s been a long time since I’ve feasted upon such negative energy. However, as the one who spawned you, I shall offer you some advice. Consider it a reward for being so prideful in producing such a thing. Return with me willingly. You cannot defeat that pirate as you are now. I sense the ancient realms within him. It seems they had been locked by unknown means, but now they are free and they run rampant. You should have killed him when you had the chance. Unfortunately, that time has passed. See, I’d rather have you alive so I have my hands on you first. If you die, then I’ll have to go through others to have you. It’s a shame actually. Had I the consolidated power, I’d try to have you both. Unfortunately, the Mark of Hoɖ makes that rather difficult. So I’ll have to settle on my spawn for now,” the succubus said before she was overcome by a blast of sixth-tier lightning magic, so strong it pierced the clouds.

The bolt released several others, crashing to the fifth island, laying it to ruins even more than before. If there were treasures to be found on the isles, then they were all gone now. The island already began to sink. Luckily, the others were already on the ship, sailing to a safe spot while Nei and I continued to observe. Truth be told, this was fortunate. It gave me the time to search through the depths for the second island.

As a spirit, An’raie was already… dead, in the traditional sense. She wouldn’t drown beneath the tides, but she’d be stuck down there as long as the spell kept her there. While I was under no obligation to save her, I did recognize that I would not have survived as I did without her. I also gave her my word that I’d grant her the bones of the Alchemist. That said, I’m starting to wonder if the fucker even has any bones at all.

As the lightning dispelled, the succubus appeared without a scratch. In fact, she looked quite amused. “Your strength of wrath will need some work, but that you shall learn as more centuries roll by. Well, you shall learn or you shall be crushed and killed. If that’s all you shall amount to then perhaps I was wrong about you,” she said.

At this point, I wasn’t sure if this demon was trying to recruit the fucker or belittle him. Either way, he didn’t seem to take too kindly to either. He was stricken with rage and a lack of composure. I supposed without a bastard father, and uncaring mother, one doesn’t learn to temper shit like that. Then again, I was probably no different in my early life.

Unfortunately, this talk had gone on long enough. I wasn’t so kind-hearted that I’d allow a fucker to live who crossed me. That had already happened once, no twice! There would be no fucking third time!

Through countless battles and numerous losses, I’d fought so many mages in my past life. I knew how they liked to battle and how they enjoyed their little spells. This bastard, Dalmor, or whatever he named himself, was the same. In fact, I’d count my blessings that the succubus distracted him. That gave me enough time to focus on the tiny drops of water I felt inside the fucker’s throat.

With my control, the effect was instant. A spear of water exploded through his throat. Dalmor grabbed his throat, gagging in shock at what happened to him. He stared back at me with bloodshot eyes as the blood flowed through his fingers. I could already see him moving his fingers for a healing spell.

No, I would not allow such a thing. This was a reminder of just who this fucker dealt with this entire time. This was a reminder of what it meant to stand against me. I was the Son of Poseidon. All that laid in front of me was a part of my kingdom, fit for me to plunder and pillage. Yet, more than that, it was a reminder that none could casually lay their hands on my crew without paying the price.

Before Dalmor could even speak a word, hundreds of water spikes exploded from his body. To his credit, he resisted the pain fairly well. “W-What sorcery is this?!” he asked.

It was no surprise he didn’t know about my abilities. This guy had been trapped on this island for centuries. The only person he could ever talk to was his demoness of a mother, and she didn’t seem too keen on that. I doubted there was news of someone like me reaching his ears.

“No sorcery. Ya drained all my mana to do that. This be just the wrath of the tides!” I exclaimed.

As the seas roared, and the heavens thundered, rain falling down, I was within my element.

As expected of the Son of the Alchemist, I found myself surrounded by a transparent blue cube of magic. All around it laid powerful runes.

“Njn!” Dalmor shouted and the cube slowly started to expand over me.

Unfortunately for him, there was more than enough water around me to work with. I moved the water inside the cube with me, collecting it together until it became visible. At the corner corners of the cube, the water walls pushed against the confines of my prison. On the outside, I raised tendrils from the sea. They wrapped around the box and pulled it apart while the water inside pushed it back.

“M-My  abilities s-s-shall not b-b-be bested!” Dalmor boasted, choking on his own blood, but I paid him no mind. I simply settled for enjoying the look of shock on his face when the magic prison shattered into a thousand pieces of mana, dropping to the sunken ground.

“I be no mere pirate, bastard. You face Eric Drakclaw, the Son of Poseidon. It shall be the last name you ever hear!” I said as I charged at him, the waterspout around me propelling me forward.

Dalmor quickly tried to get away from me, but there was no point in him attempting so. Aside from teleporting to another dimension, there was no way I would let him escape. Even that took some time.

When he tried to dash away, he broke his face against the air. More specifically, I formed walls of water from the rain. Any attempt at magic was met with thousands of water needles. Each of them crashed into his body, his concentration disrupted by his injuries. It mattered not what he tried to attempt as I crashed into him, feeling all the rage I’d suppressed upon these forsaken isles.

I wove my hands, shoving a way of water against his body. Dalmor flew through the air. His mother offered no help, merely watching the chaos with no form of parental attachments. I didn’t care either way.

I released a string of water. It wrapped around the bastard’s leg. He screamed, whether from the pain in his throat or from velocity I was hurling. Again, I didn’t fucking care. His fucking ritual that would sacrificde my mother and bonded elf all for the discovery to a dead man pissed me off.

As hard as I could, I slammed him against the surface of the seas below us. The ocean exploded with a violent eruption. I made sure to keep the waves from hitting my ship and the others. They’d sailed quite the distance away.

I didn’t stop my onslaught. With my hands in the air, I smirked at Nei. “I’ll give ya a fucking show of lights,” I said while she stared at me in bewilderment.

I stopped the rain drops, reversing their course back into the clouds. With so much water filling them, the clouds grew darker and more violent. I expanded and contracted my arms. Back and forth, back and forth. The clouds moved with my arms. They brushed against each other, the winds moved ferociously. Lightning clashed with those raindrops not yet formed.

Then, I released my hold. The clouds parted a rainfall of lightning came crashing down into the sea. I lifted my ship out of the water, the exploding and crackling blasts of minor divinity shoving forces of wind in our faces.

Next, I clenched my right hand. I drew the sea up, it’s torrent of water and lightning swirling around like an upside down tornado. At the sides of this turbulent rage, two water blades dwarfing the size of my ship almost a thousand fold, rushed into the air. I swung my arms down and the blades thrashed into the epicenter of chaos. So much light expelled that I had to cover Nei’s eyes while simultaneously making sure my ship didn’t buckle from the blowback.

As the seas settled, I took a calming breath. Nei slapped my chest excitedly. It seemed she’d enjoyed my performance. Of course, I had to keep the streaks of lightning from hitting anyone else. I enjoyed using this technique when no one was around.

However, she hadn’t seen anything yet. I had plenty of anger still left within me. I had plenty of debts that still needed to be repaid. I still had the souls of crewmates still unsatisfied. I wove my hands, moving the waters and me through the air. With a cry like I’d lost my damn mind, I dove down into the raging seas below. The wind blew harshly in my ears before I crashed into the seas below.

It didn’t take me much time to find my target. I sped towards him, burying my first into his fucking stomach. I then swung my fist across his face. His head slowly whipped to the side, a gob of blood pouring into the undersea water. Rather than fight against me, I moved the water pressure around me, speeding up my blows even more than anyone would be prepared for.

I grabbed the old bastard’s cloak and firmly kneed him in his chest. He doubled over, unable to perform a countermeasure as we were both within my kingdom. There was no god other than I down here!

I constantly formed water spears inside his body, poking and stabbing him too much to allow him focus. It bet the son of a bitch never fought an opponent like me.

When I released my assault, I quickly grabbed him from behind. All of this. I was sick of all of this! All of this shit that was my fault for the results of my damned pride! I wanted to bury it, and him, so far beneath the surface that they would never rise again!

I exploded out of the water with Dalmor subdued in my arms. I willed a spiraling tower of water to propel us far into the sky.

Further! Further! Further up we both went.

Mother. Aesteal. Diane. Liara. Ellen.

I pray you all see this! I pray you all see the kind of man that I be! Indeed, I was a fucking stubborn bastard that would sooner plug a fucker with holes than reason with him. However, I was also a captain, going towards his own path, his own destiny, and his own adventures. If you would have me, then I’d make sure you’d regret it!

