this was the first thing i imagined ngl
Character Descriptions
Queen: The Siren Queen herself. Caring and curious, she ventures to the War Seas, chasing her dreams, and gets pulled into various troubles on the way. She wields Healing and Light magics, a custom-made blunderbuss Brightbringer and a rapier that she isn’t very familiar with.
Herca: A loyal follower of the Queen. She goes wherever the Queen goes or wants her to go. Has the most sailing experience out of any siren, been as far as Insanity 1 range. Rarely questions things or speaks a lot, prefers to make clear statements. She has a Scald Tooth Dagger with her as a tool for woodworking and many other things, but isn’t afraid to use it as a weapon. Herca also uses Lightning magic and a metal arm she acquired during a certain incident.
Thela: A siren from the common folk inhabiting the Queen’s Lair. She hadn’t left it many times, but once she volunteered to join an investigation squad of the Coralcove brig. Witnessing the horrors of the Atlantean invasion, she tried escaping back to the Lair, but her ship was trapped on an island, with a mutated monstrosity blocking any escape routes. She joined her rescuers in a mission she believed was righteous. She used Shadow and Plasma magics, and was an above average with her bow. Lively, but naive and emotional, she was a great aid to the team.
Gaze Sister: A siren who lived longer than most of the Lair’s folk. Due to her ego, she assumed the form of an elderly human to reflect her age and wisdom. She is most skillful with magics, wielding Frostmetal, Ice and Lightning, and has developed the most powerful Sensing among sirens. Most of the time, she doesn’t bother helping, even when she can, but if it has benefits for her, she might put in effort. The ultimate goal of stopping the Atlanteans doesn’t seem to mean anything to her.
Kassata: An outcast, she was sent to the Lair at a young age after her own rock and everyone she knew fell victim to a rain of starlight. She was born without magic, and the events of her childhood traumatised her, to the point where her emotions became unstable. She hates the Dark Sea for what it has done to her and what she had to endure to survive. Not receiving proper training with a bow, she only uses it as a last resort, preferring to solve problems with her own hands instead, a thing unheard of for a siren. She also practices throwing cannonballs as an another form of combat.
Walter Marshall: A sentient clump of spirit energy of an origin even he himself forgot. He possesses a suit of armour with decorative wings and a cape depicting an angel. Walter has been in the Dark Sea a lot of times, sailing on his ship Comrade Slapfish. His entire crew got ambushed by the incoming Atlantean invasion, and he got stuck on the sea floor due to immense magic pollution draining his physical powers. He was fished out and recovered by the sirens, and decided to join in on the trip. Walter wields his favourite pair of claws that he won in a duel against an Assassin Architect, a pair of swords, a spear, and two relics: Eagle Patrimony and Tidestone Band.
Jerarl: A vastus, stranded in the Dark Sea. He lived during the ancient times, prior to the Fracture, and has lost his family to the cataclysmic event. Infected by a very powerful Atlantean, he tried everything his weakened mind could come up with to cure himself or slow down the disease, but could only achieve the latter. Due to his infection not being at its full intensity, he was cured, and now he plans to start traveling himself. He uses Explosion and Ice magics, and wields a greatsword and a custom-made mace.
The Wingflingers: A group of nine young, unexperienced sirens the Queen met after the disaster that destroyed the Hailscale. They have passed the combat test made by Gaze Sister, and now are striving for adventure. Only two of them are old enough to properly use magic, but all nine are capable of it. They found a sunken ship with lots of guns aboard, and loaded up on ammunition. They don’t take their fights seriously.
Comrade Slapfish: Walter’s brig, commanded by his quartermaster, Rasmussen the Enforcer. After the Atlantean assault, its fate remains unknown.
Fin Famine: The severely mutated Giant White Eyes with thin frame due to starvation, and about twenty fins, scattered around its body. Remembering the injuries from the group, it is now following them, razing through everything in its path.
do you have physical descriptions of the characters in mind?
Ofc I do, how am I gonna be writing the story, after all? I was already struggling with consistency in a few places, at least now I got an anchor written down.
As for appearances, not really. Well, all except Walter, for obvious reasons
waltuh
don’t put the fork in the microwave waltuh
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I am bored of people throwing Mr. White - related jokes when I mention my guy. He has that name, because that is what it was back in WoM, there is no reference
Chapter 3: World Of False Hopes
Part 1: In Ruins
Kassata: Can we take the hood off now? It is getting annoying!
Walter: Oh, right, sure. I also got some soap to wash off the Atlantean essense, I carry lots of it with me - gotta keep the armour shiny, after all!
(The Silver Guardian is docked near the Dark Sea’s border. The crew has only started adapting to the new environment)
Herca: I have become useless here. Walter, take my place.
Walter: You won’t stay useless for long. This place isn’t hard to navigate at all, you will learn fast.
Queen: Where will we go now?
Walter: I got no clue. We planned to help people, but with how bad the things are here, I doubt we have anybody left to save at all. There are two islands closest to us right now, we can choose either to investigate first.
Gaze Sister: Well that doesn’t promise to be boring, at least…
Walter: To the east northeast of us, lies Blackreach Island, a jungle with ancient ruins and catacombs. To the southeast…
Queen: I remember you and Jerarl having a talking about this “north” thing, could you explain more?
Walter: The magic pollution of the Dark Sea has made compasses unusable, that is why nobody of your kind has heard about them. Essentially, they make navigation easier. This red needle here points in one direction every time, so you know where that direction is. The directions being north, west, south and east, with everything in between.
Kassata: Feels like cheating after what we had to go through in the Dark…
Herca: I request to own a compass.
Walter: No problem, they are cheap, almost every seafarer owns one.
Gaze Sister: You didn’t finish about that other island! I need to know more!
Walter: To the southeast, is the Shell Island, a jungle mountain where the Monoah tribe is settled. A very hospitable people, one of the best spots to relax at.
Queen: I believe they aren’t living there anymore. How close are they to the sea?
Walter: Very. Huge waves often cause problems to their wooden huts. They’re easy to repair though, the villagers are used to it.
Queen: They’re most likely dead, but we still need to head there and see for ourselves. To the Shell Island!
(The Bronze Sea wasn’t as still as usual. Small waves were popping up here and there, whirlpools were more common, and weather disasters felt far more intense)
Herca: We are closing in with a pair of tall spires. The settlement must be behind them.
Walter: Shell Island is surrounded by these pillars, not sure where did they come from. And yeah, Monoah Village is right behind them.
(The ship turns the corner. Burned and devastated, the remnants of Monoah are but a dark spot on the sand. The wooden supports had failed their purpose)
Queen: This is sad to see…
Walter: I hope they found a place to evacuate to.
Kassata: Another home, ruined by effects of the pollution…
Gaze Sister: Such an unusual architecture, do all humans build as poorly as these?
Walter: Hey, you are seeing these houses in their worst state! They were originally suspended above the sand, on these wooden supports, but something has crushed them.
Kassata: Something is moving beneath there!
(A few Lost Sailor Atlanteans have been scavenging under the rubble. They weren’t much of a problem to deal with)
Herca: We will meet weak Wildmen often while we explore.
Queen: Do you have any idea where could the people have evacuated to?
Walter: None at all, maybe Blackreach? Those catacombs could serve as a shelter, but there is nowhere to gather food without going to the surface.
Kassata: That is quite a mountain, though not so tall. What is up there?
Walter: There was a pond, I think it is still there.
Gaze Sister: There is something else above us, inside of the island. But what and where?
Walter: The island has a network of coal mines, probably there.
Queen: Let’s fly up the cliff, then.
Walter: Sure.
(Using his Eagle Patrimony, Walter flies onto the jungle-covered highlands of Shell Island)
Kassata: Wait, you can fly too?!
Walter: Not for long, and it is tiring to do.
Queen: Are these… remains?
(In a pit among the trees, lies a ruined camp. Rotten bodies of people are piled in the center. Most have already became nothing but bones. The bronze armour is stained with blood)
Walter: Brave men, died fighting. This was Camp Gladius, a Bronze Legion base.
Queen: Who are the Bronze Legion?
Walter: Army of Ravenna, the ruling kingdom of Bronze Sea. Wonder how is the capital holding, their King is a very powerful individual, who certainly has what it takes to protect his nation.
Herca: The bodies are partly eaten. By what, we don’t know.
Kassata: Brace!
(A pair of tigers has ambushed the group leaping onto them from above. Herca fends off one with her dagger, and the Queen pierces the second with a rapier)
Queen: Such tiny beasts, how strange it is to see them…
Walter: Yeah, no magic pollution is out and about oversizing the creatures here. Well, there was no magic pollution…
(One of the tigers was showing signs of mutation into a Blood Tiger. The Dark Sea has arrived, and so did the consequences)
Gaze Sister: And yet, it weren’t the animals who ate all these bodies, the bite marks are different. I will seal these mines you mentioned, so whatever is inside will starve there.
Walter: First off, we aren’t sure whether it is too weak to break out by itself or not. Second, we can’t just leave it there and hope it will die!
Gaze Sister: It won’t be my problem anymore, so it doesn’t matter!
(The island is shaken by an underground roar. Whatever was hiding in the mines has heard them)
Queen: It is approaching, sisters! Prepare!
