The Harrowing

Besides pirates and bounty hunters, Bilgewater was also home to a special group known as the Baru Tribe, who worshipped a deity called Naga Kaboros.

At the other end of Bilgewater stood Baru Temple.

A woman with powerful limbs, dark skin, and braided hair sat upright in the prayer chamber. Beside her lay a stone sphere half a meter in diameter.

Suddenly, she opened her eyes and stood, lifting the stone sphere. Her expression was one of disbelief.

"High Priestess," a similarly burly man approached from behind. "What instructions does Naga Kaboros have for us?"

The woman turned around and said gravely, "Go tell everyone: the Harrowing is coming."

"Mr. Ato, what brings you here so late?" Sarah asked, rubbing her eyes in the Captain's Cabin, a hint of wariness rising in her heart.

It was already past midnight, yet Ato had knocked on the Captain's Cabin door, saying he had something to tell Sarah.

"The Harrowing is coming. Get ready," Ato said calmly.

Sarah jolted, her drowsiness vanishing in an instant. "The Harrowing? Did the news come from Baru Temple?"

"No. I sensed it." Ato lied with a straight face. In truth, Aatrox had sensed it.

"This is bad." Sarah panicked a little, then pressed a button on the table. A clear blast of the ship's horn rang across the entire vessel. It was the Assembly Order aboard the Siren.

Before long, all the sailors who had been sleeping in their rooms came to the deck, throwing on their clothes as they gathered.

Sarah addressed the sailors, who had no idea what was going on. "The Harrowing is approaching. The Siren is now under emergency orders!"

"Everyone, check your weapons and equipment. Inspect the bow's main cannon and the side cannons. If we don't have enough ammunition, go ashore and restock immediately. Increase the number of night watches. We must get through this Harrowing safely!"

At her words, the sailors shook off their drowsiness and immediately got to work.

For the people of Bilgewater, the Harrowing was a nightmare. Let your guard down for even a moment, and it would swallow you whole, never to wake again.

The crew went off to carry out their duties. Sarah turned to Ato for help. "The Harrowing isn't exactly the Iron Hook Gang's threat to us, but, Mr. Ato, if you could help us fight those undead, we'll do our best to give you whatever reward you ask for..."

Ato smiled and shook his head. "Our deal is already settled. For a month, I'll keep you safe. Neither the Iron Hook Gang nor the Harrowing will pose any threat to you."

Sarah opened her mouth, unsure what to say. In the end, all she managed was, "Thank you."

"The Harrowing?" Gangplank looked at the burly Baru tribesman before him. "I understand."

The tribesman nodded and left the room.

"Captain, this is your first Harrowing since becoming Bilgewater's Ruler. You should prepare thoroughly. It will benefit your rule in the future," First Mate Andrew advised.

"We should prepare properly." Gangplank agreed. He never passed up an opportunity to boost his reputation.

The greater Gangplank's reputation, the higher his bounty—and watching it continue to rise was what he wanted most.

"There's still been no word from the second mate and the others. Our informant says a dangerous man carrying a greatsword boarded Miss Fortune's ship. He may be the one who dealt with the second mate. With the Harrowing coming, we're short on a lot of support, and the danger is greater than ever."

Gangplank furrowed his brow slightly but didn't dwell on it. Getting through the Harrowing was what mattered most right now. "Give the order. The Leviathan and the Dreadnought will both set out for Grayport in the southeast and stand ready."

Andrew went to make the arrangements, leaving Gangplank alone in the room once more.

"Noxian warships really are useful. They're powerful, and perfect for fighting the undead."

"Now that I think about it, the sight of Swain slinking back to Noxus after I stole his warships still makes me smile."

Gangplank spoke to himself. The figure on the wanted poster on the wall had grown so high that it was little more than a symbol now.

The Harrowing had not always existed.

Southeast of Bilgewater lay a large island perpetually shrouded in Black Mist. It was now called the Shadow Isles.

Countless mindless spirits lived on the island. Every so often, the Black Mist would surge in force, and the undead would sweep across Runeterra with it. Bilgewater, the closest place, bore the brunt of their assault.

"Another thousand years. Many of the things happening now are tied to what happened a thousand years ago."

Ato was wide awake aboard the Siren. The Demon Sword had altered him, and sleep was no longer a necessity.

"Fukko Island became what it is now largely because of a World Rune. It once flourished, but now it's the source of the Harrowing and the fuse that sparked the Rune War."

"There was a World Rune there?" Aatrox grew eager, itching to set off for the Shadow Isles at once. No Black Mist or spirits could stop him.

"There isn't anymore."

Ato looked out the window. Judging by the time, the sun should have been rising above the horizon soon. But the Black Mist had swallowed the dawn's faint light, leaving everything outside pitch-black.

"The Black Mist is here." Ato rose, slung the Demonic Sword of the Dark across his back, and went up to the deck.

The Siren's crew had gathered there, their expressions grim. In the southeast, the Black Mist blotted out the sky as it spread toward them. They could even make out skulls forming in the fog.

In the face of the Harrowing, everyone in Bilgewater was equal. Only by using every means at their disposal could they survive.

"Get ready! Contact!" Raven shouted.

At last, the Black Mist reached Bilgewater.

Visibility plummeted. Amid the wailing of souls, the Siren was completely swallowed by the Black Mist.

"Stay calm! Keep formation! Don't spread out!" Sarah remained on high alert, watching for undead emerging from the Black Mist.

They weren't on land, but out on the Vast Sea near southern Bilgewater. Still, the undead could appear anywhere the Black Mist covered.

Just then, a gaunt claw suddenly appeared in Sarah's field of vision, reaching straight for her neck!

Sarah instinctively raised her hands, holding her pistols in front of her. If the undead grabbed her, her mother's only keepsake would likely be badly damaged!

But the undead hadn't sensed Ato.

Aboard the Siren was a being beyond their comprehension.

The emaciated undead was wreathed in dark green flames. It thought it had hidden itself well, and that no one aboard could sense its ambush.

The mindless undead waited for the right moment, relying on instinct to judge its target, then attacked the leader aboard the ship.

But it hadn't expected someone else to be on board.

The undead's skeletal hands were already close to Sarah. They were about to touch her pistols, but could advance no farther.

A greatsword radiating a terrifying aura stood between Sarah and the undead.

"Am I really that easy to overlook?"