Lynd stood on the captain's command deck of his flagship, the Glory, gazing out at the sea shrouded in thick fog.
The Glory beneath his feet was no longer the original vessel that once bore its name. This was the latest iteration—a massive warship, the only one in the world with five decks and four towering sails. Even the main battleships of the Miracle Fleet paled in comparison to the Glory in size.
Despite being the most advanced warship in the world, the Glory would not take part in the battle itself. Instead, it served as the command center, linking the various fleets together.
Lynd was well aware that he knew little about naval warfare. Aside from outlining the initial battle plan, he had refrained from interfering in any strategic decisions. The deployment of ships, personnel assignments, and all other arrangements had been left entirely in the hands of Hollis, Asha, Baelor, and Dagon.
His role was to remain aboard the Glory, which was equipped with trained messenger ravens used for communication between the different fleets and for relaying battle reports.
A maester, responsible for the ship's ravenry, approached Lynd with a sealed parchment in hand. "My lord, Lord Hollis, Lady Asha, and the others have all reached their designated positions, but the fog over the sea is too thick. They can't see the enemy fleet clearly."
Although the dense fog obscured visibility, Lynd had no difficulty pinpointing the enemy fleet's precise location and every movement—thanks to the Cannibal lurking beneath the waves, waiting for their moment to strike. He replied, "Tell them the enemy fleet has arrived at Point Three. Proceed as planned. The fog will clear soon—no need to worry."
"Yes, my lord." The maester knew that under normal circumstances, the fog wouldn't lift until at least midday, so he found Lynd's words puzzling. But seeing the certainty in his tone, he assumed there must be a method to disperse the fog that he was simply unaware of.
Once the maester had released the messenger ravens, Lynd waited for about an hour—long enough for the messages to reach the fleets. Then, he stepped down from the command deck and instructed the sailors to secure any loose objects on board, preventing them from being tossed around by the approaching winds and waves.
Though the sailors didn't understand the reason for this order, those who had heard stories of Lynd's abilities exchanged glances filled with reverence. Some even reached for Storm God pendants hanging around their necks, clutching them tightly as they murmured quiet prayers.
Lynd paid no attention to them. He walked toward the bow of the ship, stopping just behind the sea dragon figurehead. With one hand, he grasped the greatsword of the Banished Knight at his waist, then channeled the power of the Storm Dragon rune, fusing it with the divine energy of the Nameless King rune embedded in his heart.
Instantly, a violent storm erupted across the sea.
The fierce winds tore through the thick fog, dispersing it in moments. Dark clouds rapidly gathered overhead, swirling together to form an ominous mass. Then, a massive whirlwind lifted Lynd off the deck, hurling him into the storm clouds. Thunder rumbled, lightning cracked through the sky, and the howling wind raged—a storm of unprecedented scale enveloped the entirety of Darkwood Bay.
Everyone who witnessed this—whether sailors, maesters, or warriors—regardless of the gods they had once worshipped, found themselves in awe. In that moment, they all believed in only one deity: Lynd, the Storm God.
The instant the storm took form, the heavy fog was completely swept away. On the other side, the Tyroshi fleet and the Pirate Alliance had no idea what had happened. Their years of sailing experience told them that no storm should be possible at this time of year, and the thick fog wasn't supposed to dissipate until midday.
Caught off guard, none of them were prepared for battle. When the fog vanished, they stood bewildered, watching the ocean churn with violent waves. Ships that had raised their sails were forced to lower them, lest they be capsized by the sudden squall.
While the Tyroshi and pirate fleets scrambled to regain control, the Miracle Fleet and the Three Kraken Alliance had already been prepared. Their ships had long since furled their sails and taken to the oars, surging forward to attack the now-exposed enemy fleet.
The storm had arrived suddenly—and disappeared just as quickly. Just as the Tyroshi and pirate sailors had braced themselves for a massive tempest, retreating below deck to avoid being swept into the sea, the storm vanished without a trace, as if it had never existed.
At that moment, Lynd descended from the sky, carried by the dying winds, and landed back on the Glory's deck. For once, exhaustion flickered across his face.
That single, sweeping storm had consumed nearly seventy percent of the magical power he had spent years accumulating. In truth, he had never intended to unleash such a force. All he had wanted was a strong gust of wind to clear the fog.