(Emerging from the darkness, a massive Atlantean slams the floor in rage. Several stuck arrows and slice marks are covering its unprotected areas. Most of the body is hidden under the armour of a Ravenna centurion)
Herca: We are not scared.
(Lightning passes through the monster, and it trembles in shock and pain. Its prey had usually been afraid and running away, it isn’t used to resistance ever since it destroyed Camp Gladius)
Kassata: You’ve picked the wrong flock, fool!
(The Atlantean was then shot by the Brightbringer)
Walter: Heh, so much for not enough. How come so many people, trained soldiers too, failed in bringing down this disappointment?
Gaze Sister: Clearly shows who is superior, doesn’t it?
(An arm suddenly grabs and flings Herca into a nearby torn tent. The monster stands back and scuttles into the dark corridors of the coal mines)
Queen: It isn’t dead yet!
Kassata: It went back into the mines! After it!
Gaze Sister: Funny how it thinks it can hide from me of all people…
Walter: We ain’t leaving this thing alive, it has killed way too many people, no guarantee it will ever stop.
(In the narrow paths and total darkness, the advantage has shifted into the creature’s favor. Unexpected sword slashes and arm strikes were barraging the team from every angle. Bane of Shell Island wasn’t going down that easily, and the Queen isn’t able to heal everybody in time. The fight needs to end fast)
Herca: Walter, you can have a way to locate the Wildman.
Walter: Ah, yes, glad you reminded me, couldn’t you have done that about ten minutes ago? I completely forgot I had this thing.
(He shatters a large bottle, and the whole space gets covered in a pinkish fog. The sirens get a weird sensation in their eyes and, in an instant, the world lights up for them. They see objects through walls, they see eachother highlighted, and they see the Atlantean planning an ambush from above)
Kassata: There you are!
(Receiving multiple grapeshots to the face, the monster retreats once more. The group wants to continue the pursuit, but the Queen advised against it)
Queen: We are hurt, we need to recover. It isn’t hiding from us anyway, not with this trick of yours, Walter.
Walter: No tricks here, just a Revealing essence. A potion type useful for stacking a prolonged in duration effect onto a whole group of friends. The effect in question being a direct upgrade to the old hag’s powers.
Gaze Sister: How absurd! I, unlike some, never forget I possess such abilities!
Walter: Yeah? Then what were you doing this whole time? Sensing the threat clearly, and yet not even attempting to alert us to its location?
Gaze Sister: Your reaction time would be too slow, I didn’t even bother. I know how useless you are!
Herca: I cannot see the Wildman.
Queen: Yeah, that is weird… How could this be, the potion is still active! Walter, I am confused!
Walter: The effect is limited in reach, that’s one thing I give to Sensing that it does better. However, a predator would rarely leave its hunting grounds over a threat it so easily evaded until now. And, it isn’t intelligent enough to know that we can see it, so it may just be a coincidence that its hiding spot is one the potion doesn’t reach into. But, where is such place?
Gaze Sister: Don’t look at me, I am not helping.
Queen: Sister…
Gaze Sister: Fine, there is a large empty space inside the mountain that I can’t sense through, the entrance’s over there.
Kassata: That thing’s done for!
(Getting down from a cliff, the group finds an opening in the mountain’s stone. Faint traces of blood and magic pollution are seen on the walls)
Queen: I can’t see anything here, any ideas what we can do?
Walter: Uh-huh…
(He flings a lot of purple flasks into the room and a bright orange one afterwards. The whole room is set on fire. The sirens watch as a screaming pile dashes from corner to corner, trying to extinguish itself)
Herca: This is not safe.
Walter: Yeah, I kinda didn’t think about how we are gonna remove the fire…
Gaze Sister: Fantastic work, moron.
Walter: Says the one who could clearly see the Atlantean this whole time and didn’t want to cooperate!
(While arguing, the sea behind them started to ripple. Without anybody expecting, the Fin Famine rams the wall the group was standing on, but misses due to Shell water’s shallow depth not letting it gain enough height. The water rushes into the exposed chamber, extinguishing the flames. The team falls onto the dangerous beach, but the shark gets distracted by the Bane of Shell Island and eats it, giving the group enough time to escape its reach. Unsatisfied, the Fin Famine roars and retreats into the sea)
Kassata: WOAH!!
Walter: Well, that’s one way to solve problems…
Queen: This Redscale stalking us… It bothers me. I am scared of the time we will not be lucky enough.
Herca: I do not have a plan of how to dispose of this threat yet.
Kassata: Hey, the shattered wall allows light to enter this room! I want to look what’s inside!
Gaze Sister: Something tells me this will even be worth my time…
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Part 2: Aftermath Of The Feast
(The cave was set up and decorated as a room with many supports and a campfire in the middle. Multiple seating areas are present around the center)
Walter: Doubt even the residents of Shell Island knew this was here…
Queen: Is this just a… cooking area?
Gaze Sister: More of a sacrificial chamber, if you ask me.
Walter: The energy here is so dense that it blocks sensing and Revealing potions, and yet, it is different from magic pollution. This is something much more ancient…
Kassata: Why don’t we light the fire in the middle? Maybe that will give some answers?
(They light the altar. It burns. Nothing else happens. The Queen puts it out later)
Walter: That’s a bummer… Well, guess there’s nothing left for us to do here. Herca, lead us to Blackreach. Hope you had time to study how the compass works!
Herca: Understood. We need to return to the ship.
(After leaving the docks of the destroyed Monoah Village, the team is met by three Atlantean ships)
Queen: Oh, again? These monsters can’t leave us alone! Sisters, get ready!
(One of the two brigs suddenly turns around and sails away, leaving another brig and a ketch behind. The Atlanteans aboard didn’t seem to be bothered by the others’ departure)
Kassata: Did one of them just flee?
Herca: They do not perceive us as enough of a target to be attacking all at once. They sent one ship somewhere else.
Walter: Oh well, those on the brig just got very lucky. So, what do yall think, we raze them in about ten seconds, or give them a chance?
(Gaze Sister raises her arm. A huge chunk of Frostmetal falls onto a ketch and breaks it in half. The Atlanteans fall into the sea, and Herca fries them with a Lightning blast. The remaining brig attempts a ram, but a precise barrage of chainshot throws shatters its masts and tears its sails. The Queen turns Silver Guardian to the right, so Walter could arm the cannons and broadside the barely-moving brig)
Queen: Begone, monsters!
(With the power of Light magic, she banishes the beasts once inhabiting the brig)
Walter: Yep, this was fast enough, good work, lads!
Herca: We were lured too far east, need changing course to get to the Blackreach Island.
(On their way, the group sees a familiar hull)
Queen: I see the escaped brig, sisters! They might try attacking us!
Gaze Sister: No, they won’t. They aren’t even there. The ship is empty.
Herca: I see an island. There shouldn’t be one.
Walter: No, everything is right, there is an island, Sandfall Isle, your experience with maps is still lacking.
Gaze Sister: Something large is dwelling among those sands.
Kassata: Hey, that brig’s not the only one! Look around!
(The entire observable area of the sea is covered in broken ships. No crew is to be seen on board of any of them. Only the ominous presence of something on Sandfall Isle shows a sign of life around the place)
Queen: Can we go and look what is out there?
Kassata: Absolutely not! Haven’t we learned at this point to not show up in dangerous places “just because”? We don’t know what that it and we have no reason to find out - therefore leave it be!
Queen: Oww…
Herca: Rerouting around the island.
(The Silver Guardian takes a big detour to stay a considerable distance away from the Sandfall Isle, and they believed that was enough. They were wrong)
Gaze Sister: That creature is closing in with the ship! You scaleheaded didn’t keep the proper distance!
(The cracks of Ancient Lightning magic blasted out of the sea. Reminded of the Dark Sea’s iconic lightning colour, Kassata gasped. Shrouded in darkness, a body falls down onto the deck)
The Queen: This thing’s huge!
Herca: A Wildman. Very dangerous! Do not come close!
(The monster has stopped its advance. It sniffs the air, growls and stares into the eyes of approaching sirens. Looking a bit disappointed, it shakes its head and jumps forward with a crab claw wide open and ready to grab)
Gaze Sister: These pathetic terrestrials never cease to display their uselessness…
(She slams a block of Ice magic onto the Atlantean, encases it in Frostmetal and throws overboard. She stands near the fence, laughing)
Walter: You think that was enough?
Gaze Sister: Undou-
(Another surge of Ancient Lightning bolts out of the sea. Surrounded in it, the beast crushes Gaze Sister with its speed and weight)
Kassata: Scram!
(She hurls a dense cannonball at the Atlantean’s mantis shrimp-like arm that was already about to punch Gaze Sister’s head off. It bounces off with no visible damage dealt)
Atlantean: …
(It tries grabbing Kassata with the crab claw, but she was already far above in the air. Chasing a flying prey would mean letting go of the one pinned to the deck, a choice the monster has to make quickly)
Walter: Watch your back.
(The Atlantean turns around to face Walter, but still gets hit in the back of its head by a pre-placed Spirit energy charge)
Atlantean: What… even are you?
Walter: Oh hey, this one’s sentient. If you understand speech, then we can talk this out.
Atlantean: No.
