Throne of Sails: A LitRPG/GameLit

Series (World of Magic Book 4) Levi

Werner
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 THRONE OF SAILS
©2022 LEVI WERNER

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 C O NT E NT S

ALSO IN SERIES

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Thank you for reading Throne of Sails
 ALSO IN SERIES

AWAKENING
THE KINGDOM OF SAILS
MARDIS DANE
THRONE OF SAILS

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 1

Makenzie: This week’s special is deep-fried Kraken. Who loves

calamari?

Falas: Who would ever think to cook a Kraken?

Makenzie: The new mission statement of the Wildfire is to catch and

cook all unintelligent beasts in this world!

Zack: Glad you put the part in about unintelligent, lol

Taken from the Immortal messaging book in the Era of Awakening

The door closed behind Lox, shutting out the chilly weather. A
magical storm had blown in from the Caldist. The looming Cliffs of
Westia protected the city from the worst of the cold weather and
winds brought with the storm as it was still clinging to the area.
Looking around the room, Lox saw Thomas and Taranis sitting at a
table with a dark-skinned man Lox did not recognize.
A bard played a lively melody on the guitar on a small stage. A
large hearth burned warmly, fending off the cold of the storm. It was
early afternoon, so the tavern was lit with bright lights. Lox liked this
place. The Wildfire tavern was very popular with the Immortals.
Unfortunately, Lox was in a rush. He had places to be. Vannessa
was hurt, and the person he needed to talk to that could help her
wasn’t here.
Taranis had talked him into meeting them here. Thomas had also
told Lox he needed to relax. There was nothing Lox could do until
the storm passed. Making his way across the tavern, he cursed the
storm. It had blown in almost right after their big fight with the royal
navy, and as much as Lox wanted to head off into the Caldist to find
the soul weaver who would heal Vanessa , he realized it would be
suicide to sail out into the storm, so they were going to have to wait it
out. The magical storms that blew up from the Caldist were no joke.
Ships much bigger than his own had been dashed to pieces by stray
bolts of magic.
“Thanks for joining us,” Taranis greeted Lox as he approached
the table. “I know you have a lot on your mind right now.”
Lox didn’t respond. He just pulled out a chair and took a seat.
The somber look in his eyes told everything he could not say. “When
will Cleopatra and Zirkseas be back?” Thomas pushed a mug of
cider over to Lox.
“They’re going to be gone for at least a couple of weeks this
time.” Lox sighed and took a long drink of the cider. It tasted like an
apple pie. “I think they said it’s Friday evening for them right now,
and they have plans for the weekend so, with time compression, that
will be a couple of weeks for us.”
“I guess that’s just the price of having regular players on your
crew.” Taranis shrugged. “It is bound to happen. Anyway, Lox, I
would like you to meet my friend, Edward Cunning. I know you’re
looking for a new captain for your ship, and Edward here just wants
to sail. I figured you guys would be a good match.”
“Technically, I’d be your executive officer.” Edward stuck out his
hand, and Lox shook. “You’re still the captain. I just take care of
running the ship for you.”
“I did always wonder what an XO was.” Lox liked Edward almost
immediately. He had an easy smile and kind eyes. “You are okay
with just being the XO and not having your own ship?”
“Of course.” Edward gestured around at the Wildfire. “Like the
people who run this place, I don’t seek to go on adventures. Not right
now, anyway. Instead, I just want to enjoy my life. I loved to sail back
on Earth, but I never had the money to do it much. Working with you,
I get to sail a beautiful ship without the worries of captaining it or the
hard life that comes with sailing the ships of old.”
Lox nodded in thought. “I guess I can see that. Once the storm
passes, we are making a trip down to the Caldist. I would love for
you to join us. It will be a good trial period. Once we find the soul
weaver, we will likely come back to Westia.”
 “It will be a good shakedown cruise.” Edward flashed a blinding
smile. “And if at the end of it we part ways, there will be no hard
feelings.”
“Lox, about going into the Caldist,” Thomas spoke up, “there are
some things you should know.”
“Magical monsters and other such things, right?” Lox asked
“That is only the start of it,” Thomas told him gravely. “The magic
is so thick there and so chaotic that place is actually warping space.
Similar to the college in Mardis Dane that had rooms and halls that
were bigger than they should be. As you go deep enough into the
Caldist, you will discover that whole islands are warped. Smaller on
the outside, LARGER on the inside. Not all those islands are safe.
Some even lead to places of horror.”
“So, magical monstrosities, crazy islands, magical storms, and
unlimited magical chaos?” Lox asked.
“That and the strange civilizations that have somehow managed
to survive and even thrive there,” Thomas informed him.
“People have managed to build civilizations there?” Lox asked.
“Yes, in particular, the merfolk are rumored to have a large city
under the waves,” Thomas told him. “There are also rumors of goblin
raiders that hunt those waters.”
“Goblins of all people?” Lox sounded a little surprised by that.
“Don’t let the goblins’ small size and chaotic nature deceive you,”
Thomas lectured. “Unlike their orc counterparts, goblins are adept at
magic. The magic takes a different form from ours but is no less
potent.”
The four of them sat together and enjoyed a late lunch.
Throughout the conversation, Lox got to know Edward and was
hopeful that working with him would be easy. Losing Silas had been
a blow, mainly with Vannessa laid up, so Lox really hoped Edward
would work out.
Lox left with Edward a few hours later, heading back to the pier
where the Audacious was docked, and the crew was sheltered in an
inn at the start of the pier. The whipping wind and cold weather made
Lox thankful for the player-run taxi service that had spread over
Westia. They bundled up in a carriage pulled by a set of horses,
making the trip back not as tiresome.
While Westia was sheltered from the storm, enough wind still
whipped around to make the ships tied up to the pier rock enough to
be uncomfortable. So, they’d occupied this old building with hopes of
