Nikita

The midday sun hung in the center of the sky's northern expanse, utterly devoid of clouds. Against the azure backdrop, only a single large black bird, its wings spread wide, soared between the sea and the sky.

The scorching sun cast its rays upon the shimmering sea, reflecting captivating colors.

This was a vast expanse of ocean; from the present vantage point, nothing unusual or out of place could be seen stretching to the horizon, only shades of deep, rich blue.

A gentle sea breeze caressed the water's surface, stirring up schools of flying fish from below. They leaped towards the sun, their broad fins flapping with a pitter-patter.

What startled these small creatures was not some ferocious marine predator, but a three-masted sailing ship, a hundred meters in length.

A black sailing ship, sleeping peacefully on the sea.

The hull was entirely black and gleaming. The ebony hull, as if glazed, shone brilliantly under the sun.

The front two main masts bore five dim, broad sails, while the last mast carried a large triangular foresail. The sails were all spread wide, yet the black ship remained eerily stationary, not moving an inch. The sea for miles around was utterly calm.

On the deck at the stern, a single lantern hung. Its flame was weak, emitting a sickly green light. Yet, even in this clear sky and bright sunshine, the lantern radiated a dazzling glow, enveloping the entire ship in its halo.

Several thick ropes were tightly secured to the mast at the bow, which slanted diagonally towards the sky. These ropes ran the length of the black ship, firmly binding it to the massive central mast.

Beneath the bowsprit, a figurehead of a siren with clasped hands was mounted.

The siren's scarlet eyes glowed faintly, her expression lifelike. Her body was as white as jade, forming a stark contrast with the black ship. She was draped in nothing but a thin veil, yet a thick, crimson iron chain was wrapped around her neck and arms, encircling her body.

Dozens of scaled snakes, as thick as a child's arm, coiled around her head. Currently, these lovers of cold, dark caves drooped listlessly under the blazing sun, flicking their tongues as they hung from the mast, which resembled a spear at the ship's prow.

Warm, pleasant days always made people feel lazy.

Laziness often bred a drowsy atmosphere.

The deck was empty. Not a single diligent crew member could be seen scrubbing the deck; not even the ropes hanging from the mast bothered to sway.

A rough canvas lounge chair sat atop the ship's cabin.

In the lounge chair, a young man with black hair, wearing a pink polo shirt and colorful white and green beach shorts, had an open copy of "Miss Dodo" covering his face. Faint snores could be heard from beneath the magazine.

Directly behind the sleeping young man, on the main mast, hung a bald man in rough cloth shorts. His head drooped, motionless, devoid of any life. His arms were spread wide, like a crucified Jesus, his muscular body covered in scars.

To the front of the port side, a tall blonde youth leaned against the railing. He held a thick cigar in his mouth, his eyes narrowed, staring motionlessly at the fishing rod before him.

Perhaps he was the only one awake on deck.

The black sailing ship rested alone in this calm sea, with only the rolling waves visible as far as the eye could see. Apart from fishing, this awake individual could find no other amusement.

But even this meager amusement was slowly dissolving under the intense sunlight.

"Damn it!" the blonde youth cursed in annoyance.

His fishing rod hadn't had a single bite since morning. The calm sea was like a sheet of blue glass, without the slightest ripple. The piece of intestine baiting his hook hadn't even attracted a single blowfly.

"Could it be that these wizards have been doing too many toxic experiments lately, and even the flies now despise their flesh?" the blonde youth speculated maliciously, raising his head boredly.

Then he saw the black speck circling high above.

"Damn feathered beast!" The youth took a deep drag from his cigar.

All of this was the fault of that large bird.

He raised his eyelids, casting a glance at the black speck in the sky with his scarlet eyes, and exhaled a thick smoke ring.

In the center of the smoke ring, the large bird nonchalantly spread its wings.

Ever since the captain discovered a pair of wizard's eyes watching them from above, he had ordered them to raise the sails and drop anchor.

And so, the black ship stopped in this place where only one bird defecated.

At this time, they should have been on a white beach in the Mediterranean, listening to sirens sing their songs, slaying a couple of Minotaurs raised by the Under the Moon Council, and expressing their praise to the beautiful moon.

Who would have thought it would all be ruined because of one large bird.

"Harry!" The blonde youth threw the half-smoked cigar in his hand into the sea, glaring at the lounge chair on the cabin roof, and shouted angrily, "You haven't been stealing bird eggs lately, have you? That feathered beast has been circling overhead for three days!"

The snoring beneath "Miss Dodo" paused. The young man in the pink polo shirt covered his ears with his hands, mumbled a few words, turned over, presenting his backside to the blonde youth by the ship's railing, and continued to enjoy his peace in the sun.

The blonde youth narrowed his eyes again.

A trace of crimson flashed in his pupils, and a cruel smile curved his lips.

Three days of pent-up anger only needed a baseless excuse to ignite.

Perhaps after a fight, they would both be severely beaten by the captain and then hung from the mast to dry in the wind.

But if he didn't act, he feared he would be burned to ashes by the fire accumulating in his heart.

The blonde youth rubbed his palms together, producing a series of crisp popping sounds.

With his backside facing him, the muscles of the young man in the pink polo shirt tensed. The snoring beneath "Miss Dodo" vanished without a trace.

The scaled snakes hanging from the bowsprit seemed to sense something, lifting their heads and hissing at the blonde youth and the young man in pink, flicking their tongues.

The bald head of the burly man hanging from the mast swayed slightly.

For a moment, the deck fell into a peculiar silence.

Just then, a 'pop,' like the sound of a bursting bubble, came from the bow, breaking the silence on the deck.

A slender figure flickered into existence at the tip of the bowsprit with that light sound.

The hurried sound of high heels echoed as the figure, walking with a cat-like gait, trotted along the mast.

As she passed the base of the mast, the figure let out a cold snort and stomped her foot heavily. The scaled snakes coiled around the mast, watching their severed companion, let out terrified hisses and scattered in all directions, rolling back to the siren figurehead's head.

"Nikita, it's been a few years, and your temper has grown considerably," the blonde youth said, his gaze following the severed snake meat as it fell into the sea. His tone was quite unfriendly. "When did people from the Lich King start acting wild on the open sea?"

The calm sea began to churn. A school of small white fish, like foam, engulfed the piece of snake meat. Before a drop of blood could spill, the snake meat dissolved into the snow-like foam.