(It jumps in a surge or Ancient Lightning and grabs Kassata out of the air. The Queen leaves a dent in its claw with a Brightbringer shot, but even that wasn’t enough to seriously injure the beast)
Queen: We will talk, and you will listen, thing! We don’t know why you’re here, but we don’t want you here! Go back to where you came from!
Atlantean: No.
(A wave of Darkness magic strikes the Queen, she shrieks in pain. Herca stabs the Atlantean from the back with her Scald Tooth dagger, managing to sneak it into a crack in the hide)
Herca: We speak. You listen.
Atlantean: Die.
Walter: Don’t know about them, but I am all up for negotiations. Tell me your goal with us.
Atlantean: Sirens are food. I hunted Atlanteans, I hunted humans, I hunted sirens. I am hungry.
Walter: I understand the problem, but we are not the solution. You will leave our ship and not return. I don’t want to kill a sentient being, but you’re a threat.
Atlantean: No.
Gaze Sister: Your opinion doesn’t matter, critter!
(She unleashes a barrage of Frostmetal spikes, trying to pin the monster’s limbs to the deck. She manages to do so with the shrimp arm, but not for long - the Atlantean tears out of the snare, albeit with severe injuries to the weapon. Kassata strikes from above with her fist, dropping the creature on its knees)
Walter: Retreat, wanderer. You do not need to seek a fight with us. Swim away, to the safer places.
Atlantean: (discontent roar)
(With a sudden burst of Ancient Lightning, the creature does a backflip and catches Herca, who tried to sneak up on it with her dagger again. It ravages her with Darkness magic and tries to bite her, but she blocks its mouth with her metal arm. Heavily injured, she is now a prime target. Walter puts himself between Herca and the beast, crafting a glowing wall. The Atlantean punches the wall and retreats swiftly, as magic pollution on its skin reacts with the pure spirit energy)
Atlantean: Unknown power. Tell me more!
Walter: You first.
Atlantean: Spectre**. Oh a hunt.**
(She tries a final lunge on Herca, but meets only the barrel of the loaded Brightbringer. The shot shatters her shrimp arm, Spectre grumbles in pain and jumps overboard)
Kassata: Is that abomination gone for good?
Herca: Unsure… Possibly… Yes…
Queen: Stand still, Herca, I’ll patch you up!
Gaze Sister: The Wildman seemingly has a hideout on that tiny desert isle, it has returned there.
Walter: I’ve never met an Atlantean sane enough to talk, especially one of such late stage of infection! What is it, a Monstrous? Or, more of Nightmarish? Eh, yes, possibly.
Kassata: Its name is Spectre, it said so itself.
Gaze Sister: Another problem on our wings… Finned Redscale[1] wasn’t enough, apparently! I will strangle that animal apart next time it shows its claws on my ship!
Queen: Are all these ships around… what was it… Sandfall Isle, right? Yeah. Are all these ships around it - from the prey that Wildman has devoured before?
Herca: Seems so. We are staying away from its territory now. We sail to the Blackreach Island. Be ready.
(Spectre watched her prey disappear into the horizon. She will find them again. She will catch them. She will deal with the strange armour of alien energy. All in due time. Regeneration takes time and energy. More ships will be consumed today)
The Fin Famine ↩︎
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Interesting, gonna enjoy seeing how your take of Spectre will go
Sentenced to vanishing for a part or two due to being a reoccurring plot twist 
Part 3: Deceitful Corridors
(The Silver Guardian reaches Blackreach Island. The overgrown jungle blocks the sunlight beneath it, and many glowing eyes are locked onto the approaching group)
Kassata: I feel uneasy. Those leaves are watching us!
Walter: I assume that the many tigers and panthers of this island have partually mutated and became much more aggressive.
Herca: We must avoid the shadows.
(After making a single step on the sandy shore, the crew is ambushed by three panthers at once. The sirens are used to dealing with animals of far larger size, but the number of watching eyes hasn’t decreased)
Queen: Safe to say, nobody could possibly be hiding on the surface. Walter, is this an entrance to the catacombs you mentioned?
Walter: Yes, but there is one place on the surface I want to visit dearly. Grab a torch from the wall and light it - we can scare off the tigers for just a moment with that. The place is nearby - follow me!
(After slaying a few more tigers who did show up, despite the flame, the group enters a small cave in a cliff. Walter uses a portable tent to block the entrance)
Gaze Sister: Where are we? Why was this so worth the risk?
(The turn a corner and enter a small, abandoned tavern. Torches once lit up this place, but now it is dark and dusty. Chairs knocked over, tables broken, and pictures, still hanging on the wall)
Queen: I will get some light here!
(She uses her Light magic to create an orb that floats in the air)
Walter: Azarel’s tavern, one of my favourite places to hang out in the Bronze Sea. Restored and repaired by Azarel alone. Great man he was, Azarel the Storyteller…
Kassata: What happened to him?
Walter: No idea, but he wasn’t showing any extraordinary abilities that would help him survive the invasion. I hope he found a place to hide. His stories are what kept me going multiple times. They’re motivational and mysterious, often explaining things I questioned myself about for a long time.
Gaze Sister: Are you done here? I want to return to the ship already! Go explore that maze yourselves!
(The tent has already gained a few more claw and bite marks by the time Walter retrieves it. The group does a dash to the shore that was rapidly losing the last rays of the sunset and meets with a pursuing pack of panthers. They really are a nuisance…)
Gaze Sister: I’m out, see you never, annoyances!
Walter: Not like we needed you anyway!
Queen: Is it a good idea to explore the catacombs at night?
Herca: Staying here during this time would be an idea even worse. The beasts are relentless. The faster we leave - the better.
Kassata: Animals seem to avoid the entrance, why though?
(Immediately after the group enters the labyrinth, the answer becomes obvious)
Queen: What is this feeling? As if air itself is pressing onto my ears! And I can’t see a thing!
Walter: What? I can barely hear you, come closer!
Kassata: Why did everybody go silent?
(Walter grabs the three and pulls them close to himself)
Walter: This place seems to have some sort of magic mist anomaly, sound waves and our eyesight barely travel a step or two. Stay very close, or we will lose connection!
Herca: Walter, we need a map of this place.
Walter: And I got none! I’ve barely ever been here. Wait, where did the Queen go?
Kassata: Did we lose our High Sister?!
Herca: This is bad. We are turning back and leaving. High Sister has most probably returned to the beach.
Walter: Yeah, but where is “back”?
Kassata: I thi- Ah!
Walter: Kassata? Where did you go?
Herca: Two of us were taken by something. Stay close to me, Walter, we must fend it off!
Walter: You don’t have to be asking me twice!
(The pair is slowly making their way forward, getting around walls and corners very carefully. Suddenly, an arm reaches out of the fog and takes away Herca. Walter tries to pin it down with a spear, but misses. Charging up his spirit energy, Walter rushes through the corridors, but Herca was nowhere to be seen. He is alone)
Walter: Damn…
(Walking through the maze, Walter finds something. Rather, someone. A shadowy figure stands in his way, constantly changing forms. It jumps away, hiding in the fog)
Walter: You aren’t gonna run like that!
(He slashes forward continuously with his swords, but the shadow evades all attacks by getting shorter and shorter, as if it is mocking him. Walter can even hear a slight noise, like a quiet laugh. Suddenly, it grows back to its previous size and disappears)
Walter: What haunts these corridors?..
(Walter conjures a shining orb of the brightest spirit energy he is capable of and starts walking around the empty hallways. Ages pass. The place seems infinite. But eventually, he finds the creature again)
Walter: Here you are!
(But, this wasn’t the same shadowy figure. Rather, a very familiar blunderbuss’s barrel has appeared in its hands. Walter has found the Queen)
Walter: Oh hey, its-
(A shot. For some reason, the Queen blasts Walter point-blank with the Brightbringer. He is flund away, slamming into walls and shaking the whole place)
Walter: Wait, this is a misunderstanding! Come back here, friend!
(But finding that place again is an impossible task. Walter searches everywhere, but the Queen has vanished. An illusion? No, the shot felt way too real, leaving such dents in Walter’s armour)
Walter: This maze is messing with my mind… Even the insanity of the Dark Sea hasn’t been this rough with me! Wait now, what is this?
(He sees a small flame, a tiny spark in the distance, whose shine pierces the magic fog of the labyrinth. Walter stops. The flame stops)
Walter: If this is someone from my sirens, I need to make her approach and recognise me. She is probably scared of me right now. If this is that creature, imitating her or whoever else, I need to lure it closer.
(He moves the orb around. The spark also moves, Walter tries to shape the glow to look more like himself, but it wasn’t that recognisable. The flame jumps up and stays high in the air. Walter assumes, this is due to the siren’s wings. He fires a weak beam of spirit energy below the flame. The flame approaches. From the darkness above, a siren descends, with a glowing dagger pointing at him)
Herca: So it is you.
Walter: Are you real? I saw shadow silhouettes in these halls, trying to imitate somebody, I can’t really trust my eyes now.
Herca: I am holding your hand. I exist.
Walter: Have you met the other two?
Herca: No. I did not meet Kassata.
Walter: We continue together.
…
(Back in time, when the group enters the maze…)
Walter: You don’t have to be asking me twice!