getting a good night’s sleep. Lox found his way to the room where
Vannessa was and checked in on her. She had regained
consciousness earlier that day, but her tan skin was pale, and she
hardly had the energy to get out of bed.
“I think I found us a replacement for Silas.” Lox kissed her
forehead. “He is an Immortal, so we don’t run the risk of losing him,
assuming he works out.”
“What’s his name?” Vannessa asked weakly.
“Edward Cunning,” Lox told her. “I like him. He seems nice. He is
downstairs getting to know the crew. You feel up to meeting him?”
“I think I will be if you give me a trickle of healing magic,”
Vannessa told him as she sat up in bed.
Lox and Zara had discovered quickly once Vannessa had woken
up that if they channeled a small amount of healing magic into her
wound, it gave her more energy. The problem was that it almost had
to be a continuous stream for her to stay up. “Let me try something
first.” Lox drew his Mind Whip. “We are in no rush.”
Saul appeared as Lox worked. “This is a good idea,” Saul said
once he saw what Lox was working on. “Hopefully, it will allow
Vannessa to get around without you and Zara having to channel
magic into her constantly.”
“That’s my hope,” Lox agreed. “Now, can you help me keep these
lines stable?”
Lox’s method for building these orbs had evolved over much
practice. Instead of building a smooth orb this time, he built a
miniature soccer ball. It was composed of octagons and pentagons
nested together. He made each about two centimeters in diameter,
with the total orb being about the size of a large grapefruit. The
framework of the orb he made using soul energy and, as he finished
it, he infused soul magic into the framework, making it solid.
The framework was designed with the faces of the octagons and
pentagons filled with an almost clear energy. The barriers of energy
had a murky white color to them that obscured the interior of the orb.
With the orb complete, Lox set to work creating the intake and output
valves, on the top and bottom of the orb respectfully. The intake
valve was a simple one with one valve for taking in magical energy.
The output valve was more complex. Lox had designed the spell
diagram so the magic would be fed into it powering it while the spell
would be targeting the wound. The idea was that he could fill this
mana battery with magical energy, and it would be a spell that would
keep Vannessa going.
The creation of this orb was not cheap, soul energy-wise. It was
even more expensive than his early attempts at creating these orbs,
but these ones were much better than his first attempts. It had taken
a lot of work and discussions with Thomas back in Mardis Dane for
Lox to figure out how to make these. However, that time and energy
had been worth it. These orbs, unlike his previous attempts, would
last for months. He had actually created one to test the theory, but
from the degradation of the soul energy framework, it was easy
enough to figure out what how to compensate for the degradation.
The solid spell took almost 300 points of soul energy to create,
hence why he had not created many of them. He felt the hunger
stirring, but Saul had vanished earlier, expecting this, and was in his
mindscape helping him control it. Vannessa had fallen asleep while
Lox worked, but she stirred when he placed the orb on her chest.
She sat back up, picking up the orb as Lox channeled a stream of
lime green and orangish-yellow magic into the orb.
Normally, Lox stored primary aspect magic in the orbs, but since
he knew exactly what magic the spell would need, he could channel
the higher-tier aspect magic into the orb. At first, the orb filled with
the two colors of magic. The vapors didn’t quite mix, remaining
somewhat separate. As he increased the amount of magic in the orb,
the vapor condensed into a liquid. Again, the two different colors of
liquid didn’t quite mix, looking more like oil and water.
Lox channeled as much magic as he could into the orb until he
felt it had reached its limit. Cutting off the flow of magic, Lox
activated the spell on the bottom of the orb. To his delight, he saw
everything come to life. A stream of alternating lime green and
yellowish-orange energy flowed from the bottom of the orb and into
the wound in Vannessa’s stomach. It was a mixture of healing and
stamina restoration magic. There was more stamina restoration than
healing since that was what Vannessa really needed. Zara told Lox
that stamina recovery magic worked better if it was mixed with
healing magic, so it was also restoring the body while refreshing it.
It didn’t take long for the wane color to fade from Vannessa’s
cheeks, and she sighed in relief. As she stood up, Lox took the orb
from her, the tether connecting it to her remaining intact. He could
take it a few meters away without any risk of the tether breaking.
Examining the orb, he checked the mana drain and saw it was about
what he had expected. There appeared to be some inefficiencies
with the mana transfer. Even with those, the amount of mana he had
added would likely last for several hours. Digging in his storage ring,
he found a bag he got for this purpose. He slipped the orb in the bag
and handed it to Vannessa. Flipping the handle of the bag over her
head and right shoulder, Vannessa smiled at him. She gave him a
kiss on the cheek and left the room.
As Lox watched her walk down the hall in front of him, he let his
smile fade. This tore him up to see her hurt and not be able to help.
Even though his little bit of spell work made her somewhat better, it
was not enough. They both knew that unless they figured out a way
to fix the damage done to her soul the physical damage would be the
least of their concerns. Instinctually, Lox reached up and felt the
eyepatch covering his eye. The damage on his own soul was not
nearly as severe, and he was pretty sure it would heal given time.
But when he felt Vannessa’s soul with the soul vampire abilities, he
could tell it was weakening, and he knew of no way to fix it.
Lox had briefly thought about pouring his own soul energy into
her and attempting to bolster her own, but Zekal had warned him
against that. He didn’t understand why. After all, he’d awakened
Vannessa that way, but despite Zekal being a lich, he knew much
more about soul energy, and Lox trusted his judgment. Trying to
shake himself out of his thoughts, Lox came up beside Vannessa
and took her hand as they headed down to the main room.

