The sun had set, painting the sky in hues ranging from noon to late afternoon as the entire fleet of warships departed for the waters of Ardel.
This armada combined galleys, carracks, and balingers, as well as other vessels belonging to the Cassians, Ardelians, and hired pirates and rcenaries.
The majestic ships dominated the surface of the blue sea, steadily advancing across the rolling waves. They stretched out for miles, an endless parade of towering masts, billowing sails, and bristling cannons.
With this vast force heading to face the Bargesian army, the party boasted confidence in their ability to subdue the enemy. The only challenge was to reach the kingdom before the Barbarians of the South attacked it.
Adam and Athillia turned their heads as they heard the creak of Kyren’s cabin door opening. The healer erged, carefully closing the door behind them.
"How is he faring?" the admiral asked, approaching the healer. Athillia, by his side, shared the sa concerned expression.
"He’s fine and sleeping now. He is still weak, but his condition is not alarming. He’ll be fine after several days of rest, so please don’t disturb him for the mont," the healer responded.
The admiral breathed a sigh of relief.
"If you don’t mind, I would like to go to the galley. I’ve asked my assistant to brew a concoction for His Lordship, and I want to check on that," the healer requested.
Adam nodded, and the healer bowed before excusing himself. Another sigh escaped the admiral’s lips as he brushed his blonde hair to the back. The look on his face was as if he carried a sense of remorse over the incident.
"How could I not see this coming?" he shook his head in dismay. "This is just... None of this had ever happened! How could His Lordship suddenly beco like that? He’s the strongest knight in Cassian!" he said in disbelief.
"He’s still a human being! You can’t expect him to be resilient all the ti. Bad things can happen at any opportunity!" Athillia said.
"I know that! It just doesn’t make any sense. You’ve seen how he subdued the Bargesian knights that pursued you. That imbecile king didn’t even have half the strength of those n!" Adam argued.
Athillia couldn’t give any response. She too was bewildered by the incident. The admiral took a mont to think, his forehead wrinkling as his expression turned brooding.
Could it be because of the light?" he contemplated.
"What light?"
"Right after you went after him to the beach, there was a sudden change of weather. I saw a light beaming to the place where he was. It wasn’t long, but it was the strangest phenonon I’ve ever seen in my entire life," the admiral explained.
Seeing the bizarre situation, the admiral and his team quickly made their way to the location to investigate. Midway, they t with Athillia, who was rushing back to get help.
They then discovered the startling truth - Kyren had fainted and was in a dire state after duelling with King Ronan. No one had anticipated such an outco for the grand duke, a warrior renowned for his formidable prowess.
The team quickly ca to Kyren’s aid, rushing him to the camp area to be treated. In his weakened state, the grand duke could barely walk, his face pale and his strength depleted.
However, the grand duke insisted they set sail imdiately despite his condition. Ti was of the essence, as they needed to reach Ardel before the innocent people were slaughtered and the kingdom was raided.
To avoid raising concern and disheartening the battalions, Kyren ordered Adam and the others who knew of his condition to keep the matter a secret.
"I didn’t see the light. I was coming to him when a strong wind blew and prevented from continuing. I had to take shelter until it stopped," said the Bargesian Princess.
"That’s strange... the wind didn’t blow up to the camp area. It would have affected the whole vicinity if it were a normal storm. We weren’t that far from the beach," Adam said, rubbing his chin.
"It is strange indeed," Athillia agreed.
"Thank goodness you went after him. If not..." the admiral frowned, the unspoken words hanging in the air.
"I should have been more vigilant," he muttered. "As the second person in charge of this fleet, I should have foreseen the dangers that could befall us. Yet, I failed to protect one of our most valuable assets."
"Things happened. Don’t keep blaming yourself. What’s most important is he’s safe now," the Bargesian Princess said gently.
Adam nodded.
"Thank you, Athillia. We owe this to you again."
The Bargesian Princess smiled.
"No. He saved first, and both of you accepted despite knowing my background. This is the least I could do to repay the favour."
Adam reciprocated the smile.
"I’m going to the deck to check on the ship. Do you want to co with ? There’s nothing to do here, and we don’t want to disturb Lord Kyren’s rest," he suggested.