(Herca walks around the labyrinth with Walter, carefully checking every turn. They must find an exit, Herca hopes that her other two sisters will find it too. She feels a touch on her arm, and, a moment later, she gets pulled away from Walter, losing him in the darkness)
Queen: Herca, there you are!
Herca: …This is you, my sister. We left Walter be-
(A huge, glowing creature rushes through the hallways, the sirens barely had time to jump and open their wings to avoid being rammed. The glow was greenish and otherwordly)
Queen: This wasn’t Walter…
Herca: We must find Kassata. She is too vulnerable when left alone.
(The futile search has continued for some time. They felt the otherwordly presence of the metal creature, and its greenish light has blocked their paths multiple times, so Herca and the Queen had to hide on the ceiling to avoid its attention)
Herca: It is near us again.
Queen: Why is the glow pulsating like this? Is something blocking it?
(A body of shadows runs through the maze, away from the greenish glow. Herca gets caught in the stampede and falls. The Queen dodges it, jumping away in shock, but the connection with her loyal quartermaster has been lost)
Queen: Herca? Herca! You’re still there? I need you, Herca! Don’t… leave me here… I’m scared…
(She pulls out her Brightbringer and slowly walks forward. If this metal monster shows up again, she’ll blast it. And, it does show up, very soon. The Queen turns the corner and faces a glow far stronger than before. Could it have fueled its power by something? Or, rather, someone?!)
Queen: Get away from me!!!
(The gunpowder ignites, and the glowing metal monster is flung away, disappearing in the shadows. The sound of the shot was very muffled, but it didn’t seem to impede its power. Queen hopes, the creature won’t show up again any time soon…)
Queen: This thing better not show up while I reload… I doubt I could defe- Ah!!
(Somebody bumps her and falls over. The Queen points her rapier at the body on the ground, but quickly recognises her)
Kassata: HIGH SISTER!!! SAVE ME!!!
Queen: What happened?
Kassata: There is a monster in these halls! It is huge, it is made of metal, it glows and it breathes fire!
Queen: I did meet it once, and even shot it, but it lacked some of these traits. I believe you, though. Stick with me, sister, it won’t be a threat, if we are together!
Kassata: It is huge, but fast! What if it breaks our bond again? We will be totally lost in this darkness!
Queen: Hold my hand, I won’t let them harm you!
(After a few more turns, the two notice a faint flame in the corridor. Kassata wanted to scream, but the Queen blocks her mouth with a hand and pulls her to the ceiling. The flame passes by)
Queen: Don’t show how scared you are. We aren’t sure whether this fog affects the monster like it affects us or not. Better not risk it.
(With her hands shaking, Kassata ducks under the Queen’s wing, and, with a rapier in hand, the two continue forward into the dark corridors, in search of any possible exits)
…
Walter: This place seems to have some sort of magic mist anomaly, sound waves and our eyesight barely travel a step or two. Stay very close, or we will lose connection!
(The group enters an unknown maze deep below Blackreach Island. The Queen is very curious about the place, and the mist doesn’t really bothers her)
Queen: I haven’t seen a moss this beautiful in the Dark Sea… Sisters, look- wait, where is everybody?
(She was left alone. They didn’t forget about her, did they? The fog is impenetrable for the Queen’s sight, and she doesn’t hear any footsteps or shouts that would ask where she is)
Queen: Sisters?.. You’re still there?..
(The Queen wanders the catacombs, looking for her friends. She finds someone standing in the hallway, reaches out and pulls her closer)
Queen: Herca, there you are!
Herca: …This is you, my sister. We left Walter be-
(A metallic, glowing object flies across the hallway. The sirens dodge the rush, and a minor shake follows the presumable impact of this creature into a wall)
Queen: This wasn’t Walter…
Herca: We must find Kassata. She is too vulnerable when left alone.
…
Herca: This is bad. We are turning back and leaving. High Sister has most probably returned to the beach.
Walter: Yeah, but where is “back”?
Kassata: I thi- Ah!
(Kassata trips on a root and falls. She gets up quickly, but messes up the direction and walks away from Walter and Herca, not towards them)
Kassata: Hey, where did you two go? You were right there! Quit hiding from me! This isn’t funny!.. Sisters?..
(Behind a few more turns, a terrifying encounter awaited Kassata. She felt as if something wasn’t right with the passage ahead, and she hid behind a corner. She was right. A colossal object, glowing with a surreal and alien greenish light, dashes past her and slams into a nearby wall)
Kassata: Oh no, oh no, OH NO! I’M OUTTA HERE!!!
(She is running through the maze, stumbling onto random twigs and pieces of metal. She tries flying, but the wings constantly get caught in the narrow passages. Flying in place is possible, but not in any direction. Suddenly, a figure blocks Kassata’s way. The monster has found her. The otherwordly glow surrounds its silhouette, as she sees two curved pieces of metal being pulled out of the main body)
Kassata: No… Please… DON’T KILL ME!!!
(The monster advances, sweeping its blades forward. Kassata’s body is paralysed by the sheer terror, all she can do is retreat. She stumbles and falls on her knees, then - on her arms, then - crawls on her back. Anything will do, if only it would create some life-saving distance between Kassata and the approaching death. During a swing, Kassata catches a safe moment, when both blades have missed, gets on her feel with the level of agility she has never reached before, and runs away, escaping the dark fate)
Kassata: (breathes heavily due to all the shock and exhaustion, but still keeps running)
(A figure appears on her way, she doesn’t even notice it at first, but does as soon as her face meets it directly. With all the adrenaline blurring her vision, Kassata doesn’t recognise the stranger, and runs past. The powers are abandoning her, she falls and sits down. She must recover her stamina, it may not be the last time she will need to run)
Kassata: Phew, I think I got away. I don’t feel this thing near me, hope the fog hides me well… Come on, Kassata, you can do it, find your sisters!
(And she’s back on track again. Wandering through the catacombs, she finds what she feared the most - that familiar otherwordly greenish glow. And it is approaching her!)
Kassata: No, no! Not again! STAY AWAY FROM ME!!!
(During her escape, Kassata knocks over some small object on the ground and falls. A sharp metal stick points into her face as she is lying on the ground. Kassata knew, who this is. She is saved)
Kassata: HIGH SISTER!!! SAVE ME!!!
Queen: What happened?
…
Walter: Can you remember any outstanding things you found? Maybe we can find them and use as marks of where have we already been?
Herca: No.
Walter: Eh, a shame. Besides, we’re still missing two people, better find them first before attempting to find an exit…
Herca: Someone is standing in the hallway, looking at us!
Walter: Ain’t that a happy reunion? The shadowy thing that has been stalking me this whole time has showed up again!
Herca: It trampled me multiple times, even separating me from High Sister once!
Walter: But why is there two of them?
…
Queen: Kassata, you must be ready to face your fears and fight the monster!
Kassata: But I can’t! Its too scary!
Queen: You survived through so much in the Dark? How’s this any different?
Kassata: I could at least see what am I up against! Here, I am blind!
Queen: You are strong, my sister, you can stand your ground against any threat!
Kassata: Yeah… I can beat the monster!..
(Around a corner, the greenish glow meets the two once more)
Kassata: Why has it shown up again so soon?! I am not ready!
Queen: Get behind my wing, sister, we will overcome anything this labyrinth throws at us!
(Walter and Herca teamed up against the shadow, appearance-changing silhouette. The Queen and Kassata are trying to survive against the metal-made, greenish-glowing and fire-breathing monster of the maze. The final fight is imminent)
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Part 4 - Duels
Herca: Cover me.
(Herca aims her bow from behind Walter and fires into the darkness. The tightness of the hallway compensates for the lack of visual clues about her enemy’s location. The shadow splits in two - one falls, the other approaches. A huge boulder crashes into Walter’s leggings, he falls and bursts with spirit energy)
Queen: Ahh!
(The monster stood in place for a second, and then a piercing pain stroke the Queen’s shoulder)
Kassata: It can separate metal pieces from its body to use as weapons! Can you heal yourself fast enough?
Queen: No, I need time, distract it, please!
Kassata: Alright, alright, I will! I hope…
(She finds a random rock on the floor and throws it into the monster’s shining body. Her shaking arms mess up the trajectory, and the boulder hits the legs instead of the head. Surprisingly, the creature falls and explodes into the same greenish light. The fire behind it wasn’t affected by the throw, could it be something entirely separate?)
Herca: Commencing rapid fire.
(The Queen, as if felt something, creates a barrier of Light magic to protect Kassata. A whole barrage strikes it)
Kassata: Thanks… Wait, it is coming closer!
Walter: Hold on a moment… A light barrier? This thing knows Light magic?
Herca: Fighting with such obstacle is problematic. We must come closer to take the wall down.
Walter: Leave that to me!
Queen: Kassata, stand back! I am shooting the monster!
(The two rush forward, meet at the barrier - and stop. The realisation strikes hard)
Queen: …Walter?!
Walter: Oh…
(Kassata sees the silhouettes standing still and gathers enough courage to approach)
Kassata: Wait, this was you?! This whole time?!
Walter: This cursed fog… I am gonna suffer from this guilt forever now!
Queen: Well, not like we’re any better…
Kassata: But your glow is blue! And we saw green!
