Adrian nudged his horse forward, leaving his group behind as he went to find his people.
"Milord!" someone noticed him and called out. Adrian slowed and saw that it was the steward. He hopped off his horse and approached him, his hand tight on the sword at his waist.
"What happened?"
The steward looked fine, it seemed. Adrian's gaze swept the surroundings and saw his people, the villagers seemed fine, with no trace of sorrow on their faces.
"Islanders attacked us yesterday… five ships. Three docked and attacked, the other two rained down arrows on us. But as quickly as they appeared, they also left."
Adrian grimaced. They knew the islanders would soon take notice and attack. They had discussed it between the lords, they knew the islanders wouldn't allow the potential navy of a kingdom near their islands.
"How about our people? Did we lose any?"
The steward shook his head. "No. We were far away from the battle when it began. Sir Cordell made sure those who couldn't fight were taken far away, while he led those who could to help fend off the enemies."
"Where is Cordell now?"
"Last I saw Sir Cordell, he was in discussion with Lord Wyatt's people. He should be back soon."
Almost on cue, the knight appeared.
"Milord! You're back."
"What's the situation with the other lords now?" Adrian asked, heading toward one of the structures, a large cabin that hadn't been burned because of its distance from the sea, and where the Prince was staying.
"They plan to make a patrol around this part of the sea."
"Patrol? With only two ships?" Adrian commented. He knew the quickly finished port had two ships anchored, one a longship taken from the islanders previously, and another similar to a carrack by design.
"It's three now. Another longship was taken from the enemy." Sir Cordell wore a faint frown. "There is word that you must undertake this matter."
Adrian was taken aback. "Why? Wouldn't Lord Hardinge or Lord Sanford be better for this? How do I know anything about patrolling the sea?"
"There has been talk, since you weren't here for the attack and since you received the Prince's grace yourself during your inheritance ceremony, that you should step forward," Sir Cordell said, not mentioning any specific lord's name.
Adrian scoffed before schooling his expression as he approached the large cabin. There were more than a dozen soldiers around it, all in armor as high-quality as a knight's.
"I would like to meet His Grace."
A guard knocked and someone opened the door, whispering something inside. It was a moment before the door fully opened. Inside was a picture of comfort and luxury, with soft rugs and curtains. A scent of something sweet and comforting wafted through the air. In the center was a table where the Prince, in loose clothing, was looking at a layout of the new city.
"Ah, Lord Harrow, you're back." The Prince looked up, his usual smile on his face.
"Your Grace…" Adrian bowed deeply.
"I'm sure you've been given a brief of what happened by your people, but let me run it by you myself."
"I would be grateful and honored, Your Grace."
Prince Cale then reiterated what happened. The attack wasn't really a surprise, they had expected it. The enemy came in strong, arrows raining down as other ships tried to stop by the beach to allow the islanders to land. Then it was a melee. The enemy even surged toward the Prince's direction, their purpose clear.
Of course, the enemy didn't succeed. Just as swiftly as they had attacked, they left, but not before Lord Wyatt's forces managed to seize one of the enemy ships.
"Through interrogation of captured enemies, we learned that the enemy is part of the Laluga Clan, one of the largest forces in the Maglu Islands. They controlled an entire city-port before people started leaving. Some other clans are said to have migrated away from the islands and deep into the south near the barbarian kingdoms. But interestingly, one of the captured enemies told us the Laluga Clan is actually settling much closer, to the territory of the wild tribes near the ocean, Groove Sand."
Adrian frowned at the information, trying to remember where that was. If he was not wrong, it was only a mountain range away from here. The mountains might serve as a barrier, but it was still too close.
"Information says they have near 3,000 fighters with them. Plus the young, the old, and slaves, expect more. They fully intend to migrate."
Three thousand. Adrian thought an army of about 500 was plenty, and here came an enemy with 3,000.
But one thing made him curious.
"Your Grace… what truly made the islanders leave their islands?"
The Prince took a moment to answer. "They had pissed off the Serena Kingdom, that much is true. But this has been going on for a while now. What prompted them to leave, however… supposedly, they encountered dark sea creatures in the South Sea."
"Dark sea creatures?" Adrian muttered, confused.
"Corrupted sea creatures." the Prince said with a level stare.
Adrian's face hardened. The word corruption steeled him, he was familiar with the word from stories, legends, and myths.