Dalmor and I sailed past the storm clouds. I wove the water in the clouds around us. The vicious lightning coursed through the streams of water around the both of us. If one from below saw it, it might have looked like the Poseidon was forcefully pulling the clouds down into the sea. “I’ll offer you thanks, fucker! Because of you, I be aware of myself once again. For the lesson, you’ve taught me, I shall pay you back tenfold! Fear the Son of Poseidon” I exclaimed while the Son of Ondolor screamed in my ears.

We began to spin together, the water bringing curtains of lightning with it. Heaven and sea combined together around the both of us. Headfirst, we crashed into the sea, his before mine that he might take the entire impact of its surface. All I remembered after that was something shaking like the world of D’orn would tear itself apart. I felt lightning surge through my body. I found myself thankful that I could at least form a water barrier to separate Nei and myself from getting turned into fried eel fish.

At the risk of drowning, I flew up to the surface. I then pulled myself into the air with more water. To be honest, that move isn’t my favorite, but it was an effective one. Nei certainly seemed to think so.

“Mmmmm, I’d lay with you right now if the time permitted it, mortal. Such raw destruction is a feast for the eyes after so many centuries,” the succubus said from where she watched.

I quickly tried to catch my breath, beads of water dropping from the hair on my head. I touched my injured chest, the pain slowly getting to me. Unfortunately, my eyes narrowed as I felt the seas shift.

“Of course, that wouldn’t be enough. Fucker’s spent more time on this island than I bet his bastard father has. Who knows what artifacts he’s picked up,” I thought to myself before I placed up a very thick waterwall and blocked a blast of blue light from the ocean. Nei squeaked in my hair, hissing back at the assault.

Dalmor appeared out of the water, his body seemingly healed from the blows I’d given. However, I noticed a severe drop in his mana. In fact, I noticed a severe drop in his fucking state. He looked notably older, the meat from his already withering bones decreased even further. He looked like a walking skeleton with wrinkled skin.

“It’s quite true what my father wrote in the end. Women are indeed the root of all evil. He disappeared from one, and I’ve been felled due to taking them. I shall congratulate you, Cur! You actually forced me to use a… ARGH!” the man shouted as I pierced his chest with a blade of water.

“Clearly, I didn’t force you enough. Why don’t you show me how you survived all of that?” I said as I formed another multitude of water spears.

From Liara’s memories, I guessed it was a seventh, eighth, or even ninth-tier spell. If one had high enough mana reserves, they could forcefully use that mana to reconstruct the parts of the body from severe damage. Very useful, but the pain of reconstructing the body was also present. Most usually die from the pain of even trying, or at least those I’ve seen from Ilzahold’s mind.

“You’ll have to kill me to find out, pirate scum!” he answered as he ripped off a piece of his shirt. His body was covered in many runes, some of them written, others seared on. At the top of his forehead, I noticed the same symbol as what I was back in the statue of Vilinlith on the third island.

I suddenly felt an ominous shift in the wind. The sea air grew cold. Unnatural clouds began to gather. A shower of black lightning ran through dark purple clouds. My eyes narrowed. That old fucker was even crazier than I thought. To think he’d actually invoke the Wrath of Gthril, The Devourer of Realms, a tenth-tier spell whose effects I’d seen at least once in my previous life.

Gthril was said to be from a realm covered in the stench of death and decay. Nothing living could naturally survive there. It would probably be a great realm for someone like An’raie as a necromancer. The spell summons the massive arm of Gthril, a rotting monster with a form not many got to describe before they went insane. Should that arm touch anything living, it will fester and rot the very core of D’orn, corrupting and ruining all. I’ve heard legends that not even the gods and great spirits that reside on D’orn were capable of resisting his corrupting essence. As such, this spell was way worse than any type of magic the Flames of Raganthor could produce.

Worse than that, it was said that if the Wrath of Gthril couldn’t be stopped then it would devour the whole world. Its corrosive touch would decimate all life and that realm would be marked as one ready to be devoured. It's very magical and physical essence would be done away with.

I could tell Nei was worried because she started cowering in my pocket, hiding herself from the vile magics that began circulating. I, however, showed no fear. Indeed, I’d seen the destruction this spell caused before. I’d seen an entire realm eaten away, none of its people able to decipher its many intricate runes and matrices. The formula for it written above.

However, I could see it. I could see it plain as daylight. Like my eyes had been uncovered from some murky substance, I could see the language in the formula. Each rune carefully placed, the incantations meant to hold the summoning circle together, and the machinations that kept it from collapsing.

“Wrong, mother! I’ve learned all I needed to from the isles. I’ve observed the civilizations of man and how they’re mystic talents have faltered. There is nothing more that I need to study. I was granted a vision from my father. He proved me worthy to embark the same path that he did. To the realms of gods, divine spirits, and others that would leave this forsaken rock to the blighted dust. You see, I’ve studied you and your kind mother. There are two ways a demon can be destroyed. One is to purify it, and the other causes its magic to go mad when there is no source of malice within its reach. In a world that will corrupt the very air people breathe, I wonder how you’ll survive!” he said with venom in his voice.

For once, that didn’t seem to make the succubus happy. There was a frown on her face that made her son smirk. “And I’ve learned to harness the ruining corruption. Just like that thing working on her ascension, I’ll be given the power to break through the realms as well! I’ll grow more powerful than you and then I shall make you submit just like the rest of your…”

“You ramble too much,” I interrupted as a wealth of knowledge sprung forth from the depths of my mind. I pointed towards the large seal above us all. If one looked close enough, they would have seen the portal already opening.

“You’re going to try and break the seal? Foolish pirate! I have studied the very wonders and limits of the arcane upon this broken soil! Nothing can stop this spell!” he boasted.

Well, I sure as hell enjoyed proving fuckers wrong.

That said, he was right. I didn’t have the mana to break this spell, but I knew someone who did. I knew someone just waiting beneath the tides who had a load of rage to expel and the mana to do it with. She’d helped me out this far. While the fucker ranted off his plan to his mother, I’d slipped my tendrils down through the water until I came into the dark abyss of the sunken isles. Down there, I could connect her with my aura. She could supply me with mana. We could bring it all down.

“Jhni! Rathu’l! Hraen! Oshrio! Banmal! Egrolun!” I chanted ancient words over and over, their dialect rolling off my lips naturally. I fired a burst of mana through the air.

The mana crashed into the face of the array. I quickly began deconstruction of its potent body. One by one, An’raie’s mana spread through the matrix. I destroyed runes and replaced others. The sequence of the spell, little by little, came undone. How I wished I could have seen the bastard’s face when I finally shattered the array into pieces, along with his dreams of his own fame and glory.

“T-The power to dismantle the realms of magic, that was the Mark of Hoɖ. Why? Why would a no-name pirate hold one of the twenty Marks of Ethiraelium?” the old man asked.

I pointed a finger at him. He had no defense left. Every last bit of his mana had been drained in attempting that spell. He no longer had the power to wield any artifacts if he even had them. My journey through Delverhold and its fucking trials finally ended when I former a thin, spear of water. With more than enough force behind it, the spear flew through the head of Dalmor, Son of Ondolor. He fell over, his body sinking below the tides, mixing with them as so many had before him.

Happy with my victory, though not letting my guard down, I turned back to the succubus. She stared at me, amused by the action. As expected of demons, they truly don’t care either way. She greeted her son’s killer with mild amusement and curiosity. A hint of sinful, chaotic, glee laid behind her eyes. She was clearly thrilled with the fate that befell her son.

“Well, I wished him alive, but I doubt he would have lived much longer with the strain he put on his body to perform that spell. I must admit, I was close to getting involved had you not proven so… capable. It stings, but I shall keep my word. As much as it’s a shame to let a morsel like you go, I’m not fully prepared to contend with you just yet, especially not with the Mark of Hoɖ laced into your soul. I also sense the magics of that witch behind me. It seems she’s pleased the five dragons. I doubt I’ll contain you before she’s done. So that shall be the end of us. Besides, I have to grab my spawn before any others dare stake their claim upon him. Perhaps one day, I’ll be on the receiving end of your satisfaction, then I’ll satisfy you in ways that no mortal could dream of,” she said, flying around me slowly.

“Had this been any other time, I might be stupid enough try and test that. Unfortunately, I’ve got other things to do that don’t involve demons and monsters for her. However, before you go, tell me. What was Ondolor studying Rune Keys for?” I asked.