Walter: Colour distortion from the mist, nothing surprising…
(Herca joins in with an unsheathed dagger, but lowers it once she sees her enemies)
Herca: I am ashamed of my mistakes, High Sister. I await punishment.
Queen: Dismissed. We aren’t ones to blame in this situation. Now, since all four of us are together again, let’s find an exit, shall we?
Kassata: Yeah, we’ve been here for far too long, I am starting to get hungry!
(Twenty minutes of searching later, the group enters a large room. The walls are so far away, the fog doesn’t even let the crew see them. A shining pile is lying in the middle)
Walter: Ah, the central room of the maze. Didn’t expect to find it, it is already difficult enough without the mist blocking your vision, nevermind with it! This is the treasury of a pirate lord or something that hid here from the Grand Navy sieging the island. We even saw a wrecked Navy brig on the shore, remember?
Queen: Vaguely. So, since this is the center, exiting here will put us in the middle of the tiger-infested jungle, right?
Kassata: All’s better than wandering here a few more rotations in search of exits! How many are there anyway?
Walter: Three. Alright, see that grate on the ceiling? The one that barely lets the moonlight pass into this room? Yeah, hit it hard with something! All at once!
Queen: Once the path opens, everybody take flight immediately!
Walter: Not that simple. The grate leads to a ruined building, we have to exit it first.
Kassata: Don’t doubt our flight skills!
Herca: On five. Five. Four. Three. Two. One.
(Spirit energy, Light magic, Lightning magic and a pair of Dense cannonballs have hit the metal bars with tremendous force. The barrier between the team and freedon is no more. Before the hungry tigers react, three sirens take to the skies, far above the pouncing range of the beasts. Walter needed a lot of start-up time for his Spirit Flight, but he too has successfully landed on the sandy shore near the docked Silver Guardian)
Kassata: The Star rises! We spent the whole night in those accursed corridors!
Queen: Well, at least we’re out… I’m gonna need a proper rest!
(From the captain’s quarters of the ship, an annoyed voice is heard)
Gaze Sister: Back already? It was so calm and quiet without you here! Why didn’t you stay in those catacombs for longer? And what’s with the faces? Found a Wildman in a completely empty maze? I couldn’t care less, I slept the whole night.
Walter: Go sleep some more, the girls need food and rest. I am going to steer the ship away into a safer location.
(After a great rest, the sirens open their eyes to the sight of a broken down and ruined arena, partially repaired and restored. Abandoned weapons are pinned into the ground around the main area, and the pathways under peach trees are circling the entire island)
Queen: Where are we?
Walter (from the steering wheel): This is Munera Garden, an arena of glorious battles. Before, people who wanted to test their skills gathered here, and spectacular fights took place on these mossy stones. Now, it is merely a medium-sized island in the middle of the Bronze Sea, far away from the edges, and not inhabited by anyone. The safest place in close proximity to Blackreach that I could think of.
Kassata: The place looks odd, as if its parts are from different time periods…
Walter: Glad you noticed. A certain knight by the name of Sir Gavin has been living here, slowly repairing the arena for future battles he hoped to witness. I even helped him with clearing the trees that overtook the area. I still remember the proud look in his eyes when he saw skilled fighters rejuvenating Munera Garden. Wonder where is he now…
Queen: Hey, do we have time to spar here? Just curious…
Walter: Eh, guess we can spend a day here. Nobody’s complaining?
Gaze Sister: You younglings wouldn’t last a lightning against me, so I’ll not be participating.
Kassata: Bring it on!
Herca: I am joining.
Walter: So, who’s first?
Kassata: I want!
Queen: I need some more time to rest, I’ll watch from the side.
Walter: Well, Herca, guess you’re up!
Herca: Understood. Do not injure yourself too much, Kassata.
Kassata: Speak for yourself, defeated!
(The two went into different corners and initiated the fight. Short-tempered as she is, Kassata jumps high into the air and punches down, sending many shockwaves forward. Herca uses her Dagger to parry every blow, and throws the blade back in return. It clings harmlessly from the grapeshot charge, while the rope holding the cannonballs together gets torn)
Herca: Quite fast.
Kassata: Get over here!
(Kassata crashes into the place Herca was at the moment ago and vanishes immediately. Herca hears movement above her and snares Kassata with her Lightning magic, throwing her on the ground. Kassata then receives a flurry of arrows, but still gets up on her feet, pulling out her own bow. Herca easily evades the very predictable rain of arrows and casts a beam of Lightning)
Kassata: You aren’t going anywhere!
(She dashes under Herca and takes both her and herself to the skies. In the air, it is hard to get out of the way of the incoming strike, which Herca fails to do. Using both hands, Kassata lands punch after punch, and then slams Herca into the ground at her top speed. Visibly hurt, the quartermaster jumps onto the nearby cliff, and Kassata gets ready to pursue her)
Kassata: You’re done for!
Herca: Now.
(As soon as Kassata began her crash attack, Herca stepped away. Kassata flee past and ended up in the air. Turning around, she sees Herca charging up her dagger. The barrage of countless slashes shoots out and eviscerates the immobile siren, unable to leave the line of fire)
Kassata: (loses consciousness)
Herca: A victory.
Queen: Let me help!
(With her Healing magic, the Queen restores both fighters to their pre-battle conditions)
Kassata: What even was that? How is that fair?!
Queen: Herca has been through many things, she simply got more experience than you. Don’t worry, you’ll catch up eventually!
Kassata: Aaaghh… Walter, get over here! I am not leaving without a win!
Walter: Are you sure? Hm, aight, as you wish.
(Having learned from the previous fight, Kassata tries a new approach - staying far away and throwing explosive cannonballs at Walter. In the meantime, he fires blast after blast while standing almost in one place, and occasionally causes a rain of spirit energy to block off Kassata’s pathing)
Kassata: Move already!
Walter: I’m on it!
(Unsheathing his swords, he takes to the skies, now spamming blasts and spirit-made hounds from the air. With no splash damage to rely on, Kassata once again attemps to grab her opponent and ascend with him. Walter evades the lunge and punishes it with a spear throw in the face. But, Kassata had a trick - with a dodge, she appears above Walter and slams him down, beating his metal armour into the ground)
Walter: Alright, you won. I ain’t build for this… Prefer to do things peacefully, after all!
Queen (while healing Kassata): Why did you-
Walter: Shh!
Kassata: Yes, I knew I wasn’t that bad! I’ll be heading to the ship now. We will set out the next day to the new place, right?
Walter: Yeah, we will visit Ravenna tomorrow. It is the capital of its respective kingdom, and one that was well-inhabited. I hope some of the people out there managed to survive…
(Kassata returns to the ship. Walter then looks at the Queen)
Herca: You have not tried winning at all against Kassata.
Walter: Alright, she’s gone. Didn’t want to leave her upset, after all. So, Queen, you want some real action now? You did sit enough to be able to stand, right?
Queen: I noticed your hesitation in defending yourself too, wondered why, now I know. And I accept the challenge!
Walter: You are NOT ready, girl…
(The fight starts, and Walter immediately vanishes from his position with a cloud of black smoke. The Queen pulls back an arrow…)
Walter: Turn around!
(The Queen shoots… into nothing. Walter has already slashed through her with his claws - and rebounded back. Spiralling forward, he makes another dash at the siren, but she flies upwards and stays there with the aid of her wings)
Walter: The first two didn’t use their wings!
Queen: I’m built different!
(Walter spins his spear in the air, creating a cyclone that snatches the Queen and slams her into the ground. A barrage of 5 small, pre-placed blasts hits the place she was at. With her Light magic, the Queen makes an area that blinds Walter repeatedly, and then she puts all her effort into her magic’s offensive spells)
Walter: You aren’t hiding behind that!
(Dash after dash, lunge after lunge, clouds of black smoke appear whenever Walter moves around rapidly. His vast array of movement skills and rites confuses the Queen, she only has time to shoot Walter in between attacks - and she does so successfully a lot of times)
Queen: You aren’t good at dodging!
Walter: I don’t need to. My healing is superior!
(The two exchange blows repeatedly, with both’s healing factor preventing defeat time and time again. Having increased her attack rate significantly, the Queen has began dealing noticeable damage to Walter, but so has he)
Walter: Alright, the show’s in need of the finale!
(He ascends far above the arena and spreads his arms, looking into the sky. His chest glows more and more)
Queen: Agreed!
(As soon as a spirit orb leaves Walter’s body and transforms into the spirit rain of an enormous size, the shot from the Brightbringer knocks him down. He falls, and so does the Queen from her injuries)
Walter: Heh… A tie?
Queen: A tie.
Herca: I do not recognise the black smoke you used.
Walter: Some old trick from an assassin I once met. Morovane’s a great man, hope to hear about him again. With his stealth, I doubt he has died.
Queen: Let’s return to the ship, shall we, sister and friend?
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Part 5 - Breached Bronze
Herca: An unknown wooden structure is ahead.
Walter: This is the Sailor’s Lodge… or what is left of it.
(The Silver Guardian passes by the singed remains of the once popular gathering place of sailors and adventurers alike. Constant Atlantean raids have torn the Lodge apart, but some solid wooden platforms to stand on, a roof to hide under and a few beds to rest in have endured the challenges of the corrupted)
Queen: What was the purpose of this?
