"This is really happening…right Alisson?"
"Yes, we're going home."
Alisson reassured his apprentice, gently caressing her head as she sat between his legs. They were in the bunkroom reserved for the higher ranking aboard the ship. It was cramped, damp, and they could hear the ship creaking. A storm had picked up recently, and rain poured onto the deck, as such, there was no point being out in the open air. The two were alone under the covers there, safe from the chilly rain outside.
"Do you think any of it will ever matter…What we did? Who we met?"
Celis asked him.
"I don't know. But we were there together…We'll always be able to take solace in each other, don't worry. We're the only ones who know what we saw." Alisson said this while he kept on rubbing her head absentmindedly. "When we get back to the homeland…You won't be able to tell anyone about anything. Nothing about who we've met, what we did, what we found out…"
"I know." Celis bobbed her head. She gave Alisson's hand a squeeze. "It's us against the world."
The rain poured down in droves against the deck, making it hard to hear their soft conversation.
"For now, anyway." Alisson concurred. "We don't know who we'll be able to trust for a long time. We won't even be able to speak openly about anything while we're in Sidonia, lest her ears hear us. Are you sure you'll be able to keep a mask on that long?"
Celis smiled gently, "I've learned from the best on how to do that…I'll be fine, Alisson…"
"We won't be able to speak openly about even confiding in each other, at least around other Nekomata; we should be able to speak around other humans just fine though, like my servants…What about your friends, your old team for instance…Will you be able to keep your mouth shut?"
Celis blew a bursts of air through her nose. "More like my only friends…Oda and Ukari. They're probably prancing around with their masters…"
"Do you think you'll be able to look them in the eyes again?"
Celis was silent for a while. "I can't say I've changed all that much…They've probably gotten stronger and more mature all the same…"
Alisson wondered how true that was. As of this moment, Celis was near Alisson's level of fighting prowess. She had survived countless life or death battles with him, and had inherited a great deal of his veteran mindset. Alisson was the third best in all of Sidonia. The entirety of Sidonia. That meant that Celis was…He glanced down at her. Much, much stronger than her fellow apprentices. He pat her head once more, and she nuzzled him back.
No other Nekomata at her age should have their Opensen's unlocked either; The ability to manifest those parts which denoted a Nekomata as a Nekomata, the feline ears and the twin tails, that was. Without them, the only difference from a human was a longer life span. That's why the girl in his grasp, despite being more than a hundred years younger, didn't actually look that much younger.
They sat there for a while longer, content that their entire trip back to Sidonia would be a boring one. However that thought changed when claxons suddenly blared. A red light flicked on in the bunkroom, and through the ship's horn, they heard Maerene's voice:
"All hands to general quarters. We will be searched shortly by three Irinian vessels. Enact action plan three."
Celis and him looked at each other, and quickly slipped out of the warm cot and threw on clothes for the weather, and dashed topside to Maerene.
…
They found Maerene on the deck by the helmsmen. When she spotted the two of them, she was quick to say that their help wouldn't be necessary.
"Are you sure…? Me and my apprentice would easily be able to board those vessels and…"
Maerene smirked. "Just sit back and let me show you the power of my ship, Alisson."
Alisson looked off into the distance, and past the pouring rain and rolling waves, were indeed three ships. It was hard to tell, but atop their masts were lavenders flags, the colors of the Irine Principality. Alisson glanced up the Machavelli's mast, to see that they had lowered the Sidonian flag that had so arrogantly flew when the ship had retrieved him, and they now simply flew a black flag.
As the formation of Irinian ships closed in on them, they started to call with loudspeaking spells across the distance to halt and submit for a mandatory search. Maerene gave the acknowledgement signal, and Machavelli slowed to a crawl. Two ships came up on either side of the Machavelli, and another took up position ahead the bow. In doing so, they made apparent that the Machavelli was more than twice the size of the other vessels. Perhaps the Irinians felt emboldened by this in what they saw was either a merchant vessel or a very stupid pirate crew.
Alisson stood tepidly by Maerene, squinting at her, wondering what exactly her plan was. The rain poured in droves onto the deck, were it not for the scuppers, there would very well be a pool of rainwater now.
From the Irinian vessels, Alisson could see search parties preparing to board. They had armed marines and were fully prepared for a brawl it seemed.