But when he had infused the power of the Nameless King rune—blended with the Dragon Heart rune—into the already active Storm Dragon rune, attempting to mimic the Nameless King's ability to summon storms, the sheer magnitude of the magic had spiraled beyond his control.
What started as a mere gust of wind turned into a storm that engulfed the entire sea. Even more astonishing was that his consciousness was influenced by the Nameless King, compelling him to enter the storm and traverse it. And indeed, he soared into the sky. When he finally came to his senses, he realized just how excessive his actions had been. Quickly, he severed most of the Storm Dragon rune's power and returned to the deck.
Though the display had been dramatic, the results were highly effective. The dense fog that had shrouded the sea had completely vanished. While some waves and gusts still lingered, they no longer posed a threat.
"Set sail for Area 3!" Lynd turned around and issued the command, his voice echoing over the deck. Around him, sailors and warriors knelt before him as if worshiping a god.
At his order, the sailors and warriors instinctively sprang into action, moving with practiced efficiency. They untied the mooring ropes, hoisted the sails, and those below deck extended the oars, rowing forcefully. Under the helmsman's steady control, the ship set course for the designated waters of Area 3.
...
Meanwhile, in the third sector of Darkwood Bay, the longships of the Three Pirate Alliance had already clashed with the Pirate Alliance's fleet.
Using their superior agility, they maneuvered swiftly between enemy vessels, their ranks maintaining tight shield formations to deflect incoming arrows. The throwers seized their openings, hurling wildfire pots onto enemy decks, engulfing both ships and crew in flames.
Asha, Baelor, and Dagon had launched their assault with shocking speed. The pirates of the Alliance had been bracing for an impending storm, with most of their crew taking shelter below deck. But just as suddenly as the storm had vanished, Asha's longships had struck.
After more than a dozen ships had been sunk, the Pirate Alliance scrambled to mount a counterattack—but their efforts were futile. Their arrows were deflected by the enemy's steel-plated shields, while they themselves had no means of defending against the incoming steel-tipped projectiles. The situation worsened when the Three Krakens' longships closed in, their throwers revealing more wildfire pots. The moment the flames touched the ships, they became inextinguishable.
Once the Three Krakens had broken through the Alliance's formation, they fanned out along the perimeter, completely encircling the enemy fleet. A relentless rain of arrows poured down upon the surviving ships at the center. Resistance was impossible; the League's utter annihilation was only a matter of time.
...
At the same time, the Miracle Fleet had engaged Tyrosh's navy in brutal boarding combat. Hollis, facing the leaderless Tyroshi fleet, wasted no time employing a conservative but devastating tactic: using his elite naval soldiers to systematically eliminate the enemy crew.
The Tyroshi fleet was in complete disarray. At the very start of the battle, their flagship—along with the fleet commander and all captains aboard—had mysteriously vanished from the sea.
Before the fight, the fleet commander had summoned all captains for final orders to prevent any confusion in battle. But with the flagship gone, so too had the entire chain of command.
None of the remaining ships had a captain, and Tyrosh's military structure lacked any protocol for succession in the event of a commander's disappearance.
As a result, when the Miracle Fleet split the Tyroshi navy into scattered groups using flanking maneuvers and launched boarding assaults, the disorganized fleet failed to mount a single effective counterattack.
On one side stood unarmored sailors wielding wooden spears; on the other, armored warriors with shields and swords. The disparity was overwhelming. Many Tyroshi sailors surrendered the moment the battle began. Though a few ships resisted stubbornly, the outcome was already clear.
...
Beneath the waves, Cannibal swam leisurely, occasionally spitting out broken wood—splintered masts, shattered hull fragments—and half-chewed corpses.
It had already devoured Tyrosh's flagship in one gulp, fulfilling the task Lynd had assigned it. But it had no intention of stopping. Its gaze remained locked on the sea's surface, scanning for escaping ships. Whenever it spotted a Tyroshi vessel attempting to flee, it surged forward and swallowed it whole, feasting to its heart's content.
Only when Lynd arrived at the battlefield and issued the command did it finally halt its slaughter.
By then, four or five ships had already disappeared into Cannibal's stomach. Even with its incredible digestion—capable of melting steel—the sheer volume of its meal left it feeling bloated. And yet, its insatiable hunger still burned within it, a trait befitting its name: Cannibal.