The succubus smirked, shaking her head. “I’ve been trapped in one room for many centuries. Such studies aren’t known to me,” she said, holding the corpse of her fallen son on her shoulder.

I sucked my teeth, frustated that the fucking bastard basically ruined my whole voyage. “Aye, off with ya then,” I said.

“Mmmm, yes sir! Till we meet again,” she said before she flew over to her son. She picked up his corpse and opened a portal filled with the most evil magic I’d ever felt. She blew me a kiss of fire before she jumped into the portal, filled with screeching demons and the raging inferno.

Then, I was left in the middle of the air, my powers keeping me steady. I stared at everything around me. Every island except the fourth was gone. In a few days, that too would be no more. “Well, so much for those fucking rumors about eternal youth potions,” I said as Nei rubbed her cheek against mine, feeling brave since the danger passed. She rewarded me with tiny kisses.

I stared out into the vast nothingness. Pulses of magic flew through the air and clouds every now and then, evidenced by Liara’s growing power. A thought occurred to me on what I’d have to endure if I decided to embark upon that same pathway. Currently, the purpose in my use of magic and alchemy were for my own ends. I didn’t truly desire to study the arcane, but with so many benefits provided to me from Ilzahold’s mind, I’d be a fool not to revel in the opportunity.

That said, I had enough of fucking magic and mages for one day. I spotted my ship, and flew over to it. As I settled my hand down, the waters around me slowly brought me to the ship’s deck. When I landed, I saw the stunned looks on those still conscious.

I laughed breathlessly. “Keep your traps open any more and you’ll replace the local Draegnar fishermen,” I panted as I fell to one knee, the straight of the Mark of Hoɖ taking its toll on me.

I heard a series of footsteps and noticed Ellen standing over me. “It doesn’t matter how amazing you are, you still be a piece of shit,” she said as she patted my shoulder.

“Would you have otherwise?” I asked.

“I’ll be sure to let you know if I ever fucking do,” she replied before she helped me to my feet. As soon as I stood up, I was lightly punched in my chest. Ellen gave me the most beautiful smile I’d ever seen in all my life.

A smile of pride. That is, until her fairmaid popped out of her shoulder, grinning cheekily.

“Well fuck me sideways, Sothshore actually can crack a fucking smile. I never thought I’d see the day she’d smile at anything besides coin!” Diane said while Ellen growled.

“How about I show you my best smile when I see your mouth missing the rest of its teeth?!” Sothshore fired back at Burnwood. The guard to Liara quickly flipped my Quartermaster off.

“Greater bastards and bitches than you have tried and failed. Maybe you’ll actually give me a fucking challenge and I won’t knock your skull sideways like last time!” she boasted, crossing her toned arms over her chest.

Ellen snarled and was ready to fire back, but the Gun-Sorcerer of Raven’s Shadow beat her to the punch. “Is that Dragvorian asshat dead, Captain?” Racaell asked, slowly tending to Rieth and the others.

“Igvieth flo gun be! Arweaor dahin maksetet unnul!” Nz’ia said, hitting his chest.

“Yeah, what that guy said!” Gurok said, working on healing those on deck.

When I caught my breath, I leaned up. “Aye, the fucker’s dead. Fit to be tormented by his mother in the under realms until his skin turns to ash,” I answered.

The Gun-Sorcerer exhaled and landed her ass on the deck. “Good. I hope he suffers forever down there,” she replied, clearly hanging on to the last threads of her mana.

“So Captain, what now?” one of the two men who survived with us on the fourth island asked. The others looked at me, even the fairmaids. As befitting of a leader, I just finished a tough battle and the crew was already looking to me for orders.

I leaned my wet and salty head back. I then looked up to the stormy sky. After taking a moment or two to collect myself, I turned to everyone else. “Aye, well, we ain’t leaving for anywhere until the Witch is done with… whatever she be doing over there,” I said, thumbing over to the wide array of pulsing magic still moving through the skies.

“How long does that shit even take?” Ellen asked.

“Depends on the person. All the years I’ve traveled with Lady Liara, I ain’t seen anything like that. There were always rumors that mages could gain a profound understanding into the arcane and delve further into the hidden realms beyond this one. However, after so many millennia, I believe Lady Liara considered it a true folktale. Spirits know she’s more than met over half the other folklore legends others boast about. I wouldn’t be surprised if this thing took either another hour, day, year, or century,” Burnwood said.

“We’re gonna be here for 100 years?!” the surviving woman asked, holding the jar with the fairmaids in her hands.

“Aye, calm your tits! Ain’t no one staying here for a century. We’ll just watch her for now,” I said while everyone slowly began to work. Hell, I wondered if we even needed to guard her. Almost anything below The Taker of Voices shouldn’t be a problem for her now. Then again, I wondered if she could open the Ten Yalorian Crypts now. Even with my powers, I couldn’t do that.

As I mulled over this information, I heard the sound of a familiar beast coming from one of my crewmates. Surprisingly, I noticed it was Nz’ia.

“Issven! Salvalamar, mi gi ovurarias!” he said in a rather upbeat voice. We all looked at him and the others looked at me in confusion. Though I couldn’t fully understand his tone, I thought I had the general idea.

“He’s hungry,” I said.

The deck was filled with laughter. “Aye! That was a fine battle! I too crave something aboard the ship! We be victorious this day, captain! Let us feast on mead and bread, cheese and fine krill! We’ve bested the legendary isles none thought existed!” One of the men said.

My mouth thinned. “What be your name?” I asked. I’ll admit this was kind of late on my end.

“Dravos Highmoon, Captain!” the man said.

I chuckled for a moment, my body suddenly sorer than I thought. “Aye, then share in your feast now if you want. Though I’d recommend holding off on getting piss and shit drunk. If you fall off the side, there ain’t enough of us to save you,” I replied.

Highmoon chuckled nervously to himself. “Well, you know what they say. The best food is enjoyed with fine company. I shall wait!” he said before he set the other fairmaids down and went on his face.

When the man was gone, I turned to the others. “Alright, let’s not dally. We got one more thing to do before we all likely pass out upon our beds. Ellen, get me the bedding arrangements for the crew. We’ll put everyone inside their rooms. They’re probably gonna be frantic like Draegnar mice when they wake up. Twice as irritable as well. We defeated the fucker and the spell should be released from them all, but ain’t no one else about to die just because we got a little comfy. We’ve lost enough on this voyage,” I said.

Sothshore grumbled. “Never a fucking moment, is there?” she asked as she walked off.

“Stop staring at my ass!” she then shouted while my lips curved upwards. Well, clearly the exhaustion hadn’t done much to curb my libido. Then again, since taking a dip in that water, I felt a stronger urge than ever before. Still, that would come later.

After a moment, Ellen returned and we began the long process of putting everyone back in their own rooms. Over a hundred and fifty or so men and women were put back in their rooms. When we put them down, I spent the arduous process of checking them for any lasting damages caused by the Flames of Raganthor. Luckily, there didn’t seem to be anything. In addition to great power, the flames also made the body very durable. It was probably why none of these guys had too many broken bones from Nz’ia.

I placed Aesteal and Maeloson in their rooms, brushing a piece of the former’s hair. Gurok appeared behind me and casted healing magic on her. I checked, and double-checked, her to make sure she’d live. I was glad she was breathing.

The same could be said for Maeloson. I wondered how long it’d been since I’d seen him so peaceful. The damned elf slept without a care in the world, oblivious of the fucking strife we’d all gone through.

I then settled my mother down in her room. I kissed the top of her head and quickly scanned her as well. With no abnormalities present, I left her alone to peacefully awaken in her own time.

All in all, this process of playing housemaid to my crew took the rest of us about four hours. When we were done, none of us said a word. I just dismissed everyone with a wave of my hand. Racaell, Nz’ia, and the others left. All that remained was me and Nei, the latter of whom started yawning.

The sound of my boots on the ship’s wood seemed so familiar to me as I appeared on the ship’s deck once again. Thankfully, no one else died today. Not the men and women of Hilvir, not my other crewmates, and not the rest. The skies were dark, whether by natural or unnatural causes. In the distance, I saw Liara still completing her ascension. I wonder what she’d think of the battle that took place quite literally beneath her nose. In my hands laid the other fairmaids, given to me by the others. Well, the other three. Ellen had all but dumped hers in the jar while Aesteal’s one rested beside her. I ordered for Nz’ia to put Kavtha’s Urn in the brig with the other shit.