Walter: A safe dock to get repairs, restock on food, rest in a bed, or find people to chat and trade with. The perfect oasis for a seafarer. Had no actual defense, however, it all relied on the mitual trust between whoever visits the place. Nobody wants to lose access to a location this valuable, after all. Atlanteans don’t obey such rules…
Gaze Sister: The platform isn’t empty - some sort of a gathering is being held there right now! By the feel of it - Wildmen, each one, but they behave unusually. I feel curious, therefore you are going with me as a distraction.
Queen: If we go - then we go together. How many Wildmen are there?
Gaze Sister: How should I know? The auras all blend together - I can’t single out every individual!
Kassata: I see their ship! It was hidden behind the wooden thing before!
Gaze Sister: Obviously they had a ship, what did you expect? Ah, right, you are scaleheaded enough to think they just swam here!
Herca: We will not bring the ship close. We will leave it away, in the open sea. The speed of our retreat, if such will be needed, will be faster.
(As they landed at the northern dock, the group can finally hear the speech in process, being held by a man with a singing, but repelling voice)
Voice: …spread the Gift to the souls of the Sky Kingdom!
Queen (whispering): Someone is talking up there! It doesn’t sound like the Wildman from that sandy isle, it is more… normal…
Walter (whispering): Yeah, Spectre sounded differently! But, what is the Gift?
Voice: The foreigh presence is hidden beneath us, my kin! Show yourself, creature!
Gaze Sister: You idiots! Don’t you know what “staying quiet” is?!
Herca: Wildmen possess an incredible sense of smell.
(The team ascends to the upper platform of the Lodge. In front of a swarm of Atlanteans, stands a Lost Sailor with a unique-looking staff. He speaks again, looking at the sirens)
Man: Spawn of the Dark Sea, you foul, winged beings of hunger and torment! You deceive and kill, and even accepting the Gift doesn’t aid your cause! State your presence, I command!
Gaze Sister: You run your mouth quite good, beast. Too bad I am the one here to decide whether you live or not!
Queen: Not now, sister! Sir, we did not plan to be intruders into your gathering, we were just curious of the voices and thought that people might be trying to hide here!
Man: And hunger guides your minds anew! Consuming the poor souls prevents them from embracing the Gift, and embodies you as a mindless animal! I shall perform the righteous deed of sparing the Seas of your kin!
Queen: Wait wait wait, you misunderstood us! Not every wingie is a bloodthirsty monster humans view as us! Its just that those that aren’t prefer to live far away from the Bright! We came here, because we heard about the Wildman invasion, and wanted to help the surviving humans!
Man: A lie is seen through words, even with a part being unknown. My kin, these beings of gluttony dare stand in the way of the Bestower on her holy journey to spread the Gift! I, Ambanes, command action!
Spectre: And so I act.
(Unnoticed by the crews of both the Silver Guardian and the Bestower, Spectre invades the gathering. The smell of many Atlanteans grouped together, as well as the group Spectre has personal scores with, reached her in her cove. It weren’t the sirens whose hunger Ambanes should have been concerned about)
Ambanes: You again, monster! Misuser of the Gift! I may forgot where have we met prior to this, but I sure know what fate awaits you! Face thy judgement, delivered by the crew of the righteous Bestower!
Queen: What should we do!!
Gaze Sister: How about not standing still and just staring at this? Fly to the ship!
Walter: I agree, for once!
Spectre: No!
(A barrier of Ancient Lightning magic blocks the escape route. Buried below the pile of Atlanteans, Spectre intends to face off against two sides at once and succeed. But, a hard crystal impales her crab claw)
Ambanes: I banish thee, heretic! My kin, scatter! Attack beyond its reach!
Walter: Hey, Spectre, catch!
(Walter coats himself in spirit energy and blasts forward at Spectre. She dodges the lunge and grabs him)
Spectre: Caught.
Walter: Fool!
(Walter explodes in a massive burst. Ambanes is flung into the sea, and Spectre’s claw is severely damaged. Left without their leader’s guidance, the Atlanteans of the Bestower are now returning to their usual wild nature. The entire pack ditches any previous orders and swarms everybody on the platform)
Spectre: Hate this.
(She hurls a ball of Darkness magic at Walter, but Kassata parries it. She returns the throw via a cannonball, while Gaze Sister covers herself from the oncoming Atlanteans)
Gaze Sister: Isn’t anybody going to help me?! These things are relentless!
Queen: I am on it!
Ambanes: Do not! This has gone on beyond any control!
(Rising from the sea, held by some of his Atlanteans, Ambanes regains control over his herd. The Bestower’s crew unites and directs their wrath onto Spectre. Roaring, the Sandfall Terror retreats, being totally overwhelmed by the coordinated force. She would usually just decimate such pack with her Darkness magic, but Ambanes knows how to command his kin to avoid these sorts of damage. Grabbing and beheading a few Atlanteans to take with her as lunch, Spectre flees from the scene)
Ambanes: And now, my kin, with one heretic banished, we shall- Wait, where did they go?
(The sirens used the distraction given to them to escape. White and blue sails of Silver Guardian are already barely noticeable on the horizon)
Ambanes: I claim the blame, my kin. We didn’t even finish off one enemy, and failed to bring down the other! But worry not! For as long as we are blessed with the Gift, our power shall not abandon us! The holy Bestower will sail the seas and find those who reject us, those who oppose us, and those who do not deserve the Gift! On board, my kin!
(Meanwhile, the Silver Guardian was approaching Ravenna)
Queen: Walter, is this - the large “kingdom” you mentioned?
Walter: Hm, the state of it is even worse than Monoah Village’s… I assume, these are the ruins of Rasna.
(The burned town did not withstand the onslaught. Multiple holes in the ground, seared stone walls, and the eerie prints of something utterly massive, as if a huge chunk of meat was dragged on the ground)
Herca: No survivors spotted.
Gaze Sister: There are, in fact, some. They’re hiding, what cowards! Their lair isn’t even that good! Who taught these humans how to build?
Queen: Lead us, sister.
(Docking near the western side of Rasna, the crew enters the town. Some Lesser-Mutated Atlanteans are digging in the ruins, and are quick to be dealt with)
Gaze Sister: Here.
(Following the guidance, the Queen opens up one of the sealed entrances to an underground hideout. A Bronze Legion legionnaire, a merchant and a pirate are pointing their weapons at the intruder)
Legionnaire: Dismiss alert! These aren’t Atlanteans. But, what even are you, people? You look… odd…
Kassata: No way! There is actually someone hiding here!
Gaze Sister: You expected my word to be a false call? Such naivety!
Walter: Let me speak with them, Queen.
(He walks over to the three survivors. The merchant hides behind his involuntary friends)
Walter: Hey there, some of you might remember me stopping by at the tailor’s in this town multiple times. These here ladies are wannabe-heroes who plan to oppose the Atlanteans. I know this sounds very dumb, but we intend on dealing with your pest issues. Mind explaining the situation?
Pirate: What is this, a joke? Yer scallywags are either on a deathwish, or insane. Most probably both. This land is cursed! Swarms o’ monsters are roamin’ around, devouring whoever they see. Most we can do is hide, like deck rats! Supplies be running low, and me 'ere be one of the few who feeds this town!
Legionnaire: Get inside, the briefing should be concluded in a safer place. The Swarm may return soon.
Kassata: What is the Swarm?
Pirate: All questions be later, lass!
(The hideout of the survivors is a basement of a once-wealthy home. Chairs, a pair of tables and a wooden barrel are standing on the floor. A wooden crate serves as food storage, planks have been added inside as shelves. Once colourful cloaks are lying on the floor, serving as makeshift beds)
Merchant: Welcome, to one of the last living places in this horrid land. Goodness… We rarely contact other survivors, mainly to pass down food and other supplies. Those fish-like monsters roaming on the surface can turn people into monsters too! We aren’t risking coming in closer contact with the others, some may already be infected and just don’t know it yet. Trust me, there is a precedent…
Queen: What happened?
Pirate: Ya think why are we be hiding in these 'ere lower decks? These landlubbers threw the whole crew together, and one be Atlantean among 'em! Two thirds went to sleep with them fishes!
Legionnaire: This truly was a moment I, as a soldier of the Bronze Legion, should be ashamed of. I failed to protect the citizens of Ravenna, all I have left to do is keep these two alive. The stain on the name of Proculus Augur can’t be washed off now…
Merchant: In some way, we all are guilty of that massacre. Should have been more vigilant… or less cowardly. I always had my loyal bodyguards with me, but they are now lost under the rubble! Now, I am too afraid to show my head above this basement’s trapdoor. I am not a warrior, and never was. I just handle the cleaning of this place, since it is… was… my house. My name is Simon Frost, by the way.
Walter: And you, seafarer? How come a lady of such pirate nature ended up here?
Pirate: If not for yer reputation, I be shanking ya now! Name be Barbara Ketch, and me with me crew were on the ol’ bad luck when we docked at Sailor’s Lodge. Some man with his loud mouth has been pokin’ lads with his staff to cure that infection. Tis’ went well at first, but later that madman’s staff exploded, and whole Lodge be fish! The Agreement of us pirates prevents any conflicts at the Lodge, so I allowed whoever survived the blast to escape on me ketch to this town. Me whole crew are monsters now…
Gaze Sister: Herca, I am taking your compass. I see two large signatures to the… southwest. Humans, tell me about those.
