Washed Ashore

Night fell, and the sea turned eerie. The water seemed to swallow the moonlight, creating dark patches between areas of silvery glow. Atenzi stood at the front of the boat, squinting into the darkness ahead.

"Tricky waters, these," Anzar muttered, gripping the steering pole tight. "We're entering Bloodmire's territory now."

Musashi appeared beside Atenzi, his sharp eyes scanning the horizon. "The air feels different here," he said. "Heavier, somehow."

Atenzi nodded, feeling a chill that had nothing to do with the cool night air. "It's like the sea knows we don't belong."

Suddenly, a gust of wind caught their sail. The boat jerked violently. Atenzi stumbled, nearly falling, but Musashi's hand shot out, steadying him easily.

"Thanks," Atenzi said, straightening up. "I still haven't got my sea legs."

Musashi's eyes twinkled. "The sea teaches balance well, young one. Every wave, every gust of wind, is a chance to center yourself."

Before Atenzi could answer, Anzar shouted, "Storm coming! And a nasty one!"

Sure enough, dark clouds were gathering, lit up now and then by lightning. The wind picked up, bringing the smell of rain.

"We need to find shelter," Atenzi said, his mind racing. "Any safe harbors nearby?"

Anzar shook his head grimly. "Not here, lad. Best we can do is try to ride it out."

As if on cue, the first big raindrops started falling. In moments, it was pouring, and they could barely see a few feet ahead.

"Atenzi!" Musashi called over the howling wind. "Help me with the sail!"

Together, they fought to control the wildly flapping canvas. The rough rope burned Atenzi's hands as he struggled to hold on. Waves crashed over the sides of the boat, threatening to sink them.

Through it all, Atenzi heard Musashi's calm voice: "Feel the storm's rhythm, Atenzi. Don't fight it - move with it!"

Gritting his teeth, Atenzi tried to follow the advice. He made himself relax, letting his body sway with the boat instead of fighting it. Surprisingly, he found it easier to keep his balance this way.

Just as he thought they might survive the storm, a huge wave rose up in front of them, its top gleaming in a flash of lightning.

"Hold on!" Anzar roared.

The wave hit like a battering ram. Atenzi felt himself lifted off his feet, then plunged into icy darkness. For a terrifying moment, he didn't know which way was up. Then his survival instincts kicked in, and he swam towards what he hoped was the surface.

His lungs were burning when he finally broke through, gasping for air. "Musashi!" he called out. "Anzar!"

"Here, lad!" came Anzar's voice, sounding frighteningly far away.

Atenzi swam towards the sound, fighting against the churning water. He saw pieces of their broken boat floating nearby.

Suddenly, a hand grabbed his arm. It was Musashi, looking as calm as ever despite the chaos around them.

"Anzar," Atenzi gasped. "We need to find him."

Musashi nodded, and together they swam in the direction they'd heard his voice.

After what felt like forever, they found the old fisherman clinging to a large piece of wood.

"Well," Anzar coughed as they helped him onto their makeshift raft, "this is a fine mess we're in."

Despite how bad things were, Atenzi couldn't help but laugh at the old man's understatement.

As the storm started to die down, they checked their situation. Their boat was gone, along with most of their supplies. They were drifting in dangerous waters, with no idea where they were or which way to go.

"We need to find land," Atenzi said, trying not to sound desperate.

Musashi nodded. "Indeed. But first, we must survive the night."

The next few hours were the longest of Atenzi's life. They took turns resting while the others kept watch, always looking for land or dangers in the water.

As dawn broke, painting the sky pink and gold, Atenzi spotted something. "Look!" he pointed. "Is that... land?"

Anzar squinted where Atenzi was pointing. "Aye, that's land alright. But if I'm not mistaken, that's Bloodmire itself."

Atenzi felt a chill down his spine. They'd reached their destination, but not how they'd planned.

"Well," Musashi said, sounding a bit amused, "it seems fate decided to speed up our journey."

As they paddled towards the scary-looking shore, Atenzi's mind raced with possibilities and dangers. They were about to enter vampire territory, completely unprepared and without any of the protections they'd planned.

The beach they washed up on was nothing like the golden sands of the Sovereign Lands. It was rocky and steep, with dark, twisted trees just past the water's edge. A thick mist covered everything, muffling sounds and making it hard to see.

As they dragged themselves onto dry land, exhausted and beaten up, Atenzi couldn't shake the feeling they were being watched.

"We need to find shelter," he said, his voice rough from swallowing seawater. "Somewhere we can defend, where we can rest and plan what to do next."

Musashi nodded, his sharp eyes scanning around them. "There," he said, pointing to some rocks nearby. "That cave might work."

They made their way to the cave, helping Anzar, who was limping a bit from getting hurt in the storm. Inside was damp and cold, but it protected them from the weather and anyone watching.

As they settled in, Atenzi turned to his friends. "So," he said, trying to joke, "anyone have any great ideas on how to talk to a vampire queen when we look like drowned rats?"

Anzar chuckled dryly. "Well, lad, I reckon we've got two choices. We can try to sneak our way to wherever this Báthory lives, or we can make enough noise to bring her to us."

Musashi, who'd been quiet until now, spoke up. "There's a third option. We wait."

Atenzi looked at him, confused. "Wait? For what?"

"For the right moment," Musashi explained. "We're in no shape to fight or talk. But I'm sure they know we're here. By waiting, we make them move first."

As if answering Musashi's words, a cold laugh echoed from the cave entrance. Atenzi spun around to see a figure outlined against the misty light outside.

"Well, well," a smooth voice purred. "What do we have here? Lost little lambs, so far from home?"

As the figure stepped into the cave, Atenzi's breath caught in his throat. She was beautiful in a scary way, with skin white as snow, hair black as night, and eyes that glowed an unholy red.

A vampire. And judging by how she carried herself, not just any vampire.

Atenzi straightened up, calling on all the dignity he could despite looking like a mess. "I am Atenzi, ruler of the Sovereign Lands," he declared, letting a hint of Lashon Kesef into his words. "And I want to talk to Queen Báthory."

The vampire's eyebrows went up in surprise, then down in amusement. "Is that so?" she drawled. "Well, little king, looks like today's your lucky day. You've found her."

As Báthory's red eyes locked with his, Atenzi realized that the real test of his skills, his courage, and his beliefs was only just beginning...