Actually, I’d have to make sure the crew didn’t start unsealing all their damn shit when they woke up. They’d fucking sink the damn boat otherwise. I walked towards my room. I grabbed the doorknob. I then opened the door. I quickly noticed I wasn’t alone.

“”Why are you two here?” I asked, seeing Burnwood and Sothshore on top of my bed.

“Because we just fucking love you so damn much! Stop with the dumb questions! It’s taking all I’ve got to not fall asleep,” Ellen said with a growl.

I turned to Burnwood. She shrugged. “I was dragged here. Hadn’t even gotten a word in! Not that I’m complaining” she responded while I shook my head.

I walked down the steps and further into my quarters. I walked over to my desk. I finally took the time to actually look at my quarters. My bladed eel was still alive and kicking. I fed it a few pieces of scrap metal and collected what it… shat out.

Once that was done and my hands were cleaned, I grabbed a large water basin. I filled it with water and a few sticks with precious leaves, creating an environment for the fairmaids. It wasn’t a lake, but I hoped they’d be satisfied with this until tomorrow. I’d more than likely be in my room all fucking day.

Thankfully, they seemed pleased. Exhaustion weighed on them all and before long they too were asleep, resting close to Nei. I undressed myself, not even caring that I just threw my clothes to the ground. “You two start any trouble and I’ll make you wish you stayed in your rooms,” I said as they made room for me.

“Shouldn’t we be saying that to you?” Diane asked.

“Like that’d fucking stop him,” Sothshore responded as we all climbed into bed. The two laid their heads on my chest. In the darkness of my quarters, my battles finished for now, I wrapped them in my arms. We all smelled fucking horrible. A mixture of gunpowder, seawater, and fire covered our bodies. Unfortunately, no one was willing to make the effort to get up and take a bath. We just slept in my quarters, filth and all, the garbs of adventure worn by us all.

Not even five minutes passed before I heard the sweet songs of slumber from Diane and Ellen. My fingers brushed through their hair. Their hands felt warm on my chest, I absently noted the sounds of the sleeping fairmaids. It seemed everyone was exhausted. I couldn’t even sense An’raie.

Slowly, I closed my eyes and fell asleep as well, the sounds of the ship rocking me to sleep. I couldn’t say this voyage had been everything I thought it would be, but I’d taken all of it to heart. Even at my age, lessons were taught and life continued to fuck me over now as it did then. Still I trudged on, I trudged on because out there laid my kingdom, the waters and the freedom therein.

When I awoke from my slumber, I was still greeted with dark clouds. I thought I might have woken up early, but that didn’t seem to be the case. I felt fully refreshed. I also felt very sore. I tried not to groan too loudly lest I wake up Diane and Ellen.

It took some moving, but I managed to get free of them, wrapping them in the covers to prevent any cold from striking them. I found a change of clothes and slowly stepped outside.

No one else was on deck. I could feel the hundreds of people below, all of them sleeping without care. I wondered why I had woken up so early, but it didn’t feel like I did. I thought I might have slept for two whole days, but who was I to say?

Instead, I leaned against the wooden railing. I stared out into the sea, my vision clearing. There was a nice breeze today. When I looked up at the clouds I saw the continued waves of mana. Those five dragon heads and Liara still laid in the distance.

I thought about everything. I’d lost Boreli due to my own arrogance. There weren’t any other way to describe it. I had a piece of my revenge in the palm of my hand and I let it slip away. Now I had nothing. Whatever happened to him, I doubted resurrection was possible. Even then, I wasn’t sure where his dead body was. An’raie could maybe get him and turn him into a spirit, but he’d probably long been claimed by Hades or whatever devilish spirit.

As evidenced to me with all the subtlety of Ellen’s blows to my gut, I couldn’t afford that naivete anymore. I’d nearly lost my life again barely into my second life. It seemed that due to my interference things started to take their own turn. There hadn’t been a Son of the Alchemist, nor succubus, in my first time here. Not to mention the order of the islands was all wrong.

Then, there were those words by that fucker. What did he mean by ascending to the realms his father went to? Could that bastard still be alive? Well, that wasn’t really my concern, but it was An’raie’s. Though I was a pirate, I did try to honor the deals I made. It hadn’t been as seamless as I desired, but the Lonely Wail proved invaluable to me in keeping my life. Such debts couldn’t, and wouldn’t be forgotten.

I jumped off the side of the wooden guard of the ship. I plunged into the water, weaving around so that a large air bubble would secure me on my way down. I floated further and further down, having to push more and more water out of my way until I landed at the very bottom.

Due to the wetness of the sea, the ground was fairly warm. If I released my hold over them, I imagined these waves would crush me beneath their pressure. I then started walking. I sort of knew the direction I was going so I doubted I’d get lost.

So, alone in my thoughts I journeyed through the sea, my mind set upon my destination. One or two hours passed me by before I gave up on the idea of a leisurely stroll. I moved some water beneath my feet and hastened my travels through the Delverhold oceans. I noticed the bodies of a few brightly colored fish. I thought about collecting some of them, but I didn’t see much need. Though their skin seemed as precious as fine jewels, I knew it wouldn’t stay like that for long. The benefits they provided would do nothing for anyone on my ship. We’d already grown beyond anything they could give.

I continued my undersea travels for a little while, feeling the warmish water around my legs. In the darkness, I saw something big. The closer I got to it, the more I saw it was the third island. Everything around it was completely destroyed. It seemed like the dungeon-like insides had been crushed beyond repair. Whatever treasures or creatures still laid inside it were long destroyed, crushed beyond repair.

I swam over it, observing everything that had been destroyed. So many trees, structures, and animal carcasses littered the heavy depths of the ocean floor. There was no point in collecting those either. The magic in the water would have drained all the magical properties from them anyway. In fact, I might not mind coming back here in the next thirty or forty years. With so many things supplying it, I bet it would turn into something extraordinary later.

After a few more moments, I made it to my destination. I swam down and saw the second island in the distance. I could also feel An’raie’s spirit there. Clearly, the alchemist wanted to make sure it was impossible for anyone to discover these lands again. They were so far down, It was actually a little hard holding all this water above my head.

Thankfully, any creatures that might be a threat to me were all dead from my battle with the bastard’s son. I couldn’t sense one living thing down here.

“Why art thou here? Thee could have left me to mine own fate.”

As I swam through the second island, I heard the Lonely Wail’s voice. “One of us held up the end of our bargain, the other hasn’t. I might be a piece of shit, but I be a piece of shit who honors the deals he makes. Besides, I owe ya my life. I ain’t about to let you rot down here,” I spoke as came down to the sunken remains of the second island. Every piece of life within it had been taken away.

“I needeth not thine help! ‘Tis clear that mine revenge was not foreseen in the stars. Wasteth thine time not anymore. Depart from my gaze for I shall not utter these words again. The Betrayer whom I loved found the cold embrace of a demon to be more fit than that for me. Here is where mine spirit shall stay until the passage of time,” she said.

I continued swimming. “You can be pretty fucking depressing sometimes. Look, whether ya like it or not, I’ll bind you to me again. Wae’ll huntte that fcuker down and I’ll deliver his damn bones to you lik I promised! Clearly, his bastard son thought he hadn’t died like in my time. Once that’s done, if you want to slink your way back to this island and remain here then that be on you. However, ya ain’t gonna say it be a man that still didn’t honor his deal with you. I owe you that much,” I responded.

“…Thou art a strange man. If thee think that mine perception of thee hath changed then thine thinking be misplaced,” she said.

“If ya really thought that then you wouldn’t have bothered trying so hard to convince me to leave you. Hwoever, for your pride, I’ll leave it. Hate me if ya wish, but we still got a deal. I aim to see it completed. We ain’t gotta be friends. We shall just be business associates. I benefit you and you benefit me. Ain’t no greater rhyme nor reason to it,” I said.

I then stilled when I saw An’raie appear in front of me. Having been disconnected from my soul, she returned back to her more ghastly appearance. It was a shame. I rather liked her with her long hair. “And what benefits have I need from a man-spawn such as thee?” the undead witch asked.

“Don’t pretend you weren’t enjoying the soul-blowing pleasure I’ve been giving you since we started our little union. I imagine I’ve got another few centuries toa catch you up on!” I said.

If spirits could blush, I think I saw it from the way An’raie avoided my gaze. “Truly, thine lecherous nature knows no bounds. Thine pride hath also swelled since the return of thy great power,” she uttered.