"Lower your railings, we are boarding now!"
One of the Irinian officers called from across the way.
"Of course…" Maerene muttered with a smile.
She rose her hand up. The Irinians who had eyes on her through all the rain and bobbing of the ships only had a split second to discern that she raised her hand with the signal to fire.
"Fire!"
She shouted and brought her hand down. Alisson heard the creak of wood, and although he didn't see them, small ports across the sides of the Machavelli opened.
Alisson was stunned in the next moment. The sides of Machavelli seemed to light ablaze and explosions rumbled. It was a quick crescendo of a few dozen blasts. The ships to port and starboard were decimated, their own sides were now but mangled wood. The structural integrity of the ships were so badly damaged that the deck of one of them started to cave in on itself.
It was clear that these ships had not been built with taking this type of punishment in mind. These were ships built for boarding…That was supposed to be the only form of combat on the seas; that and magic bombardment – But their firepower was so strong and esoteric that to try to build countermeasures wasn't worth it. But this, this was something different.
The Irinian ships reacted, and their own mages started to prepare spells, which Alisson could make out as a glowing lights on their ships as they began to try to break off and drift away. The ship ahead the Machavelli tried to do the same, though to greater speed, having been undamaged.
Maerene only grinned. "Although we have our own combat capability with mages, I thought to test our new weapons…" She calmly explained to Alisson. "Fire the bombard when ready." She looked to the helmsmen, "Remember, keep the bow pointed at the enemy, as much as you can."
She seemed to be treating this not as a dire battle but as training for the crew. She looked up and barked loudly, "Shields up! All hands brace!"
All across the Machavelli, marine mages threw up protective spells, and the crew braced for the Irinian magic barrage. It took a few seconds, but when it came, it came sporadically and disorganized. Even by naval mage standards, their fire was uncoordinated and far too weak to break through any sort of protection spells. It seemed that the initial attack of the Machavelli, whatever it was, shocked the other crews. Celis was clutching his side, unused to naval combat. Spells splashed across iridescent films not mere meters away from them – It felt as though they were in great danger, and Alisson's instincts screamed at him to duck and cover, but he trusted Maerene's calm demeanor.
"The bombard is ready, Captain."
Maerene nodded. "Alright, this our first time using it against a moving target. Tell the gunnery officer to fire when he sees fit."
For another few seconds, Alisson watched as the only undamaged Irinian ship attempted to speed away from the Machavelli, firing sparse spells back at it here and there. Its plan was probably to get some distance before ramming them for a boarding action.
All the while the Machavelli kept its bow eerily pointed at that ship. For a brief moment, the waves threw the two ships on the same plane, and the bow-mounted cannon fired.
This, Alisson was more used to. It was a magic cannon, evident from the large colored beam it left in the projectile's wake. The other cannons on the sides had no such wake, only explosions. However, the frontal cannon was not purely magic, Alisson caught a glimpse of a large conical projectile – Such a thing was certainly odd, typically magic cannons were just that – pure magic. To mount one on a ship was foolish, for they were far too heavy and bulky…But it seemed Sidonia had managed to do it.
Alisson furrowed his brow; This ship just became weirder the longer this battle dragged on for.
The shell impacted on the frontal Irinian vessel with such force that Alisson could hear the ship's keel snap. And snap it did, in two. There had been in fact magic shielding that the mages on that ship had thrown up, but it was little more than putting paper in front of a fist.
The frontal Irinian ship had been completely destroyed, nailed from stern to bow. Eventually, whatever resistance the paralyzed side vessels were giving was ended when the Machavelli launched another broadside at each of the ships, briefly lowering its shields before ending the battle, just like that. All three ships sank within the next few minutes.
Maerene nodded, apparently content, and turned to Alisson. "As you can see, the Lady has cooked up a grand vessel. It's the pinnacle of ship building, probably anywhere in the world. Not even Andestine possess any one ship to defeat us."
Alisson bobbed his head in agreement, looking over the quickly sinking Irinian ships, and the surviving sailors that were going to die a slow death at sea.
