The pirate returned with his crew, their footsteps hurried and uneven as they spilled onto the deck. Their faces, pale and drawn, reflected the cold light of Arthur's lantern. The haunting blue fire flickered in time with his slow stride, casting eerie shadows across the ship's weathered planks.
The captain, a burly man with a weathered coat and a half-drawn saber at his hip, stepped forward. His voice wavered despite the attempt at bravado. "Who, or what are you?"
Arthur let his eyes settle on the man, their cyan glow piercing through the darkness. His dragon voice reverberated, not only in their ears but deep in their chests, as though the sea itself spoke through him. "I am the guardian of these waters, the spirit that governs their fate." His tone carried the cadence of nobility, his words precise and commanding. "And you, captain, have ventured into seas that do not welcome you."