The confident grin on my face fell for a moment. “Aye, well, life’s got a wierd way of weeding out the pride of man. I should have learned such a damn thing the first time. Can’t say I won’t make the same mistake again, only that I’ll actually open up my clogged ears and listen next time. Your target still breathes, Wail. Several of mine do as well, but one hath already joined the realm of the dead. Prove that you be better than me and make the fucker suffer beneath your own hand!” I exclaimed.

A long silence soon followed after. An’raie continued to stare at me, her vengeful form unsettling me if only slightly. “Thee doth not make a very convincing argument. Mine abilities far exceed those of thee. However, though mine soul grows weary at thine presence, thee art not… the worst man to deal with. Very well, I shall aid thee for a time. I place the bits of trust in thee. Care that thee not lead them astray,” The Lonely Wail said.

She then flew into me, her soul collecting with mine even easier than last time. Thankfully, there was no pain like the first merger. Before, I had to forcefully bind her to me and she merely allowed the seal to hold her. Now, we were in an equal position. If she wished to leave my body, then she wouldn’t nearly kill me to do so.

Once again, her mana mixed with mine. I found myself oddly missing this feeling, this sense of unity between myself and this undead necromancer.

“Strange. Mine mind shouldest find this union detestable. Yet, it is not the most unpleasant feeling mine senses hath ever encountered. Why is this?” she asked.

“You’ve gotten used to me,” I said with a smirk as I shot us towards the surface, the warmth of the sun getting stronger and stronger.

“...ridiculous.”

The Lonely Wail stayed silent after that before I arose from the sea, my body completely soaked again in seawater. I turned my attention back to the remains of the fifth island. There, Liara still stayed. I swirled my way back to the ship, the churning seas taking me where I pleased.

“What be thy plans now?”  An’raie asked.

“Aye, you’ve been gone from the world a long time. The nations move themselves in mysterious ways. Everything will be thrown off when I begin my silent movement through the world of the black market. One by one, the nations shall change and render themselves to take what I’ve gathered from Delverhold. I hope with that, and through the numerous realms we cross, I’ll get my answers for my betrayal,”

“Thine road is laden with great burden.”

I sure as hell didn’t need to be told that twice.

Less than a half an hour or so passed before I heard the sounds of a merry ship. Loud party noises blasted in my ears. Music from various wooden instruments lined the sea air. I could see countless individuals on the main deck. They all danced like they’d lost their fucking minds.

…at least until they all saw me. In truth, I thought I was kind of hard to miss. I was basically controlling an inverted tornado of water after all. They all widened their eyes. Most of them appeared to be in shock as I landed on the deck of the ship, pushing a swell of water off its side.

“What? If you lot want to go wild, I suggest you do it on some dry land. There’s still some time before the fourth island drops into the seabed! Until then, revel in your blessings for you have survived the Isles of Delverhold this day! You shall be the stuff of legends! You shall be a crew of greater fame and glory! ” I exclaimed as I swiped a mug of ale from someone’s hand and held it in the air.

“For greater fame and glory!” I hollered.

The ship exploded. “FOR GREATER FAME AND GLORY!” Everyone shouted after me as the helmsman brought us to the fourth island.

Not even a second passed before people began shouting to each other. I watched strong men bring out ale and other fine drink by the barrel load. The kitchen’s reserves were opened and some swam to the shoreline. With the sand on their feet, they started making campfires to roast their meat, fish, bread, and cheese.

Some came to me, tearfully offering their thanks for the rescue from the flames of Raganthor. Truth be told, I was surprised they were moving already. Then again, clearly the flames did their job in keeping fatal injuries away from them. That spell was resilient if nothing else.

“Guaaaahahaahaha! Join us, Captain! This day be not one without ye! When we land back upon the Shore of Thieves in Delverhold, let’s you and I nab a fresh one on me!” Daven Wolfkiss said to me, patting my back rather painfully. His breath already smelled like he was five or six mugs in. He gawked in my ears.

“Ayy, we’ll find time for it. Now get your ass on the beach before you go overboard and drown!” I said while he cackled.

“Oi laddies, if I drown, I bet I’ll get me cock saved by a beautiful mermaid! I always wanted to slip my stick in one!” he shouted while I found a way to untangle myself from his embrace.

I took a moment to head into my quarters. My mouth thinned when I saw the fairmaids exploring their new environment, each of them in different parts of my room. Well, I noticed one of them was gone. Of course, it had to be Aesteal’s. That one couldn’t sit still no matter how fucking hard I tried to keep her down.

When the others spotted me, they tried to flop towards me. Nei was especially excited. I decided to have mercy on their efforts and picked them all up. It didn’t take my little troublemaker long before she crawled onto my shoulder and began kissing me. Her lips were filled with fire, burning my flesh with arousal.

“Aye, alright. It’s only fair that you four get to have some fun as well,” I said as I walked outside and held them over the wooden railing of the ship. They stared off the sides of my hands.

“Swim to your heart’s content around the fourth island. Don’t stray too far from me. Other than that, expand your world beyond that of a bowl or a pond,” I encouraged.

Nei looked at the others. As the obvious leader, she grinned and jumped off into the ocean. The others followed after her. I could feel them in the tides, swimming in circles of joy and merriment around each other. I knew I wouldn’t lose them, but I’d rather they not go where trouble would be. Besides, with my powers back, the fourth guardian wouldn’t be any trouble if it decided to show up.

I felt a punch to my arm. “You know, when someone wakes up, they don’t expect the fucker they sleep with to be gone. You had me running shitheads up and down this ship before someone said they tracked you below the sea. Figured you were doing some weird mystic shit so I left it alone. As you can see, everyone’s lost their fucking minds thanks to you,” Ellen said as she leaned against the railing.

I faced her. “Now, don’t tell me you ain’t used to it back in the Dead Tales. Your tavern knows its way around a brawl more than any man’s ship ever could,” I answered.

“Doesn’t make it any less of a shit situation to see,” she said as the music began to transfer from the ship and to the beach. If anything on the island was still alive after the Flames of Raganthor raged through them, I pitied their sleep.

“Don’t pretend ya don’t like it, Sothshore! Best get used to this and many more uproars if you plan to follow this piece of shit all your life! We’re in this for the long haul up Klndrar Mountain! No smooth sailing here!” Diane shouted as she threw an arm around Ellen.

My Quartermaster snarled before she grabbed someone's mug and downed it in one gulp. Men and women hollered for her before she slammed it on the railing. “Shut the fuck up and get me another damn drink! I’m gonna need it to not riddle each and every last one of you with bullets!” she growled as she walked away, her shoes knocking against the wood.

I laughed for a moment before I weaved through the sea of my men. Even the men and women of Hilvir, my trained warriors, relaxed themselves in their own way.

I walked below the deck. One by one I checked on my mother, Aesteal, Maeloson, Alteria, and Goron. All of them were still asleep, obviously worn out from the pain of their ordeals. I tried to make their arrangements a little more comfortable before I left them alone. I hoped the day would come soon that they would all open their eyes.

When I returned, my crew all but descended into blissful chaos. With nothing to endanger us, and Liara continuing her trials, my crew began their song, dance, and revelry. There was only one time I’d seen a ship of men and women so fucking drunk until today. These guys hadn’t even found the Drunken Abyss yet.

I wanted to join them, but as the responsible captain, I had to make sure no one lost their shit. I’ve seen a lot of the shit things people were willing to do when drunk. Of course, I wouldn’t mind the occasional meal or drink. I think Ellen was of the same mind as I. She stayed with me and observed the festivities.

There was no doubt in my mind that for the whole day, the fuckers partied like their lives depended on it. Some got into scuffles, fights meant to entertain and amuse. Of course, Diane had to be at the center of all of it. She and Nz’ia laid out all the challengers before them.

“Ha ha ha ha harrrrr! Let me tell you lads and lasses a tale! It be the tale of the Great Ones! They hoist up their flag, and sail their vessel! The great sun on their face and the salt on their tongue! I shall sing for you of the Great Ones of Dorn!” another shouted from the atop one of the trees. The band of musicians beneath him supplying him with their sounds.

“The Great Ones I see! The Great Ones I saw! One fast, one strong, one fierce with a blast.

The winds they travel, and the seas they rage!

The mighty three, all together.

The creatures they face

The nightmares they race

With guns of smoke and fire!

With barrels of treasures and shires!

They sail the Great Seas of D’orn!

Ha ha ha haaaaaaar!

Though the winds blow strong!

Though the bitches be loud!

Still they persist with their blades of hounds!