“I thought we’d be in the Caldist by now,” Cleopatra said as she

walked out of the cabin.
“Cleo! You’re back,” Lox greeted her. “I wasn’t expecting you for
another few days.”
“We got back a little bit early, so we decided to hop right back in.”
Cleo gave Lox a hug. “But why are you still here?”
“There’s been a magical storm sitting on us for a couple of
weeks,” Lox explained.
Zirkseas came out behind Cleopatra. “Lox, can you get Saul to
blur out the stream?” Zirkseas asked in a quiet tone.
“Of course.” Lox thought a mental command at Saul, who
acknowledged it in response. “What is going on?” It was unusual for
Zirkseas to ask for that. In fact, they hadn’t blurred out anything in a
long time aside from intimate moments. The company producing the
show that the stream was being turned into had a very well-written
contract controlling what they showed. “Okay, it’s done.”
Zirkseas held up his severed arm, the stub wrapped in the
bandage. “It’s not just in here.”
Lox looked at him in confusion. “What do you mean?”
“Back on Earth, I still have my arm, of course,” Zirkseas
explained, “but I can’t use it anymore. I can’t even feel it. Starting at
where it was cut and clear down my hand, I have no feeling or
control over it.”
Lox was quiet as he processed what Zirkseas had said. It didn’t
take him long to figure out what was going on, the horror of the
situation dawning on. “Ike’s attack directly harmed the soul, which
somehow transferred to Earth. I wonder if it would’ve happened if
you hadn’t made the transition.”
“We don’t know,” Cleopatra said. “What we do know is this can’t
get out. Imagine if the media got a hold of this. It would cause all
sorts of headaches for Altor.”
“More importantly, we need to find Ike.” Lox looked at the others.
“This is huge.”
Several hours later, Lox sat around the table with Taranis,
Zirkseas, Kalen, and a few others of the Immortal’s leadership. “Ike
was already on our kill list,” Taranis said, “but now we need to not
just kill him but toss him in Volkenza, our version of Alcatraz.”
“We have a prison for players?” Lox asked in surprise.
“Not quite,” Taranis explained. “I built Volkenza for one man in
particular. Later, I realized it might be of use as a place to toss
problematic players. So, I expanded it.”
“Who did you build it for?” Zirkseas asked.
A dark look came over Taranis’s face. “That is a story I don’t want
to get into.”
While Lox was curious about his response, he got the feeling it
would be best if he left it alone. The meeting wrapped up, and
everyone got up to go their own way. “Taranis, somebody should
make sure Altor is aware of this. I know he is a god or creator type
being, but it’s best to make sure he hears these things in person.”
“Good point,” Taranis agreed. “I will take care of it.” Once they
found out Altor was in the pantheon, as the god of balance, they had
dedicated a temple to him in the temple district. This allowed the
Immortals to contact him when necessary, though it wasn’t his role.
Something like this little bit of information would no doubt cause Altor
to step out of character to address the subject.
 2

