Salt Widow Mara

The bay where the shipyard stood was open and broad, nowhere near as treacherous as Torturer's Deep.

The two small Cleftjaw Island ships fled in panic beneath the shadow of Liu Qian's enormous fleet, only to be torn apart in an instant by dense volleys of ballista bolts and precisely aimed stone shot.

Liu Qian had lain in wait in distant waters for some time, watching several oared ships leave the shipyard to reinforce the main harbor. Clearly, Rollo's attack had already drawn Kago's fleet's attention.

It was time for them to strike.

"Land!" Liu Qian's voice rang across the flagship's deck.

The pirate infantry roared and boarded their boats, surging onto the beach like a black tide.

But what truly chilled the blood were the Dragon Spirit Guardians who followed, silent as mountains.

Once ashore, they formed a tight, disciplined phalanx, the Valyrian steel weapons in their hands reflecting a dazzling light.

The shipwrights still repairing vessels, the sailors standing watch, and even some low-ranking pirate leaders were terrified at the sight. They scattered in every direction, unable to mount even an effective resistance.

The Dragon Spirit Guardians pursued the fleeing pirates like efficient killing machines.

They brandished their weapons. Valyrian steel longswords easily cleaved through crude leather armor and wooden shields, while spears pierced body after body, claiming one pirate's life after another.

The surviving pirates screamed in agony and fled with their hands over their heads, their ranks collapsing as they lost all courage to fight.

Liu Qian did not hurry ashore. He stood on the towering sterncastle of the Crab's Nest, surveying the entire battlefield.

His gaze swept every corner of the shipyard, searching for anyone who might slip through the net.

When he spotted a larger Cleftjaw Island warship trying to force its way out of the shipyard and organize a counterattack, Liu Qian ordered the oared ships to intercept it.

Several oared ships churned up the water at his command, swiftly trapping the warship inside the shipyard.

Bolts and stone shot hammered the warship, gouging great holes in its sides and deck. Even its mast was smashed in two. Before the pirates below could react, the broken mast crashed onto them, sending blood spraying.

The Cleftjaw Island pirates aboard the ships in the harbor had been wiped out, and the beachhead had likewise been cleared. Victory seemed assured.

Yet just as most of Liu Qian's troops had landed successfully and were busy hunting down the remnants, everything changed.

At the mouth of the bay, a dense mass of sails appeared without warning across the once-calm sea, far outnumbering Kago's remaining forces.

Deathly white banners snapped in the wind, each depicting a twisted sea serpent coiled around a skull.

Weeping Reef Island! Salt Widow Mara!

Leading the charge was the Widow Queen, a flagship even larger than the Crab's Nest, its bow fitted with a ram carved into the shape of a monstrous sea serpent.

An enormous fleet followed behind it, at least thirty or forty warships of various sizes. It bared its deadly fangs at the crucial moment when Liu Qian's forces were most scattered and his formation had become somewhat disordered during the assault on the shipyard.

They had clearly been waiting for some time, and they spread into formation with swift, deadly precision.

"It's a trap."

Jorah Mormont's grim voice came from the shallows. "He knew we'd attack the shipyard. Pulling those warships away was bait. Kago has joined forces with the people of Bitter Reef Island."

Mara's fleet employed a very clear tactic.

Rather than rushing to the beach or closing to board, they used their overwhelming numerical superiority and maneuverability to swiftly form an enormous, steadily tightening ring around the perimeter.

Ballista bolts as dense as rain and broken stones hurled by small catapults poured onto Liu Qian's ships like a deadly hailstorm.

Stones smashed into the Crab's Nest's sturdy oak planking, sending splinters flying. A massive ballista bolt pierced the Reefbreaker's side, and seawater began pouring in. Some sailors were struck by splinters and fell screaming into the sea.

On the beach, the landing force that had only just gained the upper hand was suddenly plunged into grave danger.

The huge fleet's sudden arrival cut off their retreat. Exposed on the open beach, they became living targets.

Vicious volleys of arrows shot in from the Weeping Reef Island pirates at sea, and men kept falling.

Liu Qian stood on the sterncastle, watching his ships steadily give ground under the encircling assault and his troops on the beach fall into a desperate fight with their backs to the sea.

Instead, his thoughts grew clearer and colder.

He assessed the situation in an instant.

His fleet had been divided and surrounded, and his troops on the beach were pinned down. He had to break the deadlock.

The key was to destroy the heart of the enemy's command: Mara.

"Pass the order! All ships, close on me and form a defensive circle around the Crab's Nest! Dragon Spirit Guardians, hold that beach! Not one step back!

All soldiers aboard the ships, return fire with the ballistae!"

Liu Qian's voice cut through the chaos and agonized screams, reaching every soldier's ears clearly.

The warships of Torturer's Deep struggled toward the flagship, shielding one another with their hulls as they poured arrows and stone shot onto the approaching enemy vessels.

On the beach, the Dragon Spirit Guardians once again demonstrated their terrifying worth as war machines.

Ignoring the incoming arrows, they silently raised their enormous shields to shelter the pirate infantry behind them.

They formed a tight phalanx. Every swing of their Valyrian steel weapons unleashed a bloody slaughter, cutting down the Weeping Reef Island pirates attempting to land in small boats while they were still in the shallows.

Like an enraged grizzly, Jorah Mormont swung his longsword and led from the front, joining the pirate soldiers and Dragon Spirit Guardians to form a wavering yet fiercely tenacious defensive line.

But Mara had far too many men, and her followers were infamous for their ferocity and cruelty.

They let out piercing shrieks and surged forward wave after wave, heedless of casualties.

Several swift boats broke through the barrage. The Weeping Reef Island pirates leaped howling onto the beach and locked into a deadly melee with the soldiers of Torturer's Deep.

The battle became a brutal struggle for ground, with blood spilled every second.

Liu Qian's gaze pierced the chaotic battlefield, the drifting smoke and flying blood and flesh, locking firmly onto the Widow Queen's towering sterncastle.

One figure stood out unmistakably.

A powerfully built woman stood aboard the ship, tall and full-figured, with bronze skin. She wore only crude leather armor, leaving much of her skin exposed.

She wore a helmet made from a skull and brandished a scimitar with an exaggerated curve, issuing orders and directing the entire battle.

It was Salt Widow Mara herself.

She was clearly confident in her flagship's position and protection, even watching the slaughter on the beach with a hint of cruel excitement.

Now!

A fierce light flashed in Liu Qian's eyes, and he hesitated no longer.

He reached back and took down

the Dragonbone Bow from his back.

The red copper runes on its ashen frame seemed to absorb the surrounding light, radiating a power that made the heart tremble.

He drew an ink-black arrow whose head glittered with an eerie, starlike gleam.

With a thought, he poured the magic power within him into the Dragonbone Bow.

Humm-!

A strange hum spread outward from the Dragonbone Bow. Its swirling patterns and pictographic runes seemed to come alive, flickering with a sinister crimson glow. Flames ignited soundlessly, clinging to the black arrow.

The muscles in Liu Qian's arms bulged as he drew the Dragonbone Bow into a full moon.

The bow's limbs groaned under the crushing strain, as though they might shatter at any moment.

TWANG-!!!

A piercing sonic blast beyond the limits of human hearing tore through the din of battle, crossing hundreds of yards of sea in an instant.

Time seemed to freeze at that moment.