Now if you want to join the Great Ones of Old

Then make sure you listen to this wise old man’s ode!

Seek yer treasure!

Seek your glory!

For only the truly brave are the ones to prove this story!

Sing with me!

Sing with me you landlubbers and salty scourges!

The Tale of the Great Ones is bound to be told!”

“HEYA! HEYA! HEYA! HEYAAAAAAAR!” the others shout after the singer.

Ellen and I continued to watch from the ship. Men and women paired up and began dancing, tapping their shoes in the sand or the fists on empty barrels. Racaell hugged her teammates. Daen and Brant hugged her while Truon danced with that woman he fancied. Gurok, Hannath, and Rieth laughed, swigging their drinks in their hands.

I turned to Ellen. She scowled. “Ask me to dance and I’ll make you wish I hit you harder back in that frozen wasteland,” she growled. I couldn’t resist the light smile that crept on my face.

“Afraid it’ll end like last time?” I asked.

She didn’t answer me. She didn’t need to. I’d let her keep her pride and not point out the way she avoided my gaze. I stared back at the group as the day drew longer and longer.

Naturally, I decided not to simply be an observer. I participated in some of the fun as well. Most of that consisted of Burnwood and I fighting. Unfortunately, I couldn’t repair my body so easily like in our shared mindscape. Of course, we both knew this was for mere entertainment. There was no need to leave each other a bloodied mess. She beat me decisively. Though, I honored the agreement of no water abilities. I still thought this was an uneven fight. Burnwood was Burnwood after all. I’d mistake her for a daughter of Ares with her fighting prowess. That prowess was only doubled, no tripled with the isles benefits. I stood no chance against her.

For now.

I ate, drank, and enjoyed my fair share of dancing. It took some goading, but I got Ellen’s ferocious and indignant glare at me while we danced the day away. I even managed to get Burnwood in my arms for at least one or two steps into the sand. Unfortunately, the girl couldn’t dance for shit, or perhaps she just liked causing me agony by stepping on my feet. Who could tell the difference?

Unfortunately, as with all parties, they slowly begin to die away as the sun sets. Some people went off to explore more of the island. I cautioned them to watch their asses. While we were safe, I’d rather have no more unexpected encounters. I’d had enough of that shit to last this whole damn voyage.

I stumbled my way through the door to my quarters, a little tipsy from all the festivities I’d done. Of course, I wasn’t so far gone that I’d lost complete control of myself. On a ship of backstabbers, murderers, and greedy fuckers, that’s liable to get you killed.

“I findeth myself hesitating in this exchange. Why wouldest thee find enjoyment in losing sense over thine body?” An’raie asked as I made it to my chair and sat down.

“Never had the joy of fine drink on your lips?” I asked.

“‘Tis a nice taste when I was alive, but thine methods are rather crude and undignified. However, ‘tis something I shouldest expect from a pirate such as thee,” she answered back.

I grinned and turned my chair toward my desk. “Stick around. I’ll make sure ya more crudeness,” I said with a little laugh.

An’raie didn’t respond to me. Instead, she chose to stay silent, pondering her own affairs. That left me to myself. I could still hear the lasting remnants of the party outside. I noticed Nei and the other fairmaids weren’t close to the ship. I could still sense them in the tides. They still weren’t out of my reach. That brought me some measure of peace. They were definitely clumped up together. I knew not what they were doing, but as long as there be no threat to them then I’d need not haste to retrieve them. An’raie said they were adults and they’d seen the horrific creatures of the third island before. I was sure they’d have their own survival instincts to not do anything too stupid.

I grabbed a piece of mintstick and chewed on it. The raw, nose-numbing sensation of it slowly drove away my drunkenness over the course of a half hour or so. I decided that now would be a good time to begin my preparations. Delverhold would turn the world upside down. I hadn’t revealed the island of Delverhold back in my time. No pirate reveals the fruits of his travels so easily. However, there was a case to do so this time.

With the mythical Isles of Delverhold being discovered, the world and realms of magic would begin to evolve. They’d change at a rapid pace, one so rapid that forces in the dark would be forced to reveal themselves. Namely, these others who wielded the elements just as I did. Even now, I remembered the vision of Seraphina Xhalbrun.

As I wielded water, she wielded fire. Then, there was the person who decimated Nz’ia’s tribe. From the description, it sounded like the wielder of earth. Yet, I still found myself perplexed. How the hell had forces like these remained hidden for so long?

“Tell me, An’raie, have you ever heard of anyone with abilities like mine?” I asked.

“‘Tis not known to me. In case thou hast forgotten, I have remained upon these isles for a considerable number of centuries. Thine mysterious powers have been the first mine eyes hath ever witnessed. Since thine mind cometh from the times ahead, shouldest thou not be given knowledge of these individuals?” she asked.

I sighed and leaned back. “Blame the witch and her odd sense of guidance. Her memories remain locked to me. So too does any knowledge of these other three,” I said while An’raie floated next to me.

“Indeed. Not many are capable of understanding a being such as Ilzahold. Not even I. ‘Twill take great efforts to…” An’raie stopped when a knock on the door came.

The Lonely Wail slipped back into my body. I turned my chair to the door. “Enter,” I said.

There came no response. “Enter!” I said again, with a bit more force this time.

Again, there was no response nor movement of my door. I found myself a bit curious. I could tell there were people behind the door, three of them to be exact. Each of them just stood there, obviously waiting for something. However, despite this strange circumstance, I noticed I was feeling a lot more energized. A warm fire started to slowly burn from within my body, filling me with power. This warm feeling slowly started to trail down to my cock and, like a hopeless fool, I was aroused by the scent of female lust in the air.

An’raie was getting affected by it as well. She tried to stifle her moans so that I wouldn’t hear, but I didn’t need to hear them. Since her soul was connected with mine, she felt what I felt. The opposite held true as well. I could feel how excited she was, the pleasure rolling through her mind as my body soaked in the lust like a sponge.

A sigh escaped from my lips. I got up from my chair and made my way to the door. Just in case I was… misreading this situation, I fixed my pants to cover my erection. I headed to the door. The closer I got, the more energized and aroused I became. Clearly, those pools back in the third island were more lethal than I’d anticipated.

When I opened the door, the last thing I expected was an unloaded gun in my face, courtesy of Diane Burnwood.

“Hahahahaha, I told you this vessel wasn’t abandoned! Look here, ladies! A lone fucking man out in the middle of nowhere. Fortune favors us greatly tonight! Hope you don’t mind the intrusion, ya fucker. Actually, we don’t even care if you do mind! Your ship and all its treasures have been captured under the flag of the Crimson Sirens! Resist and we’ll blow your fucking head off! Now get inside!” Diane said. Her firm hand pushed me back inside my quarters.

I don’t think she meant to make me fall back down the stairs, but that’s what I did. My world got dizzy for a moment. As my vision cleared, I saw a brief look of concern pass on Burnwood’s face. It was that concern that quickly made me realize what was happening to me.

Amused, I decided to play along.

I sucked my teeth. “Aye, aye, alright lass. No need to get fucking rough. This ship be all a man’s got left! Lost me whole crew just trying to get to this part of the sea! If you ladies be stranded, I’m yer best shot out of these seas. Now, put the gun down and maybe we can make a deal!” I said as I rubbed my head.

I noticed the fire in Burnwood’s eyes roar back to life. “Hmmm, so that’s why our ship sank beneath the seabed! Still, we wouldn’t be pirates if we didn’t have a captive. Guess who’s the lucky fucker tonight! Ellen, Naala, come see our fucking prey!” Diane called.

After Burnwood, I saw Ellen and another woman enter. The latter, I was a bit surprised to see. I couldn’t recall a time I had a conversation with a ‘Naala’ aboard my ship, but I distinctly remembered the name from the ship’s roster. She was one of the ship’s gunners.

Between the three of them, Naala  was obviously the shortest one. However, that didn’t mean she didn’t have her own appeal. Like Nz’ia, her skin was like rich, brown chocolate. Her arms, while thin, definitely had some tone to them. They were the obvious signs she was used to the hard labor that came from working on Draegnar. Her black hair ran wonderfully down the side of her face in the form of tied up dreadlocks. Some of those locks were tied by precious gold coins. Her lips looked so full and puffed, just waiting to be kissed and tended to.

When I stared at her, I saw that same look of hunger in her eyes. One of those eyes had a knife mark over the lid, but that hardly detracted from her beauty.