“About ready to head off?” Edward asked Lox as he boarded the

ship with Cleopatra.
“Almost. I want to take a look at any upgrades I can do on the
ship,” Lox answered. “I had an influx of upgrade points but hadn't the
chance to spend them yet.”
“Sounds good to me. I will go about getting the crew ready,”
Edward assured him as Lox headed for his cabin and the core.
Lox passed Vannessa on her way out of the cabin, with a satchel
around her neck. He saw the faint glow of the orb of mana that fed
the spell that kept her moving. “How are you doing, love? Need me
to top that off?”
Vannessa smiled at him and shook her head. “No, it’s good for
now I still have several hours of charge left.”
“Well, either way, once we are on our way, I will make sure I fill it
up.” Lox gave her a kiss on the cheek as he passed her into the
cabin.
Lox found the room well organized and saw Vannessa had
acquired several stocks of wine and other luxury goods for the trip.
He turned and looked at the core set above the door. The orb had
continued to grow. It was now the size of a large grapefruit. The
deep blue color of it and the swirling clouds of both lighter and darker
colors deep within were mesmerizing. Lox reached out and placed
his hand on the orb. It was a smooth glassy object that gave off a
slight warmth. He opened the ship upgrades menu.

Ship level: 28
Currently available ship points: 258
Available salvaged points: 0

Smooth hull level 3, 3 points. Reduces the rate at which the hull will
foul and slow the ship’s passage through the water.
Reinforced hull level 4, 4 points. Increase the durability of the hull of
the vessel.

Wind blessed sail level 3, 3 points. Sails are easier to deploy and
maneuver.

Reinforced fibers level 4, 4 points. Ropes and sails tougher and

more resistant to damage.

Magic Resistant Hull level 1, 10 points. Increases the resistance of

the hull to all forms of magical damage.
Anti-Fouling hull level 1, 10 points. Your hull will actively prevent
fouling.

Traction Decks level 1, 5 points. Your crew gains increased traction

on the ship’s deck while the deck remains smooth.
Passive mana regeneration aura level 1, 10 points. Increases the
passive mana regeneration for all crew members aboard.

Passive health regeneration aura level 1, 10 points. Increases the

passive health generation for all crew members aboard.
Passive stamina regeneration aura level 1, 10 points. Increases the
passive stamina generation for all crew members aboard.

Propelled by magic level 4, 25 points. The ship’s sails now capture a

small amount of magical currents and use them to increase the force
generated by the wind.

Force shield level 4, 50 points. The ship generates a stronger force

shield that blocks incoming attacks while still allowing the crew to fire
back through the shield.

Passive hull regeneration level 2, 20 points. The hull will slowly self-
repair any non-critical damage on its own.
 Scrying map table level 3, 40 points. Install a scrying table on the
quarterdeck that gives a bird’s eye view of the ship and anything
within 1.5 kilometers.

Salvager level 1, 15 points. Allows the crew to harvest fifteen percent

of a captured vessel’s ship points, destroying the vessel.

Reiver level 3, core ability, cost 45 points. When a vessel is sunk

within a kilometer of this ship, the core will harvest fifteen percent of
the vessel’s ship points.

Fog bank level 1, costs 10 points. The captain will gain the ability to
summon a concealing fog bank once per day to hide the ship
completely.

Incorporate the Magical Phalanx Defense System? Cost 50 points.

Incorporate magical cannons? Cost 50 points.

Incorporate Magical Chaser Cannons? Cost 50 points.

Lox blinked in surprise at the last few listed upgrades. He had no

idea that was even an option. Wincing at the steep cost, Lox
incorporated the defense system. The option in the menu faded
away and was replaced by a new option.

