Peril at Sea

I didn't get to see the magnificent sunrise over the sea, but the sunset in the evening was just as breathtaking.

The red crack that tore open the horizon, where the sea and sky had seemed to meet, was striking. Seabirds wheeled overhead before gradually disappearing, and the noisy crowds returned to the cabins for dinner. Now, only nature remained to paint the most moving scene.

I was very grateful for Poppy's company. Otherwise, I would've been in a panic. I was feeling much better now, and I had a goal: once we found the great hero she'd mentioned, we could see if he had a way to defeat LeBlanc.

This was a luxury cruise ship, and the opulence inside rivaled any palace on land. The dining hall and ballroom were filled with an air of elegance, and most of the people coming and going were wealthy socialites dressed in finery. In my battered armor, I stood out like a sore thumb among them.

"I wouldn't have guessed you were so rich," I said. Poppy was dressed plainly, yet she was staying somewhere so luxurious.

"I'm not rich. I can't even afford a room in the ordinary cabins back there. I'm only here because someone hired me as a bodyguard."

"You're a pretty laid-back bodyguard."

"They don't like Yordles, so they don't like spending time with me."

"Then why hire you?"

"Maybe they're afraid, or maybe they just don't want the trouble. Some Yordles come to this world to indulge their interests in destruction and pranks, and they've earned us a bad reputation. So even though he hired me, he doesn't want me around."

"I see. Could you find me a job too? I still have to eat."

"I'll try."

Poppy introduced me to her employer. My size and solid muscles immediately won me a warm welcome.

When I turned to leave, my employer called me back. He'd noticed the dagger at my waist.

"If I'm not mistaken, this was made by a master smith in Demacia. Where did you get it?"

"I was lucky enough to cross swords with Lady Fiora of Demacia. She gave me this weapon."

The employer frowned, then opened his coat to reveal the badge on his chest. It showed a broken axe—the crest of House of Dali, one of Demacia's five great houses.

"Do you recognize this crest?"

"Sorry, sir, I'm not familiar with it." I took a serious look at it, then shook my head.

"Oh, right. You're Ionian, so you might not know. My name is Witt, and I'm a member of House of Dali in Demacia. I've met Lady Fiora a few times. It seems fate brought us together. Go get some rest. I'll call you if I need anything."

"Yes, Lord Dali."

I hadn't expected to meet someone from House of Dali here. He seemed to hold a pretty high position. I remembered that Jon, who'd once proposed to Fiora, was also from that house. I didn't know how they were related, but Witt had a much better personality than Jon.

I didn't like the lavish atmosphere inside the ship, so I went for a walk with Poppy after dinner.

The night over the sea wasn't as beautiful as I'd imagined. Even under a sky full of stars, the darkness was frightening. The lights didn't reach far before being swallowed by the dark. The only thing that never changed was the sound of waves breaking against the ship.

We didn't return to rest until the lights inside the cabins slowly went out. There weren't any spare rooms, so Poppy and I had to make do with sharing one.

I didn't know how long had passed when the commotion outside woke me. Poppy woke up too and rubbed her big eyes. "What's happening?"

I opened the window. It was already light out, but everything beyond it was a blinding white haze. All I could hear was people rushing back and forth on deck.

"I don't know. Let's go see."

Our quarters were high up, so we had a hard time pushing down the stairs through the panicked crowd. When we finally got outside, the fog was even thicker.

Strangely, fog should have felt damp and chilly, but this one felt warm and pleasant.

"Shh... listen."

Poppy motioned for me to be quiet, then cupped a hand to her ear. I focused and heard the lovely voice of a young woman.

Her voice was ethereal and captivating. At first, she only hummed a gentle tune, like a secret whispered by nature. Slowly, she began to sing, her enchanting melody weaving the purest of dreams and easing the weariness deep inside us.

Then the voice grew louder until I could hear it clearly. Her sweet singing was like a heavenly song, impossible to resist.

Soon, various light and graceful accompaniments joined in, turning the original unaccompanied tune into a full performance. Anyone who heard it would fall in love with the sound.

I tried to find its source, but the singing came from all directions at once. I couldn't tell where the singer was. Still, what could be better than basking in this warm fog and listening to such a captivating song?

Before long, the fog suddenly began to thin. There were far fewer people on deck, and then I saw someone approaching nearby. She had dark skin and a head of white hair. It was Riven!

"Riven, what are you doing here?"