Athillia agreed, and they headed outside to the open deck.
The vast sea was calm. The Bargesian Princess’s long, reddish-brown hair fluttered in the breeze as she stood near the railing, her light brown eyes fixed on the glistening water.
She had tied her hair in a ponytail to keep it from bothering her. However, a few stray strands had escaped the confines of the tie, fluttering gently in the sea wind.
While waiting for Adam to finish his discussion with the navigating officer, the Bargesian Princess gazed out at the stretched sea. It had been several hours since they had departed the Agathe islands, bound for Ardel.
Her light brown eyes scanned the glistening expanse of water, finding solace in the tranquil rhythm of the waves. The gentle motion of the ship, the salty tang in the air, and the distant horizon all combined, creating a sense of serene contemplation for the Bargesian Princess.
Suddenly, the vessel shook as a strong wind blew up out of nowhere. Athillia’s hand shot out, gripping the railing to steady herself as she turned around in surprise.
Were they under attack?
The Bargesian Princess looked at Adam, who was also wearing a bewildered expression. Before anyone could react, the watcher in the crow’s nest sounded the alarm.
"A storm is coming!"
A storm? Again, after just a few hours from the previous one? This was highly unusual. Wouldn’t the experienced sea officers have foreseen such a change in weather before setting out?
As the once-clear sky rapidly turned dark, the admiral’s voice rang out, "Take cover!"
The crew rushed to their stations, bracing themselves for the unexpected weather. But then, an ethereal light shone down from the darkened sky, focusing on a specific ship area.
Adam’s eyes widened as he recognised the phenonon.
"It’s the light! It’s pointing to Lord Kyren’s cabin!" he exclaid.
Concerned for the grand duke’s safety, the admiral and Athillia quickly rushed towards the cabin. As Adam reached the door, he pulled the handle, but a vital force prevented it from opening. A bright light was emanating from the cracks. He was sure it was targeting Kyren.
"What’s the matter? Why can’t you open it?" the Bargesian Princess asked in alarm.
"I don’t know! Sothing is blocking it!" Adam exclaid.
Impatiently, he banged on the door and shouted, "My Lord! My Lord! Open up!"
Athillia joined in, calling out to Kyren with evident fear.
"My Lord! Wake up, My Lord!"
But there was no response from within the cabin, only the ominous glow of the mysterious light.
They tried to open the door, but their efforts were futile. Adam even pushed the Bargesian Princess aside and slamd the door with his shoulder, attempting to break through, but the door refused to budge.
The vessel shook several tis, but suddenly, it beca calm again. The light emanating from inside Kyren’s cabin had ceased.
Athillia and Adam exchanged bewildered glances at the sudden change. Just then, a crew mber rushed to them to report the situation.
"Admiral, the storm has passed," he said.
"Passed? That fast?" Adam asked, perplexed.
"Well... it seed like it just went away. The sky has returned to normal, and the waves are calm again," the crew mber hesitated, equally perplexed by the strange occurrence.
Just then, the door cracked open, and they all saw Kyren standing before them.
"My Lord! You... you’re fine!" Adam uttered in shock.
Athillia mirrored the sa expression.
"Are you truly all right? Did the light attack you?" she asked.
"I’m perfectly fine. What light are you talking about?" Kyren asked back.
"There was this light... It ca from the sky and shone down to your cabin, and I rushed for you when I saw it. I recalled seeing the sa light on the island when you duelled with the King of Ardel. I thought it attacked you," the admiral explained.
"No. None of the lights hurt . I’m all good now," Kyren reassured them.
Athillia creased her forehead. The healer had ntioned that the grand duke needed several days of rest due to his weakened state, but here he was, standing before them as if the mysterious occurrence had never happened.
"This doesn’t make any sense..." Adam shook his head.
"Back on the island, was there any light that bead upon you? I was quite surprised when I saw you were unconscious on the ground. I was going to ask you this, but you were so sick until now," Athillia said.
"That..." Kyren paused, recalling the unique light that had descended from the sky and struck him at the beach.
The fact was, he had felt the sa strong surge of current flowing from within when the light hit him, just as he had experienced on his journey towards the Agathe islands.