Proculus: One was our great and fair ruler, Calvus Caesar, the King of Ravenna. He succumbed to the disease while honourably protecting his people. He is somewhat sane, unlike most Atlanteans, but is still very violent. The people of Rubica are taking care of him. The second one is The Swarm - hundreds of Atlantean bodies, fused together into an unholy abomination. You have seen the destruction it caused above, right?
Herca: Tell us about other settlements on this island.
Proculus: Aside from the knight, none of you seem to be originating from the Bronze Sea. Who even are you?
Queen: I will explain later, if you excuse me, sir… Sorry, I forgot the name! I feel bad now…
Simon: Proculus Augur, hope you will remember this time! Anyway, there are three towns on the island - Rasna, the one we’re at right now, Rubica, the capital and the one that is destroyed the least out of three, heard people are living much better there than here, and Tiberia, one that was completely ruined, nobody is left alive there.
Kassata: So, sisters, what’s the plan? We deal with that Swarm or what?
Queen: We will have to strategise. Taking on hundreds of Wildmen at once is not easy, and even dangerous.
Barbara: Don’t ya be dodging questions, lass! Run your mouth!
Queen: Well, that will be a long story. Do you know what a “siren” is? Did I say that word correctly?..
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Part 6: No Man’s Grassland
(The crew of Silver Guardian is leaving Simon’s basement. The inhabitants are bidding farewell to their unexpected guests)
Proculus: Remember - The Swarm often separates into single units that can pressure your forces from every angle. Hold the line, avoid their attempts to breach it.
Barbara: Don’t even try takin’ off with yer ‘ere wings! Even the cover of Rubica’s walls was not enough, and you be tanglin’ in the air defenseless? Fool’s choice, lass!
Simon: May you be blessed on this mission, for returning is unlikely. The direct attack on the monstrocity will likely provoke further destruction, I will alert the townsfolk to be cautious!
Walter: A huge mass of moving flesh? I know just the tool for that, don’t you worry!
Simon: I remember the guy who spoke just like you. Our town’s local Potionmaker, his craft has always been raising suspicions around. People surely do not trust this poor imitation of magic, do they? He was fighting on the frontline to defend Rasna, I didn’t expect such courage. He was throwing flasks at the amalgamation, and it burned alive! But, the flames didn’t do enough, and he was consumed.
Walter: He didn’t use enough fire, it seems! I am gonna miss him, though… Was one of his most common clients in the past days, after all!
Queen: Is everyone ready? Sister, lead our way!
Gaze Sister: I don’t want to.
Kassata: Don’t start this over again!
Gaze Sister: Say “Please”!
Kassata: Go throw yourself into the sea!
Walter: Agree! Be useful or be gone!
Gaze Sisters: Ungrateful morons…
(The team reached the ruined bridge between Rasna and Rubica. The aquaducts have long collapsed, and the rubble turned once flat grasslands into an obstacle course)
Gaze Sister: You’re on your own now. May your wings break!
Queen: Hey, you won’t just abandon us, right? Please, stay by our side!
Gaze Sister: Only if you will desperately beg for my help, and, knowing you, this will happen.
(Around a cliff, the team witnessed the northern gates of Rubica. The Swarm stood there, its many bodies moving in wave-like patterns, smashing its mass into the wall. The cracks suggest this is the creature’s daily routine, and the citizens of Rubica are heard shouting and throwing weapons at the monster from inside the gates. Time and time again, The Swarm tries to push into the defenses of a town that didn’t fall)
Queen: We need to attract its attention!
Herca: Will be done.
(She draws multiple Lightning-charged arrows and plants them into different spots on the living mass. Numerous shocks from behind have sparked curiosity within the amalgamation)
Walter (from the cliff above, where the aquaduct once was): Ready!
(Hundreds of mouths erupted at once, hundreds of limbs started dragging the mass closer to its new opponents. Confused citizens of Rubica are peeking over the walls, but they are unable to properly identify who is the monster up against, the distance is too large)
Queen: Don’t let any of them look up!
Kassata: Sure thing!
(Darting on the ground from the beach to the Mount Caesar’s base, Kassata tries her hardest to annoy the monster. Not like she can do anything more than that, though… The amassment of flesh is way too fortified for her fists and cannonballs to pierce, and close combat with something this massive that can also grab her is a certain death)
Walter: (signals to lure it closer)
Kassata: Easy for you to speak! You aren’t in my place right now!
Walter: Almost… Almost… Spot on!
(Several metal cauldrons fall down onto the horde and shatter. White, sparkling matter starts to engulf the exposed bodies, the skin begins to burn and melt. Mouths are now screaming of agony rather than hunger)
Kassata: (traumatised)
Walter: Hey, you have your awful memories about the liquid starlight in the past, sure, but I ain’t gonna try avoiding those, when using this wonderful substance is just that helpful for the task!
Gaze Sister: Great work, you just eliminated about ten Wildmen… out of hundreds. Now what, big thinker?
Walter: Says the one with three magics at her disposal! Use them!
Queen: Wait for the opening!
(The amalgamation begins to throw away the damaged bodies, whose skin keeps leaking starlight deep into the mass. Some are still alive, barely able to screech, and only twitching in pain. The removed Atlanteans expose the insides of The Swarm)
Gaze Sister: You’ve made me put in effort to move my arm, critter! Unforgivable!
(A beam of Frostmetal impales the blinded, barely alive Atlanteans in the lower layers of the amassment. Having already lost its limbs and most organs, these Atlanteans are merely used as a magic storage by The Swarm, and are unable to sustain themselves on their own)
Kassata: This is doing almost nothing! There are too many Wildmen for our attacks to have any kind of an effect!
(The creature raises its many arms, claws, knives and spears. In sync, the entire wall of projectiles appears and spreads in all directions, decimating terrain around The Swarm. The sirens barely had time to hide under the cliff, lying on the beach’s sand)
Walter: Reloading? Good!
(While the Atlanteans aren’t ready to attack again, Walter leaps above the horde and locks himself in place, high in the air. The glow of spirit energy glows around him, and erupts in an enormous Spirit Rain. Shrugging off the droplets, The Swarm grabs Walter, but smells nothing edible inside the metal shell. Disappointed, they throw him on the ground and pin him down with spears)
Queen: Walter!!
Walter: I’m mostly fine!
Gaze Sister: I am disappointed to hear that! Now, for the creature. You lived far beyond what my patience allowed you to!
(She continuously impales the amalgamation with Ice beams, with each growing larger than the previous one. Provoked, the mass charges forward, crushing the cliffs the sirens once used as protection. The group is now exposed)
Queen: Quick, everybody rise up the mountain! Prepare to dodge the throws!
(As one, the sirens spread their wings and soar high above The Swarm, aiming to land on the same cliff Walter once made an ambush from. However, they forgot that Barbara adviced against it. With a roar, the abomination sends another barrage, imbued with magic this time)
Herca: It hurts so much. I need help.
(Herca’s left arm is torn off completely. The Queen’s left wing collapsed, she had to crash land. Walter’s helmet received a dent so large, there is more hole now than the actual helmet, and the spirit energy is leaking out. Kassata has lost her right leg below the knee, and Gaze Sister has conjured a Frostmetal shield in time to avoid any injuries to herself)
Kassata: AHHHH!! MY LEG!!!
Walter: Well, thats an inconvenience… You girls are in a whole worse shape than me! Queen, are you able to do something about this?
Queen: No… And I am in so much pain right now!
Walter: In the presence of The Swarm, I am unable to help any of you, since that will take time! Try to hold on!
Kassata: Augh… Until what?
Gaze Sister: I believe we are finding it out real soon.
(While the Swarm tried its best reaching the crew on a tall cliff, loud explosions and bursts are heard from the Castello. The entire Rubica is shattered to pieces, as a glowing figure emerges from the ashes. Encased in crab shell, the former King Calvus the IV, now an Atlantean, has finally lost any remains of his former self)
Walter: NO!!! The many innocent people…
Gaze Sister: We got more important concerns right now! The Wildman is looking at me uncomfortably!
(After examining his surroundings, Calvus encases his deformed Triasta in Aether magic and slices The Swarm in two. While the Atlanteans are screaming, he takes the lesser part, about a quarter from the whole mass, and drags it down with him into the sea. His eyes are locked onto the Blasted Rock, while he satisfies his hunger)
Herca: Weak area exposed. However, we cannot oppose the Swarm in our current condition.
Walter: The eastern part of Ravenna are the Shining Plains. Nobody lives there, so we can bring the amalgamation there to contain it, until we recover. I don’t want to bring it closer to Rubica, some could have survived there, and Mount Caesar was said to house refugees, so the only safe way is around Rasna. Not through - around, through the water. Return to the town and alert the people about what happened! I will bait The Swarm into following me!
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Botc surely left an impact on how delayed this next part is…
Part 7: Sea Comes To Land
(The sirens enter Rasna again. While not noticeable by a naked eye, the surviving residents are on alert - Simon made sure every person is ready for the approaching consequences of the attack on The Swarm. The faces are poking out of their hiding spots)
Proculus: You returned, and in a very bad condition, I must note. Report on the situation.