Magical Phalanx Defense System, total 1, cost for more: 20 points

and 1 greater animation core. Will add another Magical Phalanx to
the ship’s armaments.

Lox was again surprised by what he saw. He had never seen an

upgrade require additional materials but, in a way, it made sense.
More powerful upgrades would no doubt always cost additional
components. He spent several long moments debating whether to
incorporate the rest of the magical armament. He eventually decided
he would. Even though he didn’t like spending the majority of the
ship points he received from the battle on the three upgrades, he
realized it meant the cannons and other magical parts of the ship
could be regenerated by the soul magic fueled hull regeneration.
That by itself was worth the cost. It meant even if the ship’s weapons
were severely damaged, they would eventually self-repair.
When Lox purchased the upgrades, he was not surprised by their
ship points or material components cost. He hadn’t realized just how
complex the cannons were until he read over the list of materials
required to make more. The three upgrades ate over half the points
he had, but it still left him 108 ship points to spend. Having seen the
tremendous power of magical cannons, Lox purchased the next level
of the ship’s force barrier for 50 points.
As much as he wanted to upgrade his scrying map and Reiver
ability, the recent battle made him realize just how fragile the
Audacious was. Lox poured his remaining points into a magic
resistant and reinforced hull. In total, he purchased three levels for
the magic resistant hull, five more levels in the reinforced hull, and
two levels in reinforced fibers. Leaving the upgrades menu, Lox
opened the ship menu to review the changes he had made.

You have found the magical core of your ship. Magical cores
installed in ships give the ship unique traits and abilities. This core is
a relic from an age long passed, known as a soul anchor, and
contains great power that will only grow with time as you strengthen
your ship. The soul anchor grants your ship several abilities.

Core Level: 2
Ability 1: The Harvest. Creatures or objects with soul energy slain
within two hundred meters of the ship by the crew or itself will have a
larger proportion of their soul energy absorbed by the core, raising
both its and the ship’s strength. The ability will be upgraded with time
as the core and ship grow
 Added function: Soul energy utilization
Stored soul energy can now be used to boost the ship’s speed or
cause rapid repairs; levers to trigger these abilities have been added
next to the wheel.

This ability synergizes with the Reiver ability and will absorb soul
energy at the range of the Reiver ability. However, at higher ranges,
the amount harvested is greatly reduced.

Ability 2: Magical Conduit. All magic casts created on this ship are
thirty percent more powerful, easier to use, and cost-effective. This
effect will grow in strength up to fifty percent and, eventually, allow
the ship to cast its own spells once it has its own mana pool.
Added function: Soul tethers

There are now access points for users to draw on the soul energy
stored with the vessel throughout the ship.

Ability 3: Soul Anchor. A bound soul is able to anchor their soul to

the core, so that when they are slain, they can respawn at the core.
If the ship is destroyed or stored in a bottle, the bound soul can
choose to wait to respawn or respawn at the previously bound altar,
shire, or temple of creation.

Purchased abilities.
Reiver level 2, core ability. When a vessel is sunk within a kilometer
of this ship, the core will harvest fifteen percent of the vessel’s ship
points.

Propelled by magic level 3, the ship’s sails now capture a small

amount of magical currents and use them to increase the force
generated by the wind.
Passive hull regeneration level 1. The hull will slowly self-repair any
non-critical damage on its own.

Scrying map table level 3. Install a scrying table on the quarterdeck

that gives a bird’s eye view of the ship and anything within fifteen
hundred meters.

Force shield level 4, The ship generates its own force shield that
blocks incoming attacks while still allowing the crew to fire back
through the shield.

Smooth hull level 2. Reduces the rate at which the hull will foul and
slow the ship’s passage through the water.
Reinforced hull level 9. Increase the durability of the hull of the
vessel.

Wind blessed sail level 2. Sails are easier to deploy and maneuver.

Reinforced fibers level 5. Ropes and sails are tougher.

Magic Resistant Hull level 1. Increases the resistance of the hull to
all forms of magical damage.

Anti-Fouling hull level 1. Your hull will actively prevent fouling.

Traction Decks level 2. Your crew gains increased traction on the

ship’s deck while the deck remains smooth.

Magical Phalanx Defense System, total 1. Magical Phalanx added to

the ship’s armaments.