…
The rest of the journey was uneventful. They made it to one of the only ports that would receive them within the Aleeze Sea: The Harpy capital. It had a name, but Alisson didn't bother to remember. The harpies were a small, insignificant sub-human city-state above Sidonia. Being between three nations, the Caliphate, Principality, and Sidonia itself, Alisson didn't think the harpies were going to be around for much longer. They were not cooperative with Sidonia. This fact meant that they were all alone against the two human superpowers on the continent. Despite being unwilling to enter Sidonia as a puppet state, Sidonia was still able to strong arm them into being allowed access to the sea.
As Alisson stepped off the Machavelli, he was greeted with the sight of taller-than-life trees stretching into the sky. In the distance harpies could be seen flying here and there, in residences both high and low. To greet him on the docks were an entourage of 51st. Daventdale, his vice-captain, and a couple others. Alisson broke into a smile and hugged the man when they approached.
"It's good to see you again, captain. Safe and sound?"
"Safe." Alisson nodded. "Safe."
"Well Alisson, this is where we part ways." Maerene, who had followed Alisson and Celis off the ship, curtsied. "We'll see each other again in Sidonia eventually, like old times." She said with a small smile, before stepping forward and grabbing hold of Alisson's hand.
Alisson was so unaccustomed to civilized life that he almost thought Maerene intended to attack him, and he warily watched her as she brought her lips to his hand. She kissed his hand. Alisson blushed red, but didn't say or do anything in response. Maerene smiled at him, and quickly turned and boarded her ship.
Seeing as though Alisson had blatantly strong-armed the existing orders of the Machavelli and her crew, Maerene would remain in port with the harpies until further notice. As they stepped away from the docks, he caught Celis glaring at the Machavelli for some reason, until he noticed that she was staring at Maerene directly, with a sour expression. Alisson realized that she was probably jealous; He hadn't told Celis that Maerene had been his fiancée, long in the past.
"So, any stories you can share with us?"
Daventdale as usual started small talk with Alisson to try to ease his nerves after a mission.
"Nothing I can't share without-"
Without Sidonia's permission.
Alisson blinked momentarily. He sighed.
"…Yes actually. We ran into just about every creature and power that would seek to harm us…Andestine, all manner of beasts, bandits…"
"Andestine were way up in the north? Chasing you?"
Alisson bobbed his head. "Our mission was of critical importance…So much so that they sent a battalion of knights just to deal with us."
"You're popular as usual." Daventdale smiled. "I'm assuming you managed give them the slip?"
Alisson's face hardened. "No. We fought them." He looked into the sky, past all the giant trees around them. "We killed them."
For a moment the 51st around them murmured in awe.
"Looks like the Captain still got it…"
"An entire battalion? It must not have been a pitched battle…"
His 51st murmured around him while they walked. It had been a pitched battle.
"You alright, Alisson?" Noticing his expression, Daventdale asked him.
Alisson blinked a couple of times. "Yes…It's nothing."
He looked to the insignia's his comrades bared on their shoulders and cloaks. Insignias of Sidonia. Of the 51st. How little those patches meant. That a man would kill you depending on which color and pattern of thread you had on your clothes. It was despicable.
"Daventdale. Why did you come here with such a large escort?"
Daventdale shot a glance at him. Daventdale had fought by Alisson's side for years; He knew Alisson could handle himself. Clearly, the large escort was somehow warranted.
"…It's not as safe in Sidonia as it was when you left, Captain."
"Heretics?"
Daventdale nodded. Alisson looked down into the ground. Alisson, being both a prominent noble and a powerful fighter, was a frequent target of assassination. Alisson smiled to himself. "I'm thankful the enemy is straightforward at least."
Daventdale shook his head. "Captain, you know better…They'll plant bombs under your carriage, poison your meals, bribe your servants, try to stab you in broad daylight…they've even tried turning apprentices against their masters…" Daventdale briefly glanced to Celis worriedly. "They'll try any sort of underhanded tactic to get you…I don't think that's very straightforward."
"Perhaps not their methods yes…" Alisson conceded. "But the enemy themselves…They're simple and you can grasp them with your hand and mind."
They weren't tall shadowy figures that watched you from kilometers away. They weren't flesh-eating beasts that wore your friends' skins. They weren't a shifting land that ate people in fog. They weren't cultists whom under robes were but bug and hatred. They were just Nekomata. Like him.
***