Barbara: Those animals done hurtin’ ya, lasses! Lookin’ like ya got dragged below me ship!
Queen: We truly are in a bad condition, but the news we bear are even worse. Rubica got destroyed by your King!
(The previously subtle chatting stopped. Rasna went silent. Eyes of the citizens widened, none could speak a word. Proculus Augur, as a Legionnaire, had to step forth first)
Proculus: So… it happened… I and many others swore loyalty to the throne, and we couldn’t bring ourselves to kill our King… We hoped he would recover…
Simon: Apparently, punishing whoever spoke in favor of eliminating Calvus by sentencing them to labor wasn’t the greatest idea. Since the situation is over, I find courage to state that out loud.
Proculus: I am exhausted…
Barbara: Not the time to rest, ya landlubber! What’s with them Atlanteans?
Herca: The King sliced The Swarm in two and dragged the smaller part into the sea with him. The larger part is still of our concern, and Walter is planning to lure it east.
Simon: East, you say? There are no safe routes to take! Each leads through a place people may still live in!
Proculus: Are… there any survivors in Rubica?..
Simon: Our priority is saving ourselves right now! Ditch the Rubica people!
Proculus: Speak not to me like that, or my axe will be your end! I stand to protect all Ravenna, like any soldier of the Bronze Legion!
Barbara: The Legion Of Fleein’ The Battle, you fool! Most of yer soldiers just ran! Only Calvus showed discipline and called every wee-coward to arms!
Gaze Sister: Are you done bickering, humans? Now heed my command! The Swarm is being transported by the sea, around your little, precious town. Want to live - do your best to deter the creatures from crawling back on land!
Kassata: And also, can we get some help? I can barely walk on just one leg, and a random stick I picked up doesn’t help much!
Simon: I know a good doctor, but the treatment takes time that we do not have. Best he is able to do for you is stop the bleeding. As soon as the threat will be dealt with, we will patch you up properly.
Queen: I am certain we can kill the monster. With their insides exposed, the pile of Wildmen won’t last!
Gaze Sister: Whoa there, warrior. You’re as pathetic as that human in a suit[1] right now! Let the rockmover[2] handle the situation, he is much more useless than you are!
Kassata: Speaking of Walter, he is almost there!
(The knight hovers above the sea on a stream of Spirit energy, avoiding the constant lunges of tens of bodies. The Swarm has enough buoyancy in them to follow Walter even into the sea. Rasna’s harbor is approaching, and the citizens don’t dare coming closer)
Barbara: Ey, the lad’s got it!
Herca: The Swarm is faster. The distance between them is getting smaller and smaller.
Queen: There!
(She conjures a floating charge of Light magic and throws it at the amalgamation. Surprisingly, it staggers for a brief moment, but continues their pursuit)
Queen: Huh? That worked?
Kassata: I see… Your Light Power is similar in nature to the King’s… The monster remembers the heaviest blow it has ever endured!
Proculus: Hm… Noble lady, are you able to share this magic in some way? For example, can you put it in this glass ball?
Queen: Sure, but why?
(The Queen touches an Orbshot charge Proculus hands to her. Light fills the empty glass, and the charge shines like a small sun. Proculus braces, and hurls the cannonball at The Swarm. It helplessly hits the water and shatters, midway to its target)
Proculus: My strenght was always lacking… I am a shame to my squad!
Barbara: Step aside, ya moron! Ey, landlubbers, 'nybody got strong hands to handle these here 'balls?
Kassata: Bring me something to stand on, and I will show you what I can do! High Sister, continue supplying us with these orbs! By the way, sir Proculus, where did you get all of these?
Proculus: From our Potionmaker’s stash. The man becomes more and more useful each passing day. I regret molesting his art…
(More and more citizens emerge from the rubble, joining Barbara’s call. Blacksmiths and armourers, sailors and shipwrights - Proculus Augur’s face turns more and more red, as his physique gets mocked by half of the surviving town of Rasna. The Swarm suffers multiple blows to its outer layer of Atlanteans every passing moment - the citizens’ aim may be bad, but they improve over time. The movement slows down, the Atlanteans stagger, and cries of fright echo across the sea. Walter gets a substantial lead, now approaching the beach)
Kassata: Aim for the opening!
(A few orbshots hit the inner layer, exposed by Calvus. The blighted Atlanteans there are in shock, and the whole being stops, just in time for Walter to get onto dry land. With his movement regained, he can now lead The Swarm further into the Shining Plains)
Walter: Way to go, friends! Leave the rest to me!
Queen: We aren’t leaving you! We finish this here and now!
Gaze Sister: Where did all this righteousness come from, wreath girl[3]? What makes you believe you got anything going for you against that thing?
Queen: Because… because we got its weak spot exposed, yes!
Herca: This is not a sufficient plan.
Barbara: Then how 'bout a barrel of Ship’s Bane?
Kassata: What is that?
(Barbara pulls out a purple-looking gunpower barrel)
Queen: What does this do?
Barbara: Har, you’ll see! Jus’ gimme an angle to hurl it and stand real far!
Gaze Sister: We do not trust you, but do whatever. Not like you matter or anything!
(Barbara pulls out a flintlock and shoots Gaze Sister)
Barbara: Yer talk too much, hag!
Gaze Sister: Oh you…
(She summons a barrage of Frostmetal spikes right below Barbara, but Proculus was already there with his Greatshield)
Proculus: I prohibit any more harm infliced onto the residents of Rasna!
Gaze Sister: You believe this piece of bronze is stopping me?
Queen: I do. Now ceize the aggression and help us!
Gaze Sister: Why should I? Go resolve the problem yourself! I am tired!
(She rises into the air and flies away. The citizens are stunned - they never saw a siren fly)
Kassata: Are we ready? Even wounded, let’s give that thing what it deserves!
Proculus: …I go with you. The plan will require a distraction, and I am not good for anything more than that! Wreath lady, make this bottle shine with light - I will strap it to my chest!
Herca: Odds of you surviving are low to none. I suggest you not attempting this!
Kassata: Yeah, stay here, we don’t want casualties!
Proculus: I must defend my honour!
Simon: Let him go, or he won’t ever shut up about it. I will stay instead, if you excuse my inability to help. A merchant isn’t built for fighting a mountain-sized pile of gods know what.
(The group arrives at the Shining Plains. The Queen spots Walter, getting more and more exhausted with each dodge, still trying to sneak in a hit or two into the soft insides of The Swarm)
Walter: Long time no see! I really need a hand here! This huge dent in my helmet ain’t helping with stamina conservation!
Herca: I got none.
Kassata: Not the time for jokes! I am surprised you even attempted one, though…
(The Queen tries to cast Light, but Proculus stops her)
Proculus: No, you will attract the Atlanteans’ attention! Leave that to me!
(With a greataxe and a greatshield, Proculus Augur enters the fight first. Walter instantly gets abandoned, as the shining light fuels revenge in The Swarm, focusing the attention of many Atlanteans on the fleeting light source on the ground)
Proculus: Do what you must, Barbara!
Barbara: Turn the thing 'round! I need the exposed side!
Kassata: Will be done! High Sister, prepare the Brightbringer!
(Herca uses her remaining hand to wield the Scald Dagger and parry the magic blasts the creature throws at Proculus. The three others take turns luring The Swarm away from facing Barbara. The window is here)
Barbara: Brace!
(She hurls the barrel, and an explosion larger than The Swarm inself evaporates the area around it. Still caught in the blast, Walter is embedded into a nearby wall, being relatively fine. As the smoke clears, everybody sees the unimaginable)
Kassata: How is it still alive?!
(Even after a blow of such power, the amalgamation still stands. Hungry mouths are now enraged, and the Atlanteans wind up their spear throws and magic blasts. The body approaches the group, now completely ignoring the agile Proculus)
Queen: I need just a few more lightnings to reload my weapon, hold on!
(Suddenly, wind rises. First a breeze, a second later - full-on storm. Waves tower high above the terrain, and a familiar shadow emerges from the water)
Walter: Not again…
(Fin Famine lands onto the hulking monster, completely devouring layer after layer of Atlanteans. The abomination screams in horror, trying to knock the shark away to no avail. Even in hundreds, they are still weak individually. The last bits of The Swarm are scattered around by the powerful wind that wasn’t looking natural at all. The fight was over. The Swarm was gone. The wind was gone. The Fin Famine slithered back into the sea, clearly frustrated by not having enough time to pursue the siren crew)
Proculus: Is it… dead?
Barbara: Sure is, mate!.. Can’t believe me eyes!
Queen: Can we see your doctor now? My Healing Power isn’t suited for the wounds of this degree!
Proculus: Can it at least mend my knee? I received an injury there.
(On a cliff nearby, Gaze Sister was watching the fight unravel. She noted the wind immediately as something unnatural, something alive. And now, she is standing in front of a condensed air cloud, rapidly turning black and teal)
Gaze Sister: So, spirit, who can you be?
???: Ah, the siren speak with ghost, but ghost doesn’t speak with siren! Make ghost interested, and ghost will answer!
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??? is akursius keep reference!!
You can’t be serious rn…