Compared to the previous one, the second ti, he felt it was so much stronger yet painful, as if he was going to die.
There was a deeper layer to this perplexing event.
When he was fast asleep in his cabin, Kyren found himself enveloped in a dream, the visage of a woman erging before him.
Her face eluded his waking recollection, yet her beauty exuded an otherworldly, majestic aura that stirred a profound reverence within him.
She whispered to him in his dream, her voice resonating with a haunting familiarity as if echoing from a distant past.
"Protect her, Raychard. She and you are one, destined to be together..."
The voice tugged at his mory, but the specifics of its origin remained elusive. Could this ethereal encounter hold any connection to the enigmatic light that Adam had ntioned?
Upon awakening, Kyren found himself free of pain yet startled by the urgent calls of Adam and Athillia at his door. Remarkably, he rose from his sleep easily, his strength and vitality restored to their forr state.
Kyren was tempted to share his surreal experience, but then he hesitated, sensing the worry etched on his companions’ faces. Therefore, he decided to omit this peculiar story from their knowledge.
"I’m not so sure... I did see an ethereal light shining upon that ti... but I don’t recall the rest. When I woke up, I saw Athillia by my side, crying. That was all," the grand duke recounted.
Adam voiced his astonishnt, pondering aloud, "Could the heavens have briefly claid your soul and then returned it? You were not yourself just now."
Kyren chuckled softly.
"Had it happened, I would not be standing here. How can a person live twice? Moreover, I was still alive and striving when she found ," he remarked, gesturing towards the Bargesian Princess.
"That doesn’t explain what happened to you. Do you know how terribly shocked we were when we saw you in such a state? At first, I thought you were poisoned, but the healer said you were not. It’s just like your whole energy had been sucked out of you," the admiral added.
Kyren shook his head.
"I really don’t know what happened either. This is sothing beyond our understanding. If it’s as you said, the heavens might have decided that whatever they took from was worth giving back, and so they did."
Athillia looked at him intently, "Then, you no longer feel weak like before?"
"Not at all. I feel strong and healthy as usual," Kyren replied.
Adam and Athillia exchanged a sceptical glance. The grand duke reached over to convince them and pulled the sword from the admiral’s waist. He swung it skillfully, and his performance was as excellent as ever.
"See? I’m all good," Kyren said, returning the sword to Adam.
The admiral still seed puzzled.
"This is totally weird!"
Kyren shrugged, "I know you’re surprised, but I’m back to normal. Since I can’t explain what happened either, let’s not dwell on it too much. We have an impending war to deal with."
"But what if it happens again? That’s it! I’m not taking any chances. From now on, I’ll always be by your side to protect you," Adam declared.
"You’re exaggerating," Kyren said, pushing away the offer.
"No, he’s right! You need to be protected," Athillia chid in, agreeing with the admiral.
"I can take care of myself," Kyren responded.
"Oh no, you don’t! How would we explain anything to your wife if anything happened to you? His Majesty the King would be furious if anything worse happened! I don’t even know how to explain this to him!" Adam insisted.
Kyren let out a breath. Both his companions were determined in their decision.
"Fine! But you don’t need to report this incident to His Majesty," Kyren relented.
"Don’t report? My Lord, I’d be punished if I didn’t!" Adam said, bewildered.
"This is about and has nothing to do with the current mission. So you don’t have to take responsibility for it. If anything, I’ll respond to His Majesty myself. If you disagree, I won’t accept your protection," Kyren stated firmly.
"All right, all right!" Adam raised a hand, gesturing that he understood.
Athillia shook her head.
"You know, despite everything that happened to you, you really do love your wife."
"What are you talking about?" Kyren asked.
"You kept uttering her na in your subconscious state. If that’s not love, then what is it? I may be young, but I’m not that dumb not to know that," the Bargesian Princess remarked.
Adam chuckled.
Kyren was about to deny it, but doing so would only invite more questions from these two, who were unaware of the condition preventing him from falling in love. So, the grand duke decided to remain silent.
However, in the back of his mind, Kyren’s thoughts kept returning to Anna. At this mont, he couldn’t shake the feeling that sothing had happened, though he didn’t know what.
Perhaps it was just an ominous premonition...
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