Magical cannons, total 6. Magical broadside cannons, 3 on port side,

3 on starboard side.
 Magical chaser cannons, total 2. Magical beam type chaser
cannons, 2 mounted on bow, 0 mounted on stern

Lox wondered what he needed to do to reach the next level for

his core, but that wasn’t a priority right now. Taking his hand off the
core, he left his cabin. On his way out, Zekal floated down the
hallway to him. “Good picks on the upgrades. Maybe we won’t get
almost sunk with one shot next battle.” Zekal greeted him. He was a
demi lich Mardis Dane who now served Lox.
“You can see them?” Lox asked in surprise.
“Of course. Anyone of magical vision can.” Zekal bobbed in the
air. “I’m sure you can.”
Lox squinted his one still functioning eye and looked at the wall
next to him. After a moment, he nodded. He saw what Zekal was
talking about. He could indeed see the magic flowing to the ship.
Flowing wasn’t quite the right word, though. It was more like the
magic was bonded to the ship.
“Zekal, you are right. I can see the magic. But I can also tell I
shouldn’t be able to see it.” It was a confusing thing to say, but Lox
could tell it was the truth. He could see the energy of the magic
flowing through the wood, but he also saw wisps of it coming off.
“That is because, even though the ship is made out of magical
oak, the wood is still not a perfect conduit for magic,” Zekal
explained. “Now, say the ship was made of solid gold, you would not
see those wisps coming off. But no one could ever afford something
like that, much less be practical. The functionality of having a ship
made of solid gold would not be much higher than a ship made from
higher quality magical wood.”
Lox nodded in understanding, and it sort of made sense. It was
like electricity traveling through different materials, some material’s
electricity moved through much easier while others didn’t at all.
“Thanks, Zekal. So you know, I incorporated our magical phalanx
into the ship itself. I think it means I should have better mana flow
now. Heck, it might even be self-automated.”
 “It will be interesting to see,” Zekal turned and followed Lox down
the hall, “but I hope we don’t have a reason to use it for quite some
time.”
Lox just shook his head. He couldn’t help but agree. That last
fight had cost crew and friends, and he didn’t want to lose any more.
Making his way up onto the quarterdeck, Lox found Edward and
Vannessa chatting near the wheel. “Let’s get underway.” Lox nodded
at Edward.
“Alright, you lazy sacks of flesh! Captain’s ready to go, so let’s get
moving.” There were some chuckles and grumbling comments shot
back at Edward, but it was good-natured. The crew came to life,
slipping the lines holding the Audacious to the pier as the sails were
unfurled and the ship moved away.
As they backed away from the pier, Lox saw Taranis and several
other Immortals fishing near the end of the pier. They all waved as
the Audacious headed for the exit tunnel, sailing through the waters
that filled the crater Westia was built around, and then past several
of the other piers.
The pier where the Audacious had been docked was empty
except for the Lox’s ship, the magical galleon Taranis commanded.
Three of the other piers they passed were now full of dozens and
dozens of ships. Everything from small sloops to large galleons.
These had been the civilian and trading ships of Mardis Dane.
Though there was still chaos in Westia as the refugees tried to put
their lives back together, the docks were still neat and organized. A
large fishing operation had taken up inside the crater to help feed the
suddenly large population. Along with Immortals making runs to the
Temple of Creation, the food was somewhat stable in Westia.
The last pier they passed was full of warships. The ships had
been the ones that had fought with the Audacious against the royal
navy. Many of them showed the scars of the battle and were in the
process of being repaired. While the city might still be trying to figure
out the new order of things, maintaining a defensive fleet was of the
utmost importance now that they were openly rebelling against the
royals.
 Many of the captains and crew of the warships waved at them as
they sailed past. Lox’s crew had gained a lot of friends and a good
reputation with these men. It was the Audacious and Lox who had
essentially saved the people of Mardis Dane from the catastrophe
that befell the city.
Soon, the tunnel loomed before them, and the gaping mouth
seeming ready to swallow them. “You know, this part still makes me
nervous,” Lox said to Edward and Vannessa. He could see Zirkseas
and Cleopatra standing at the bow, eagerly waiting for the plunging
of the darkness.
“I can see why,” Edward agreed. “The idea of plunging the ship
into that abyss doesn’t sit well with me.”
“I guess you haven’t done this before.” Vannessa cocked her
head as she asked. “You should’ve seen the first time we did it on a
dark night knowing the stories of Westia. I honestly thought we
would all die.”
“We did come close,” Lox agreed.
They plunged into the darkness, the tunnel walls whipping past in
a blur as the strong current that fed through the tunnel took them. It
didn’t take long before the glimmer of light appeared in the distance
and, suddenly, the Audacious shot out on the other side of the cliffs
surrounding Westia into the open sea.
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