I then turned to Ellen. I tried not to chuckle at the way she seemed to glare at Burnwood. It became quite clear to me that she thought this entire scenario was a waste of time. To be honest, I haven’t the slightest idea how Diane roped my Quartermaster into this shit. However, I wasn’t about to complain.

“So, the captain of this vessel wants to make deals, does he? Well, I’ve got a deal for you!” Naala as she took out a knife from her short pants’ pocket. She grabbed a fistful of my hair and held the blade to my throat.

“How about you give us every ounce of treasure you have aboard this floating hunk of wood, and maybe we’ll leave you a splinter of wood to float on when we sail off,” she said with a lick of her lips.

I feared for my life. “This be an old vessel, madam! Can’t no one steer her better than me, especially in this sea. Now, I ain’t one to doubt the hands of a lass, but this old girl requires a special touch! Probably like you three,” I said back.

The three looked at each other. “This fucker’s got jokes,” Naala said with a laugh before she turned back to me with a growl.

“I hate jokes!” she snarled before Diane patted her shoulder.

“Alright, alright. True, we don’t know this ship. Who knows what this young man’s done to it. Who knows how many cunts have fallen to his dumb ways. I bet a day hasn’t gone by where his cock hasn’t been firmly planted on a hole. Ellen, tie his ass to that chair. I wanna see this joker squirm,” Burnwood said.

We all noticed that Sothshore failed to move, glaring at all of us with her visible eye. “Ellen!” Diane yelled.

Sothshore rolled her eyes and walked down, sucking her teeth as she grabbed some rope and bound my hands. “I’ve got better shit to do with my time than play pirate fantasy!” she lowly growled at me while I smiled.

Ellen could deny it all she wished, but I could feel the lust rolling off her as well. I could feel it in her movements. Her fingers grazed over my skin while she tied up my hands. Her hands rubbed my chest before she pushed me into the chair. She then wrapped my chest to the chair. Aside from my legs, I was completely bound.

“There. Now since you’re apparently so good with your hands, you’ll steer us back to land. Maybe we’ll let you keep them after. Don’t do anything stupid. Naala, watch this fucker while we check the ship. If he does anything funny, make him squeal!” Diane said while she grabbed Ellen. They then walked out of the door.

To be honest, this wasn’t how I thought this little… situation would go. Then again, I doubted these three lovely ladies had much time to practice before performing this.

Naala busied herself with looking around my room, playing the part of the female pirate looking around the room for things they’d take from the unfortunate man in the capture. However, she then looked to me. She stared at my white shirt and black pants.

“S-Something wrong, ma’am?” I asked.

“Aye, you’re too compliant! You told me you had a crew with you. No fucker worth his salt would enter this sea without preparations. I bet you’ve got loads of weapons on you. Good thing, I thought of it. I’m gonna fucking search you. If you wanna keep your heart in your chest, I suggest you not move!” she said as she swayed her way over to me.

She leaned forward, granting me a beautiful look at her sizable cleavage. Her breasts bounced in her shirt beautifully. She unbuttoned my shirt and pulled it down, biting her lip while her nails touched my young skin. I was noticeably more fit than before I’d started this voyage.

Of course, I’d already been siphoning off the lust from Diane, Ellen, and Naala long before any of this started. So I was already hard, my cock pressing against my belt. It definitely didn’t take Naala long to find.

“Aha, looks like the cannons on the ship aren’t the only ones aboard,” she said as she undid my belt buckle and pulled down my pants, releasing my cock. She stared at my pistol with rapt attention. She licked her lips whether consciously or unconsciously.

“Mmmm, yeah. I gotta inspect everything. Every weapon must be procured and taken when we make land, especially one as impressive as this. I’ve handled many guns, but this could be the most unruly. Something tells me, I’ll enjoy the recoil!” she chuckled as she stroked me up and down a few times, effortlessly finding her groove.

I settled into my own pleasure, feeling the heat of her hands against my girth. I then watched her place it against her hot tongue. She slid it up and down, lathering my cock in warm spit. I groaned, leaning my head back to enjoy these movements of her tongue and hands. Every inch of my dick became aflamed with the passion and lust I fed off her.

“Yeah, a big, hard weapon this thing is. I better disarm it. To think you actually hid something like this. I’ll have you walk the plank for this!” she said with a smirk.

…that was a poor choice of words. However, Naala had no way of knowing that. I decided to ignore that statement in favor of the pleasure she gave me. One of her hands grabbed my balls, cradling and fondling them while she licked both sides of my shaft. With my hands and chest bound, I didn’t have many ways of stopping her. Well, outside of the obvious abilities that returned to me.

“Mmmmmah! This fucking thing’s hot as hell too. I wonder how many times it’s been overloaded. When I tell the others about this weapon you hid, you’re gonna be in a whole lotta fucking trouble, you bastard!” Naala threatened.

“Lass, I be just one man aboard a boat. What must I do to earn your mercy?” I asked.

Naala stopped licking my cock and looked at me, brushing a piece of her bound hair back. “Aye, keep yer mouth shut and let me enjoy myself. Almost two to three fucking months at sea without anything fun and I’ve now got this in my grasp. I’m gonna enjoy it more than a tankard of the finest picked plums,” she said.

She then opened her mouth and gobbled my whole cock down. My entire body shivered, no quaked when I felt her nose reach my pelvis. I looked down and saw my entire invigorated pistol had disappeared in her mouth. The back of her through gently pushed against the tip of it. Her brown, beautiful lips latched and sucked on the length of my girth.

She pulled her head up and then drove it down. Soon, I was reveling in pleasure, a thousand tiny sensations rupturing through my body with my inability to move or maneuver myself. How I wished I could just grab her head and buck my hips, my balls smacking against her face. Unfortunately, I was at her mercy, but it was definitely one I didn’t mind.

“Mmmmmnh! Mmmmmmmn! Hmmmmmmmnh!’ she groaned, rubbing her thighs together. She then started fervently plunging down on my cock. The cold air mixed with her warm mouth. Her tongue coiled around my dick as I gripped the armrests of my chair. My toes curled up in my boots, My eyes rolled up into my head. Light pants moved from my mouth.

“Haaaaaaaa… Nnnnngh… mmmmmngh!”

I could even hear An’raie’s unsteady, hoarse voice. How I wished I could see her face, attempting to resist the pleasure drowning the both of us beneath its depths. I couldn’t say it was better than either my mother, Aesteal, or even Ellen, but it was fucking great all the same.

Suddenly, the door opened. Naala and I heard a gasp. “Damn Naala, what the fuck are you doing? I told you to watch the fucker, not shove his damn cock down your throat!” Diane said as she and Ellen returned.

My shaft popped out of Naala’s hot mouth. “I dunno. I saw a pretty suspicious weapon and I had to investigate. It needs disarming. Imagine if it fired,” she said while Diane glared playfully at me.

Ellen rolled her eyes while Burnwood grabbed my hair. “I should gut ya like a fish for this, but I suppose you’ve actually got a nice cock. Getting stranded at sea really winds a fucker up. If you wanna keep this thing attached to your crotch, then I think you better return the favor!” she said.

Before I knew it, I was thrown onto my bed. My arms were still bound behind my back. When I took a moment to collect myself, I came face to face with Diane’s dripping cunt. “Hey, I never said I’d share the fucking inspection!” the dark-skinned gunner said while Diane snorted.

“Tough shit. You had your turn! Just sit there and wait,” she said before she dropped her crotch on my face. Luckily for her, or me, I didn’t need too long to understand. I shove my tongue inside her, her walls clinging to it and her womanly scent filling my nose.

“Mmmmmmmnghaaa! Yesssss! Fuck yes! Use that fucking tongue, you bastard, and maybe you’ll live! Oooooooh god! I’ve needed this for so damn long! Uuuugh! Nnnngh!” Burnwood groaned, grabbing my hair and gyrating her hips all over my tongue and mouth.

I heard a shuffle of clothes hit the floor, but I couldn’t tell since my entire view was a fucking slippery cunt. Then again, there was a certain appeal to all of this. However, I didn’t have to remain curious forever. I hissed into Burnwood’s cavern when I felt my cock enveloped by Sothshore’s pussy. I knew it was her because Ellen always clenched up whenever I slid into her. Plus, her cunt had a rather interesting squeezing motion.

I was proven right when I heard Sothshore gasp. “Oooooooh! Yes, I want it all the fucking way inside me!” Sothshore gasped as I felt her hands press on my stomach. I then groaned when she started shaking and bouncing her hips, the bed rumbling from her movements.

