Yariv's wave had hurled
the speedboats against the jagged rocks, white foam exploding around them as
his ship vanished into the mist with Selya and the golden necklace. Kain
rallied the group in minutes, his chest burning with rage, the engines roaring
as they charted a new course. The Village of the Veil, an isolated speck in the
Foam Shallows, was the only nearby place where they might find clues about
Broken Rocks and Yariv's lair in the Abyss. The five speedboats now sliced
through the choppy waves, their rumble muffled by the thick fog swallowing the
horizon. Kain gripped the helm of the lead boat, muscles taut, the warm
bracelet rattling on his wrist and the Ruby pulsing in his pocket like a living
ember. Yariv's mocking laughter echoed in his mind, blending with the image of
Selya being dragged away. Gorm had stayed back at the cove with Rennik,
guarding the spare boats against the crows—a guarantee they'd have a way back.
The boats slammed into the
Village of the Veil's dock with a thud, the rotten planks groaning under their
weight. Kain leapt first, boots crunching the damp wood, dagger spinning in his
hand as he scanned the fog. Flickering lights pierced the mist ahead, crooked
houses perched on frail stilts above the dark water, torn nets swaying between
them. A whistle sliced the air, and an arrow thudded into the hull of Kain's
boat, its black fletching quivering. "Crows!" he shouted, drawing the Ruby as
its red light burst forth, the Ruby Sword forming in a flash. Yariv's pirates
emerged from the fog like shadows, small boats gliding between the waves with
silent oars, their black claw-and-short-wing tattoos glinting in the dim light.
Lirien ducked low in the
second boat, blonde hair whipping as she twirled her broken spear. "They've
tracked us since the rocks!" she yelled, blocking an arrow with a swift slash,
then spinning to shove a crow off the dock with a muffled cry. Toren roared
from the third boat, his broadsword arcing through the air to knock a pirate
into the waves with a splash. Sira, in the fourth, drew her bow with icy
precision, an arrow striking a crow's shoulder, sending him tumbling with a
grunt. Vael twirled his daggers in the last boat, a crooked grin on his lips.
"These crows love a party!" he taunted, hurling a dagger that spun a skiff out
of control. "Guess they can't resist me!"
Kain dashed at super speed
toward the first crow, the Ruby Sword slashing down in a swift strike that
dropped the pirate with a thud, rolling him into the water. Lirien jumped to
his side, her spear spinning to slam another crow against the planks. "The cove's
secure—rocks like fangs!" she shouted, blocking a knife with a nimble twirl.
Toren charged like a storm, his broadsword sweeping two crows aside, their
bodies hitting the waves. Sira's arrows flew, felling shadows in the mist,
while Vael danced among the enemies, disarming with quick cuts, laughing, "So
slow it's almost sad!"
A wave rolled in from the
sea, foam dancing on its surface. Kain bolted to the dock's edge, raising the
Ruby Sword as the salty wind whipped his face. "Enough!" he roared, slashing
down in a wide arc at super speed. Red energy cleaved the wave in two, the
water parting into twin walls that crashed down in a rain, soaking the dock.
The crows froze, weapons slipping from trembling hands. "Get lost!" Kain
pointed the sword, the bracelet amplifying the Ruby's hum into a thunderclap.
The pirates stumbled back into the fog, their skiffs retreating in disarray.
A figure shuffled from the
dock's shadows, cutting through the fading chaos. Drenn, an old merchant with a
face wrinkled like dry leather, peeked from behind a barrel, wide eyes fixed on
Kain's bracelet. "You came from the cove?" he yelled, his hoarse voice
trembling. "Yariv passed through here a few hours ago—with a girl and a golden
necklace! He's headed to Broken Rocks in the Abyss!"
Kain took a deep breath,
black hair plastered to his forehead with sweat and salt, the Ruby Sword still
glowing faintly as he sheathed it. The group followed Drenn to a crooked shack,
its roof crusted with dried seaweed. Torn maps hung on the walls, and wreckage
scraps—rotted ropes, broken rudders—littered the creaking floor. A lantern
swayed, shadows dancing in the faint light.
"Where'd he go?" Kain
demanded, crossing his arms, dagger still in hand, his brown eyes sparking with
barely contained fury.
"Broken Rocks, in the
Abyss!" Drenn replied, wringing his hands nervously. "He passed through a few
hours ago, talking about controlling the sea—something about relics and a power
roaring in the depths!"
Sira stepped forward, her
cold eyes fixed on Kain's bracelet. "I heard stories in the High Fractures,"
she said, her calm voice cutting the silence like a blade. "Tashkivor is a
force sealed in the sea, something ancient that shouldn't wake. The relics are
the key to freeing it—and Yariv wants that."
Kain frowned. "Free a
monster? For what?"
"To control the Fracture
Sea," Sira replied, her gaze steady. "He thinks he can command what's trapped
down there." A roar echoed, clearer now, the water beneath the dock trembling.
Dust fell from the ceiling, and Drenn flinched, muttering, "That sound… it's
more alive than before."
Sira took the bracelet
from Kain's wrist, holding it near the Ruby. The metal glowed, a warm golden
hue blending with the gem's red, which hummed low in response. Heat surged up
Kain's arm. "The bracelet amplifies the Ruby's power," she said, studying them.
"The necklace Yariv took must accelerate it—like what he does with his
Sapphire. Each relic has a role."
Kain drew the Ruby, the
Ruby Sword forming with a fierce glow. He spun the blade, the bracelet
vibrating in sync, and slashed a plank leaning against the wall. The strike
split the wood with a dry crack, splinters scattering across the floor. "So
Yariv's collecting these for his Sapphire," he muttered, eyes narrowing.
Lirien crossed her arms, a
half-smile tugging at her lips. "Almost looks like you're getting the hang of
it."
Kain winked at her, his
crooked grin returning. "Almost." He sheathed the sword, the bracelet still
warm on his wrist.
Vael laughed, twirling his
daggers. "If I had one of those, I'd cut more than wood—like Drenn's face!" He
tossed a dagger skyward and caught it, chuckling at the merchant's scowl.
Drenn huffed, rising from
his corner. "Laugh all you want, kid. But that bracelet and the necklace are
the same—ancient relics, said to stir what sleeps in the sea."
Kain gripped his dagger
tighter. "Broken Rocks… why Selya?"
"To draw more relics,"
Drenn said, his toothless grin crooked. "She's his bait."
Kain turned to the group,
the Ruby heating in his pocket until it felt like it burned. "Selya's in Broken
Rocks, and Yariv wants these relics to wake Tashkivor," he said, his voice
sharp. "We're heading to the Abyss. Gorm and Rennik will hold the cove."
Lirien gripped her spear,
her eyes meeting Kain's. "What if Tashkivor wakes before we get there?"
Kain flashed a crooked
grin, wiping the sword on his pants. "We face it together—and I'll rip Selya
from Yariv's hands before that happens."
The speedboats roared off,
cutting through the fog toward Broken Rocks. A roar echoed across the sea,
sharper now, a dark promise hanging in the air.