Bay of Skahazadhan — Coastal Outpost, Before Dawn
The sea was restless.
Waves rolled against the black rocks like distant drums of war, and the wind carried salt, ash, and the scent of ambition. Kaelarys stood at the prow of a sleek Valyrian cutter, his shadowcloak billowing around him as his ship drifted silently toward the coastal outpost—a minor naval station belonging to House Xhoan, one of the wealthier but stagnant dragonlord families.
His violet eyes reflected the distant torchlight from the fort's watchtower. Around him, his handpicked crew readied grappling hooks and oil-slicked blades. Behind them were the three other cutters he had acquired—one from raiding smugglers, another seized in a night raid on House Morghon's harbor, and the third purchased under a false name through puppet intermediaries.
Tonight, they would take a fourth.
System Prompt:Side Quest Activated — Sabotage House Xhoan's Fleet (0/3 Ships Destroyed, 1/1 Captured)Primary Reward: +800 EXP, Naval Command SkillBonus Objective: Seize Dragon Egg Cargo (Optional)
Kaelarys's ring glowed faintly—he had stored over sixty slaves, weapons, and now magical siege supplies within it. His fleet-in-the-making was not just physical—it was built from careful manipulation of the Mount & Blade-style system: loyalty stats, naval skill trees, fleet management perks.
He opened the command interface.
Naval Command (Tier I)
Fleet Size Limit: 4 Ships
Crew Morale: 95%
Command Aura: +10% Attack Speed, +5% Morale
Special Maneuvers: Ram, Feint Retreat, Cloaked Approach
He gave a nod.
The lead ship adjusted course, hugging the coastline. Dark shapes moved from ship to shore—Kaelarys's elite shadow slaves, armed with enchanted blades and fire-resistant cloaks, trained personally by Lyanna and Varyn.
The first explosion was silent—magical fire tearing through the watchtower, engulfing the upper floors in violet flame. Screams followed as the alarm bell rang once before being silenced by an arrow through the throat.
Kaelarys leapt ashore, sword already drawn. Soulsever drank its fill tonight—biting through chainmail, cutting through flesh, whispering to him in the tongue of the dead.
A Xhoan captain charged toward him, brandishing a war axe.
Kaelarys activated Soulstrike.
His sword gleamed red-black, severing the man's soul from his body in a single, impossible sweep. The captain's body fell limp mid-stride.
Around him, chaos reigned. Fire spread through the docks. Two ships burned. The third tried to flee—Kaelarys whistled sharply.
From the cliffs behind the port, three siege ballistas fired in unison, their bolts enchanted with explosive tips from the Maegaron forge. The fleeing ship burst into flames.
Only the fourth remained.
Kaelarys sprinted onto the boarding plank, leaping between crates and slain men. He found the helm, where a single sailor tried to light the powder reserve.
Too slow.
Kaelarys hurled a dagger glowing with runes—it struck the sailor in the chest and detonated in a puff of white fog, rendering the man unconscious.
System Alert:Fleet Ship Captured — "Nightkiss" added to commandFleet Capacity: 4/4 (FULL)Quest Complete: Sabotage House Xhoan's Fleet (3/3 Ships Destroyed, 1/1 Captured)Bonus Objective Success — Dragon Egg AcquiredRewards:
+800 EXP
+1 Dragon Egg (3/3)
+Naval Command Tier II Unlocked
+Title Gained: Shadow Admiral
By sunrise, the remains of House Xhoan's outpost smoldered behind them. Kaelarys stood on the deck of the Nightkiss, watching the smoke rise into the brightening sky.
Lyanna appeared beside him, her face streaked with soot, eyes alight with excitement. "You did it."
"We did it," Kaelarys corrected. "But now the harder part begins. We have the eggs. The artifacts. The magic. And the fleet."
Azhakan joined them, his shadowy robes swirling in the early wind. "The dragons must be bound soon. The ritual is nearing its readiness. I feel the energies coalescing."
Kaelarys nodded. "We're out of time. The Doom will come within twenty moons, maybe less. We must complete the bindings, train the fleet, expand our holdings, and disappear from Valyria before it falls."
Lyanna raised a brow. "Disappear where?"
"Anywhere with sky and sea," Kaelarys said. "And enough space for dragons to rule."
Back at the estate, the system interface pulsed with messages.
Main Objective: Prepare for the Doom
Dragon Eggs Collected: 3/3 (COMPLETE)
Slaves Trained: 20/20 (COMPLETE)
Magical Artifacts: 5/5 (COMPLETE)
Fleet Ships: 4/4 (COMPLETE)
Ritual Progress: 45%Bonus Questline Unlocked: Forge the First New Valyrian Steel Blade in 400 Years
Kaelarys read the last notification again, slowly, as if to savor it.
He whispered to himself, "And now... I forge a new legacy."