And honestly, he doubted it, even now, but if elves, giants, dwarves, and other races existed in this world, those stories were probably true.
The word corruption was attributed to the Dark Age, when dark magic supposedly lingered everywhere, corrupting everything and everyone. All uncorrupted races fought to fend it off, until the light forces won, ushering in a new age and it had been 493 years since.
Were signs of corruption happening again?
"Do you believe them, Your Grace?" Adrian asked. Maybe he was just blowing the matter out of proportion.
The Prince didn't answer and instead repeated the question back to him. "Do you?"
Adrian took a few moments of hesitation to respond. "I'm not sure."
Prince Cale nodded. "Regardless of whether it's true or not, it drove the islanders into a frenzy. Along with prophecies from their prophets and the gods they believe in, the islands turned to mayhem. They believe the sea will soon be blackened with corruption, and hence, some started to leave."
Adrian nodded, now getting the gist of it.
"Now, the kingdom cannot simply stand by as they settle themselves as our neighbors. But hitting them on land is impossible, so we go by sea. It is up to my shoulders to deal with them." The Prince then looked pointedly at him, and Adrian immediately understood.
"I will follow the Prince's commands."
'God, I hope it's not something suicidal' he added inwardly.
The Prince nodded in satisfaction. "I know you will. Which is why you will lead the patrol to protect the new port. Should there be a fight with the enemy, you will have command of the sea patrol. If you see any enemies, it is up to your decision whether to engage them or not."
"Your Grace, while I won't hesitate to do it, why me? I confess, I am not familiar with battles at sea."
"Well, there's a first time for everything, isn't there?" The Prince merely chuckled, then added, "You won't be alone. Lord Sanford and Lord Hardinge will provide some of their forces, and a knight to represent them will be with you."
Adrian could only nod, though slowly.
"There's another meeting tonight. We'll discuss the finer details then."
"Of course." Adrian bowed before turning around and leaving the cabin.
---
That night, the lords gathered and discussed the matter of the islanders. They still had too few ships and too few men to truly contend with them, they needed time to develop. It was then that Adrian truly felt the Prince did not plan to seek help from the Crown or other high lords, like the Duke of Dorshare, who possessed the most ships and had invested the most in the ocean. It seemed the Prince was determined to build something almost out of scratch.
Hence, efforts were underway to construct ships, perhaps not massive vessels yet, but something akin to the enemy's longships, only wider and capable of long-distance trade. The Prince had already employed maesters skilled in such naval architecture in the beginning so there was no problem in that aspect.
Then, the discussion turned to the patrol. The three ships they currently possessed would be used for the mission, and Adrian would lead it with the support of forces from Lord Sanford and Lord Hardinge.
While leading such a mission should have been an honor, everyone knew the enemy outnumbered them at sea. Taking the lead in such a matter felt like a precursor to failure.
After all, they were merely trying to buy time, knowing they could not win a head-on confrontation.
And Adrian was the one thrust with the task of holding the line as long as possible, provided the enemy didn't simply bypass the patrols altogether.
When the meeting finally ended, Adrian prepared for the days ahead. He rejected Lord Bronsone's offer to drink the night away, choosing instead to train and learn everything he could about how sea battles worked.
He even spent an hour practicing his footwork in a swaying boat.
The next day, Adrian stood on the deck of the largest of the three ships. Sir Cordell stood behind him, watching as they slowly sailed away from the shore, the two longships flanking them as they began their patrol.
For a week, the situation remained stable. Adrian spent only a few hours at a time on solid ground, staying mostly at sea to grow accustomed to the constant swaying of the deck. He trained, sparred, and discussed tactics with the other knights, planning what to do if they spotted the enemy.
The only thing was, he couldn't easily go back to his territory for a while, and just after the situation with Lady Elq. Adrian could only curse his bad luck.
For a while, he had hoped the enemy would not come too soon. Those hopes were dashed, however, when they spotted four longships in the distance, bearing down on them.
Adrian felt the wind on his face and the salt in the air. He felt the splashing of the waves against the hull and noticed his skin had already begun to tan from the sun.
He took a deep breath. Around him, the men scrambled to their stations, preparing for the clash.
Adrian then released his breath and squared his shoulders, knowing the ocean would soon be drenched in blood.