Through the constant arrival of messenger ravens, Lynd had a firm grasp of the battle on both sides of the sea. The Three Kraken Alliance had flawlessly executed its plan, completely encircling the Pirate Alliance's ships and leaving no survivors. Their own losses were minimal—just a few longships and a few dozen sailors.
The situation for the Miracle Fleet was even more favorable. Hollis not only annihilated the Tyroshi fleet but also captured most of their ships—over a hundred in total. Among them were dozens of armed merchant vessels and ten three-decked galleons, all in excellent condition. With minor modifications, they could easily be integrated into the Miracle Fleet.
Additionally, they had taken over two thousand sailors captive, though none were officers—only common deckhands.
Given the overwhelming victory, the original plan was slightly adjusted. The scheduled return to port for rest was canceled, and Lynd ordered Asha and her forces to begin sweeping the islands controlled by the Pirate Alliance and Tyrosh. He also sent word to the settlers on Godsgrace Island, instructing them to move to these newly claimed islands and cooperate with Asha's forces in securing them.
At the same time, he commanded the Miracle Fleet to transport the captured Tyroshi fleet to Blackstone Island for resupply. As they passed Tyrosh, they deliberately sailed close to the harbor, ensuring that everyone in the city could see the state of their devastated fleet.
The Cannibal, acting on Lynd's orders, surfaced near Tyrosh's port and lingered for a moment, striking terror into the hearts of the Tyroshi.
Blackstone Island lay directly west of Tyrosh, just a few leagues away. From the high walls of Tyrosh's port, one could see Blackstone Island, and from the lighthouse on Blackstone, one could just as easily see Tyrosh.
Originally, Blackstone Island was under Tyroshi control. The Tyroshi had built a settlement and a lighthouse there to help guide ships past the treacherous reefs at night and into the harbor safely. However, the island was later seized by pirates, turning it into a base for raiding Tyrosh. After several failed attempts to reclaim it, Tyrosh was forced to construct high-walled fortifications along its coastline to defend against further pirate incursions.
In the years that followed, Tyrosh's ruling elite engaged in negotiations with the pirates of the Stepstones, reaching agreements and paying protection fees to reduce the frequency of raids originating from Blackstone Island.
Over time, the island changed hands multiple times between Tyrosh and the pirates until, a little over two years ago, the Three Kraken Alliance emerged, crushed the pirates, and took control of Blackstone Island.
Initially, Tyrosh welcomed the Three Kraken Alliance's presence on Blackstone Island. The alliance was remarkably disciplined, refraining from plundering Tyroshi merchant vessels and even maintaining the safety of shipping lanes in the Stepstones—an anomaly among pirates.
However, when Tyrosh discovered that the Three Kraken Alliance was actually under the command of Lord Lynd of Summerhall, and that they had begun expanding their control over other islands in the Stepstones, unease began to set in.
To the Archon of Tyrosh, pirate control of the Stepstones was a nuisance but a manageable one. However, if a single power were to unify the islands and crown itself King of the Stepstones, that would be a far greater threat.
Thus, while Tyrosh outwardly continued trade with Miracle Harbor, they secretly encouraged pirate raids on Blackstone Island and other territories held by the Three Kraken Alliance in an attempt to prevent any one faction from consolidating power over the Stepstones.
In recent months, as the Miracle Fleet established a presence at Godsgrace Island and began patrolling the Stepstones, Tyrosh perceived the growing threat and decided to act. This led to their alliance with the pirates, culminating in the formation of a fleet to counter the Three Kraken Alliance.
But events unfolded far differently than they had anticipated. Just the day before, they had received confirmation that their alliance was proceeding smoothly and that the attack on Godsgrace Island was scheduled for the next day. Instead, today, their entire fleet had been obliterated. Every single one of their ships had been captured and was now being paraded through Tyrosh's waters in enemy hands.
Panic gripped the entire city. Warriors and Unsullied scrambled onto the walls and fortresses, anxiously watching the sea. Within the city, citizens locked themselves indoors in fear. The markets descended into chaos, and the prices of essential goods skyrocketed several times over.
Meanwhile, the Archon of Tyrosh and his officials convened in the government hall to devise a response. It wasn't until the following morning that a tribune, bearing the Archon's personal letter and gifts of atonement, was sent aboard a small fishing boat, bound for Blackstone Island.