“It’s a mistake.” Jhaana explained. “You’re leaving your left part of the board completely open to Jorik’s offensive.”

“What if it’s a trap?” Mahon asked.

Jhaana chuckled. “Then it’s a poorly executed one. You’re taking too many risks here. May I?” She asked Jorik, and the noble nodded in answer. “How would you answer that?” She moved a piece towards Mahon’s left part.

Mahon moved another piece in answer almost immediately, but the woman did as well, and after three moves, she had completely disorganized his left wing, and he was in deep trouble.

“See?” She said. “Your strategy was good, however.” She moved the pieces back to the original position. “You’re in a position where it’s interesting to lure Jorik into your right side, because of those three pieces, here. But what you did was too aggressive. Instead, if you’ve played that.” She showed him another move, and Mahon had to think before seeing what she meant.

It wasn’t much, but the elegance of her move couldn’t be denied. It slightly shifted the balance of the game to his right wing, letting the left become a bit weaker. However, it would also entrap whatever piece dared to come on the left.

“Isn’t it a bit too light, though?” Mahon mused out loud. “I wouldn’t have noticed that your left wing was weak if you had played that. If you don’t lure your opponent in, then it’s a failure.”

Jhaana shrugged. “Not necessarily. With a bit of time, you’ll realize it’s the best move here. A weaker opponent might not notice, but then you’ll have no issue winning on other parts of the board. If you’re against a stronger opponent, though, he’ll notice for sure. And fall into the trap.”

It had been a month since they had joined the Hasty Dolfin III, and Mahon and Jorik were continuously improving at chogess. The reason for that was actually very simple. They didn’t have much better to do.

They hadn’t any business to speak about with the other passengers, and even if they could’ve trained with the three mercenaries acting as Jhaana’s escort, they were clearly below their level. And since that stormy day where they discovered a new world of possibilities about fighting on a boat, they weren’t really interested in training when the sea was calm. Where was the fun in that?

Thus, most of their days were spent playing chogess.

“Another game?” Jorik proposed.

“Swimming session!” Triandal yelled as the boat was seemingly immobile in the perfectly flat sea.

The wind had died down a few minutes ago, and it had been almost a week since the last time it happened. The passengers didn’t need to be told twice before they dived into the sea directly from the deck.

“Isn’t it warmer than before?” Jorik asked as he swam around.

“You’re perfectly right.” Triandal moved by his side with a satisfying smile. “We’ve just passed the Barfair Islands, and there is a weird ocean current around. Some parts are freezing cold, while others are as warm as right now.”

“I guess it wasn’t by chance we found a warm one.” Jorik said.

Triandal chuckled. “Of course. Who do you take me for?” He then looked back to the deck where Mahon was watching them. “You join us or what?” He asked him.

“I’m not sure.” Mahon shook his head. “I appreciate your teachings, but you know, I don’t think the sea is really for me. I’m better on the boat.”

“What a wimp.” Triandal grumbled before he exchanged a knowing look with Jorik. “Let’s grab him.”

The two men swam back to the ship and climbed through the ladder and up to the desk where Mahon watched them come with a suspicious look.

“Don’t even dare.” He threatened them, but the two men ignored him and rushed from two sides.

Mahon dodged their first attempt easily, but as he escaped to his cabin, Jhaana inadvertently let her leg on his way. Mahon tripped, and he didn’t even have time to get up before four powerful hands grabbed him and threw him carelessly into the sea.

The poor victim barely had time to throw a betrayed look at the chuckling game maker before he remembered to plug his nose and close his eyes. Mahon had quickly found that getting some in his eyes or throat was one of the worst things ever. More than one did he cough because of it just to get even more water into his mouth and make the whole thing escalate into an endless circle of suffering and coughing while trying to stay afloat and survive.

Staying calm was a mandatory state while swimming, and even though Mahon wasn’t one to get overwhelmed emotionally, he wasn’t feeling secure at all in the sea. He had tried Flowing to get better at swimming, but he had been reprimanded by Jorik. The goal was apparently to have fun, and not cheat his way through.

Pushing with his feet, Mahon swam back to the surface and inspired deeply. He moved his arms and feet to stay afloat while trying to find the fun in this activity he wasn’t really enjoying.

“You’re doing much better than last time.” A feminine voice came from behind him.

Dirtue had an athletic silhouette, and she moved so effortlessly through water that she arrived in front of Mahon before he managed to turn over. She had introduced herself as a herbalism businesswoman, but she hadn’t said much more about it. She had kept her secrets to herself like Mahon and Jorik did, but she had always been smiling and talking happily.

They had played enough chogess games for Mahon to become familiar with her.

“I’m not sure I am.” Mahon answered while struggling to find the supposed comfortable position where you didn’t have to do much to stay afloat.

Dirtue smiled and was about to add something when she suddenly plunged under water as Jorik and Triandal jumped right near them in two massive water explosions. The waves created by the two men were enough to submerge Mahon, and water entered his mouth and nostrils.

Violent coughs immediately seized him as his body naturally fought the salty substance, but it actually made it worse for Mahon to stabilize himself. A gentle but firm hand grabbed him by the arm as Dirtue helped him to stay afloat while he passed through this uncomfortable moment.

“Come on, Dirtue.” Triandal arrived by their side. “If you don’t let him fight for himself, he’ll not learn.”