“Hey! I didn’t tell you to stop! Get back to work!” Diane said and I eagerly sought to fulfill her desires. I strike my tongue across the folds of Diane’s labia, striking her clit from time to time. I felt her legs shiver against my face, her hips rocking back and further.

“Move over! I want a piece too!” Naala said until I found a piece of deliciously sleek chocolate in front of me as well. I quickly moved on to her as well. My room became alive with the sounds of female pleasure. All of this euphoric lust poured into me, further stimulating both my body and my mana veins.

With some effort, I thrust my hips into Ellen’s cunt. The squishing sounds between us filled the air. “Nnnnngh! Yeah! Fuck yeah! Oooooh my fucking god! Mmmmmmngh! Gnnnngh! Gooooddammit! Ooooooooh!” Ellen cried into the air before I felt her first orgam rip through me. The flames of her lust were absorbed by me, energizing me even more.

It was thanks to that energy that I, quite effortlessly, managed to snap the ropes that bound me. Granted, they weren’t that firm to begin with. Of course, I be the type of fucking bastard to not voice such a problem. Instead, I kept my hands bound, just waiting for my moment. Free to listen to Naala’s cries into the air as I partook of her dripping syrup flowing into my mouth.

“Mmmmmmha yeah! Eat that cunt! Work that f-f-f-fucking tongue right through me. Shiiiiit! Y-You were right. He sure knows how to use that thing!” Naala sighed blissfully before I felt another cunt squeezing my cock.

“F-Fuck yeah he does!” Burnwood cried from further down the bed. It was her turn to have her fun with me. Her toned walls all but strangled my shaft, a sea of warm, velvety goodness. It was like my cock became a shovel, scraping, digging through her crevices until it was buried right to the hilt. A shaking of nerves sealed us together, her grinding her pelvis into mine.

As I liked this piece of dark chocolate on top of me and fucked Liara’s guard, Ellen busied herself with attacking my nipples. Her tongue swirled the tiny nips, making my cock go hard inside Diane. That got her screaming before long as she shuddered, gritting her teeth, and her pussy, to keep the edge off. However, she too covered my cock in slimy juices.

“Don’t pass out on us, captive! We’re gonna be doing this all night! So you’d better save up all that shit in yer balls for this! Cause it’s my turn!” Naala said and I felt her hands grab my gleaming male cannon. She held it up and devoured it into her body as well.

“Ooooooooooooooh yesssssssss! Folalagmor shiiiiiit! This feels so fucking goood! Hoooooooooo!” she wailed before she quickly started bucking her hips as well. Her outburst was a little unexpected for me, but I didn’t argue. In fact, it felt otherworldly to me as well. A massive amount of energy kept spiralling around me, coating itself in my body. I felt draped in the arms of a succubus, my entire body covered in her demonic embrace.

That same energy quickly started to connect itself from me to the ladies, using me to pleasure themselves. Each of them moaned so wantonly, the sweat pouring down onto my face and body. I heard the quivering noises of Ellen’s cunt, her tongue rolling up and down my stomach as she fingered herself. I sensed the tiny drops of female lust on my floor.

Meanwhile, Naala got to riding me even faster. The bed trembled and shook, the pillow behind me fell to the bed. Her ass crashed against my balls. “Ooooooo fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Yessssssssss! Oh dammit! I could ride this thing forev-mmmmmnph!”

“Oh shut… nnnggggh… up!” Diane said before my ears picked up on the sounds of kissing. However, it was a little hard to focus on that with her vigorously tight cunt rubbing against my tongue.

The sensations became too much for me. I groaned, thrusting my hips upward as hard as I could. “Haaaaaaa! Yeah! Yeaaaaaah! Nnnnghggggh, fucking give it to me! Fuck me! Fuck that cock right up inside me dammit! Nnnnnnghgaaaa! Ooooooh god! I’m gonna cum! I’m gonna fucking cum!” Naala wailed.

Our juices mixed together. The sounds of hard sex filled everyone’s ears. I was sure people outside my door could hear the commotion coming from their captain’s quarters. My hands clenched and my toes curled. Before I could even brace myself, I groaned. Streams and ropes of cum fired from my cock and into Naala’s waiting cunt.

“Hnnnnnnnnngh! Oooooooh, are you really cumming inside me? You best hope this ship ain’t gonna be carrying any extra crew members!” Naala said as I felt the cum drain out of my balls and paint the entirety of her walls, sticking to them like glue.

In the heat of my orgasm, the thought of another pregnant belly made my cock hard again. Aye, a bit of an unruly thing my libido was. Naala noticed this. “Oh? That got you fucking hard? You thought about pushing all the thick cum right through my pussy and making me carry your little bastards? Damn, we got a fucking freak here!” the black woman said before she rolled off my cock as well.

“Mmmmmmnph! Good, I could follow a freak if h-h-he’s got a tongue like t-t-thisssssssss!’ Diane hissed before she came again, drowning my mouth and my nose in her warm juices. She hunched over and panted.

She leaned up off me and I gasped, taking in the air I really needed. “Hmmm, what to do with you now? I’m not fully satisfied yet,” the Guard of Liara said before I chose my moment.

Diane gasped as I leaned up. I pushed her off me, her hands and knees falling to the bed in shock while I grabbed her ass. “Aye, I ain’t satisfied either. You sluts’ll be lucky if you aren’t carrying my bastard by the end of this!” I exclaimed before I slammed my hard cock inside her.

Burnwood’s pussy clenched around me. “Ooooooooooooooh! Oh fuck, the prisoner got free! Mmmmmmmmmngh! Yeeeeeeeah! Ooooooooh shit! His cock’s free as well. Nhaaaho gods, it’s free!” she said as I grabbed Ellen in my arms and kissed her firmly.

Sothshore wrapped her arms around my neck, moaning into my mouth before I beckoned for Naala. “Uh oh, the prisoner has taken command of the sirens. We’re helpless before him!” she said, screaming when I twisted her nipple.

“Aye, that ya are! I’ll show you just how helpless you really are!” I said.

That was what I did. I fucked, and fucked, and fucked. One moment I was inside Diane. Next, I was in Ellen. After her, I lodged my cock into Naala. A cornucopia of lust, ecstasy, and passion entered my body. The four, no five, of us moaning together, each coming either at the same time or differently.

I remember pushing Sothshore against the wall, her hands in my hair as I slammed into her. I remembered pinning Naala to the bed, her legs wrapped around my waist to prevent my escape. Diane, one leg in my arms, held onto my as we fucked.

Soon, it wasn’t just us. The whole ship and even parts of the island came alive with the sounds of sex. I imagined this to be because of the lustful energy emanating from my quarters. Either way, I fucked into the long hours of the night, cumming so hard and so many times that my balls ached.

The five of us continued in blissful rapture until I fell to the bed, panting, exhausted, satisfied, and covered in sweat. My chest burned, reminding me of just how stupid my uncontrollable libido had gotten. If I had any blood left, it sure as hell wasn’t going to my cock.

I leaned my head on my bed, the afterglow of the sex making me tired. In fact, the lustful energies couldn’t keep me sustained any longer. The minutes rolled by and I chuckled. “So, which one of you brought this little plan on?” I asked.

I received no answer. Tiredly, I looked up. To my surprise, the three were already sound asleep, their wild energies slowly dying down to a simmering flame. I didn’t have to wonder what made them so tired. I assume I did. After all, I’d basically fucked them for a damn marathon.

I pulled the three into bed, fucking soaked sheets and all. It seemed I wouldn’t get anything done tonight so I decided to simply work tomorrow. I blew out the candles in my room. I laid in bed, Ellen and Aesteal laying in my arms and Naala on my chest. It was a little hard to breathe, but I made do.

I slowly fell asleep, thinking of what tomorrow would bring.

To be honest, I wish I didn’t get my fucking answer. I was awoken by a harsh banging on my door. I groggily, and irritably, opened my eyes. “Ugh, is it already time for someone to piss me off?” Ellen asked as I stepped out of bed.

As soon as I did, I understood why the banging was happening. My legs trembled for a moment. I stared out the window. Grey, dark clouds. Hundreds of waterspouts littered the plains of the ocean, each of them the size of an island. Lightning rolled across the sky and a crash of thunder came about so heavily that my three bedmates jumped up.

“What the fuck was that?!” Naala, my sudden black jewel, asked.

My eyes narrowed.

“Prepare yourselves, Ladies. Kavtha descends upon us!” I said with a grin of anticipation.