Knight XI

As the echoes of surrender reverberated across the ship, Brayan and Kanan found themselves conversing with Stella. The air on the deck held a blend of post-battle tension and the anticipation of the journey ahead.

"That's a little over the top with all the giant wave tsunami you brought," Kanan remarked to Stella, his voice carrying a hint of both jest and genuine curiosity. The tumultuous sea, though now pacified, bore witness to the magnitude of Stella's elemental command.

Stella, her expression calm yet with a glint of satisfaction, responded, "Sometimes, a spectacle is necessary to ensure a lasting impression. The sea, after all, is a realm that demands respect."

Brayan, standing beside Kanan, nodded in agreement. "Indeed, they didn't choose wrong when they selected you as the lead on this expedition to the royal palace. Your mastery over the elements is both awe-inspiring and practical."

A sudden urgency cut through the temporary calm. Brayan, in the midst of conversing with Kanan and Stella, was approached by a knight bearing news that sparked a renewed sense of urgency.

"Sir, the manservant—the penitentiary place," the knight urgently reported, his voice carrying a weight of concern.

Brayan's brow furrowed with a realization. "Shit, I forgot about that," he muttered, his mind snapping to attention. Without wasting a moment, he turned to Kanan, a shared understanding passing between them.

"Kanan, with me," Brayan commanded, his stride purposeful. The urgency in his voice conveyed the gravity of the situation. The knights around them, sensing the shift in dynamics, cleared a path as Brayan and Kanan dashed through the ship's deck.

"Wait, sir," a knight called out, attempting to interject with a crucial piece of information. However, his words were cut short as Brayan and Kanan, driven by the immediacy of the situation, were already gone—vanishing into the labyrinthine passageways that led below the deck.

The confined space beneath the deck, known as the penitentiary, loomed as a repository for those who had transgressed. Brayan and Kanan navigated the dimly lit corridors with a sense of urgency, the air thick with the weight of the confined and the echoes of their own hurried footsteps.

Brayan and Kanan arrived at the penitentiary, their hurried footsteps echoing in the confined space beneath the ship's deck. As they swung open the heavy door, a scene unfolded that defied their expectations. Not a single graze marred the forms of the manservants and the children huddled within the dimly lit enclosure.

The pirates, who had sought to instill fear and chaos, lay sprawled on the cold, damp floor, their forms rendered unconscious. The air, heavy with the scent of damp wood and sweat, held an undercurrent of relief.

The manservant, who had attempted to escape under the cover of darkness, now stood among the children, his gaze betraying a mixture of fear and gratitude. The children, their eyes wide with trepidation, cast glances toward Brayan and Kanan as they entered.

Brayan, his eyes scanning the room, noted the absence of injuries among the captives. The manservant, recognizing the knights, spoke with a voice tinged with both astonishment and reverence. "Sir Brayan, Sir Kanan, we... we did not expect your arrival. The pirates—they simply collapsed, as if some unseen force intervened when unknown darkness enveloped this place."

Brayan, eyeing the unconscious pirates with a mixture of suspicion and curiosity, remarked, "Unseen force or not, at least it spared the innocent." His eyes then shifted toward the captives, assessing their well-being.

As the knights processed the unexpected turn of events, the manservant, still visibly shaken, explained how the pirates had succumbed to an inexplicable lethargy, collapsing without any apparent cause. The children, though momentarily startled, now looked toward the knights with a glimmer of newfound hope.

Brayan, his gaze lingering on the captives, contemplated the unexplained situation. The sea outside, ever indifferent to the trials of mortals, mirrored the uncertainty that pervaded the confined space below the deck.

A subtle shift in the air drew Kanan's attention—a cold tingling sensation at the back of his neck. An instinct honed through years of vigilant watchfulness kicked in, prompting him to swiftly turn his gaze toward the edges of the confined space filled with the children.

"What's the matter, Kanan?" Brayan inquired, his eyes narrowing as he sensed the abrupt change in the atmosphere.

"No-nothing, just my feeling, perhaps," Kanan replied, attempting to dismiss the unease that prickled at the nape of his neck. As he touched the chilled skin, his eyes scanned the children huddled behind him.

The lantern's feeble light cast dancing shadows on the walls, intensifying the mystery that seemed to linger within the penitentiary. Brayan, ever perceptive, scanned the room, his senses attuned to the subtle undercurrents that eluded the conventional understanding.

Sensing a need for clarity, Kanan and Brayan motioned for the manservant who had attempted to escape to step forward. "You, come here," Kanan commanded, his voice firm. The manservant, a blend of fear and compliance etched on his face, approached the knights.

"Explain what happened while the pirates attacked," Brayan demanded, his tone measured but insistent.

The manservant, eyes darting nervously between Kanan and Brayan, recounted the events leading up to the pirates' assault and their sudden collapse. He spoke of an inexplicable darkness that had cloaked the penitentiary, providing an unexpected shield for the captives.

Kanan, ever skeptical, arched an eyebrow. "Darkness? What do you mean?"

The manservant, stammering slightly, struggled to find the right words. "It was as if the shadows themselves protected us. The pirates—everything just stopped."

Brayan exchanged a thoughtful glance with Kanan, a silent acknowledgment passing between them. The room, now filled with the hushed explanations of the servants, seemed to hold secrets not easily unraveled.

As the manservants continued their explanations, detailing the mysterious events that transpired during the pirate attack, a palpable tension hung in the air. The knights, found their attention drawn to a more pressing matter.

In a sudden shift of focus, the manservants who had attempted to escape found themselves at the center of attention. Fear etched across their faces, they began to beg for mercy, pleading for their lives in desperate tones.

"Please, sirs, forgive us! It was a moment of desperation," one of the manservants pleaded, his voice trembling with fear.

Kanan and Brayan, however, shared a glance that communicated a shared understanding—a recognition that the mysterious forces at play required their attention more urgently.

Brayan raised a hand, his expression serious but composed. "Your fate is not our concern at this moment. The mysteries that surround us demand our focus. Be grateful for the unforeseen protection you've received."