The woman shook her head. “It’s not because that’s how you learnt how to swim that it should be applied to everyone else.” She retorted.

“I learnt it that way too.” Jorik intervened with a mischievous smile just before diving under Mahon.

“Men will be men…” Dirtue said as she raised her eyes to the sky and swam away from Triandal and Jorik’s next water attack, leaving Mahon on his own.

“According to Triandal, we’re around here.” Jorik moved a little carved boat with figurines similar to them on it.

“Halfway point after two months.” Mahon measured the distance left to the Notitia Region with his steps. “We’re really going to cross the Linpool Sea in four months.”

He moved back to get a sense of where they were on their Nightmare’s map. Finem and Ripa’s representations were a dozen meters to his left while the Notitia Region was a dozen meters to his right.

Mahon had made Jorik transport rocks from all around Nightmare to the Notitia Region so he could both practice his endurance in Nightmare and his sculpting skills with his invoked dagger. The map had soon turned 3D, and the most impressive relief was the one meter high mountain range representing the Notitia Peaks.

“That’s good.” Jorik said. “Even though it’s much more fun here than in the caravan, it’s still so long to get where we want… I think I’m not made to travel.”

Mahon chuckled. “Yeah. I feel you. And imagine if there wasn’t any chogess onboard.”

Jorik gulped audibly. “Don’t mention it. Let’s train instead.”

The noble invoked a dagger that started to look more like a shortsword than a dagger and took a fighting stance in the middle of the Linpool Sea. Mahon answered the challenge without hesitation, and he instantly invoked a weapon similar in size to Jorik’s one.

Jorik moved first and launched his attack, aimed at Mahon’s right arm. The latter saw it coming and dodged accordingly. Jorik continued his attacks, linking one move to the other almost effortlessly.

Mahon didn’t dare be careless, as the noble was becoming really good at fighting with a dagger. He switched his grip to get more comfortable as he parried Jorik’s strikes.

After a few more exchanges, Jorik seized an opportunity and moved closer. With a quick footwork, he moved to Mahon’s left in such a way that Mahon’s right arm was rendered useless, and struck.

At the last moment, Mahon dropped the dagger in his right hand and invoked a second one in his left hand, closer to Jorik. The noble was taken by surprise by the move, and Mahon parried easily before winning the fight in the next action.

“Hey! That’s cheating!” Jorik complained.

“You can only cheat if there are rules, and I see none.” Mahon retorted. He smiled teasingly at the noble. “Come again.”

“So that’s what pirates look like.” Mahon eyed the three ships that were coming from their left.

They were all painted black with slim silhouettes and many large sails. They were still a distance away, but with the help of Triandal’s spyglass he could easily spot the pirates flags proudly floating in the wind.

Jorik, Triandal and him were leaning on the balustrade, leisurely watching the ships trying to close on them.

“We’re just a month away from the Notitia Region.” Triandal explained. “It’s kind of a dangerous area if you don’t take the Ripa’s routes nearer to the coast. But those three ships ain’t gonna catch us soon, I’m telling you.”

“I thought it would be more exciting to be chased by pirates.” Jorik commented.

“Hahaha. True.” Triandal smiled. “There is nothing you can do for now. We’re just comparing ships, sailors and captains. And I win in every aspect.”

“Shouldn’t they know they can’t catch you if you always pass through here?” Mahon asked.

“Oh, sure, they know me. But what do you want? Pirates aren’t known to be the smartest people alive. They can’t resist a race either.” The captain smiled playfully. “I heard your plea, boys. Let’s spice things up and show them what a real ship can do.”

Triandal moved back to the steering wheel and oriented his ship towards the pirate ones. He then gestured for Mahon and Jorik to join them.

“They made so much effort just to get there, we can’t leave them like that.” He winked at the duo and flashed a radiant smile.

The Hasty Dolfin III showed it was worthy of his name, and Triandal played the pirates over and over, slowing down just enough they thought they had a chance to catch up before he would speed up afterwards. The sailors seemed used to their captain’s mood, and they laughed and yelled insults alongside him every time they left the pirates in their wake.

After some time, the three ships simply gave up and returned where they came from while the Hasty Dolfin continued his journey towards the Notitia Region.

“I don’t like this place.” Triandal said, and the tension in his voice was enough to put everyone on alert.

They had entered an area with no wind, and their boat was almost still in the water. Yet, the captain hadn’t proposed his usual swimming session to the passengers. Instead, he was observing his surroundings with the look of someone who had smelled something fishy.

“Captain?” One of his sailors went to see him.

Triandal removed his hat and scratched his head while looking around him suspiciously. “Something’s wrong. Get someone to the crow’s nest.” He finally ordered.

The sailor gestured to someone who immediately started to climb the mainmast up to the top.

“What do you see?” The captain asked the man, but he didn’t get any answer at first.

“Just the ocean, captain.” The lookout’s voice came once he had finished observing every direction.

“That can’t be right.” Triandal grumbled. “My guts have never betrayed me.”

“Wait.” The voice of the lookout reached them. “There is something weird with the ship.”

“What?” Triandal grunted. “There ain’t nothing wrong with my ship.”

“It’s like there are two shadows.” The lookout raised his head at the sun, as if it was the culprit of this optical illusion.

“Two shado…” Triandal repeated before he stopped and yelled at the top of his lungs. “SEA MONSTER!!!”