"I heard the rebels at the Immortal Fortress had been defeated, and most of them had been killed. You still hadn't come back, so I went looking for you. LeBlanc teleported me here, but I'm so glad you're safe!"

Riven walked slowly toward me, smiling with delight. Just as she was about to hug me, I pushed her away and drew the dagger at my waist.

"Stay away from me!"

"What are you doing?"

"You're not Riven. She doesn't know LeBlanc, and she wouldn't walk so slowly or smile so happily at the sight of me. Who are you?"

When I saw through her disguise, the creature that looked just like Riven lunged at me. I swung my dagger at her several times, but her appearance made it impossible for me to strike. In the end, I had no choice but to stab her in the arm.

That single, seemingly insignificant attack made her collapse straight to the ground and turn into a pile of bones! The beautiful singing stopped, replaced by a chaotic din.

I saw that the sea was still shrouded in fog, and the ship was strewn with bones. All over the deck, people clung to Skeleton Soldiers, their eyes vacant as they called out different names. I'd almost ended up the same way.

I charged at the enchanting Skeleton Soldiers with my dagger. They looked terrifying, but they weren't strong at all. A single thrust from me was enough to scatter them into piles of bones.

But most of the passengers had been bewitched. I couldn't save them all quickly enough on my own. Just then, Poppy came running over with a huge hammer in one hand and my spear in the other. Both weapons were nearly half her height.

"I finally found you! Here, take your weapon. Let's go help the captain hold off the skeleton army."

"What about all these people?"

"We can't do anything for them. We can't waste time here."

Poppy and I hurried to the bow and found the captain leading his crew in a desperate fight. I plunged into the mass of skeletons, cutting them down. Every sweep knocked a whole crowd off their feet, and Poppy's warhammer was just as effective.

The captain was delighted to see us. "I never expected to find two heroes on board. This is wonderful!"

We fought for a while, but the Skeleton Soldiers kept pouring out of the fog. The captain pointed to a nearby tower and told everyone to gather there.

We abandoned the bow and began retreating toward the tower. We soon reached the entrance, where the captain opened the door and let everyone inside to take shelter. Those who were better fighters stayed outside to guard it.

The doorway of the gun tower was narrow, so it took a long time for everyone to get inside. Then I spotted a group approaching nearby. It was Witt and his men, so I hurried over to help them. After quite a struggle, I finally brought them back.

"Thank you, Ionian. It seems hiring you was the right choice."

"Don't mention it, Lord Dali. Hurry and get inside."

After Witt went in, the captain stopped me from going back to rescue anyone else. "You'll do more good by shutting the door and letting them accept their fate."

"Aren't these people your passengers? They trusted you when they chose your ship, and they paid a lot of money. Are you really going to leave them to die?"

"With your strength, you might be able to save a few people. But that would make the survivors rush to you for help. Do you think you could save them all? Better to let them accept their fate. If they hide in some corner, they might still survive."

I couldn't deny what the captain said. He was right: the few of us couldn't save everyone, and rushing too eagerly to help could sometimes backfire.

Once the last passenger had entered the gun tower, we shut the door. The captain counted ninety-eight people inside, less than a tenth of the total number aboard.

I ran to the top of the tower and looked down. The entire ship had been swallowed by the skeleton army, a sea of white bones as far as I could see.

"What are these Skeleton Soldiers? And what were the singing and the illusion?" I asked the captain.

"The Skeleton Soldiers are servants of the Sea Demon. When I was a child, I saw them during a voyage with my father. There were only a few dozen skeletons back then, and we drove them off quickly. I don't know why there are so many this time."

The captain recalled the past, his face drawn with pain.

"After that voyage, my father handed the ship over to my uncle and went traveling for many years. Later, he learned some secrets in Bilgewater. No one knows what the Sea Demon really is. Whenever it appears, there's a captivating song. If you aren't careful, you fall into an illusion. The Skeleton Soldiers are driven by the song, and they drain the life from the living."

"I see. So people see someone they miss in the illusion, then lose themselves in it." I voiced my guess based on what I'd just experienced.

"That's right. People who spend a long time at sea miss someone or their hometown. That gives them the perfect chance to slip in. That's why my crew all undergoes different kinds of training before they can join a long voyage. Even so, many have still lost their lives."

We stayed in the gun tower and talked. Some people managed to keep calm, others were close to breaking down, and a few even started crying.

That night, we assigned people to keep watch, while the rest went to sleep. But I doubted anyone could rest easy under the circumstances.

I took the captain's advice and got some sleep. If something unexpected happened again, I'd need my strength to deal with it.