The docks were a chaos of smells and sounds—salt, tar, and the rhythmic groan of ropes pulled taut. The Elandra, a lean vessel built for speed more than cargo, swayed gently against the tide, its black-and-silver sails furled like sleeping wings.
Herzl stood on the pier with Kael beside him, watching dockhands load crates onto the ship's lower hold. The wind carried voices from a dozen tongues—merchants bartering, sailors shouting coordinates, fishermen hawking their morning catch.
Kael nudged him.
"First time crossing the Shattered Sea?"
Herzl smirked. "First time leaving the continent without a sword in my hand."
"That's… progress." Kael grinned.
The captain of the Elandra, a woman named Captain Ivara, approached. Her skin was weathered by sun and wind, her hair tied into intricate knots that shimmered with tiny bronze charms. She handed Herzl a chart.
"This," she said, tapping the faded ink lines, "isn't a map. It's a warning. The Shattered Sea swallows the unprepared."
"Swallows?" Herzl raised an eyebrow.
"The islands shift. Rocks drift. Some say the sea itself moves to keep its secrets."
Herzl folded the chart carefully, his eyes lingering on the strange markings. "And what's on the other side?"
"Depends who you ask," Ivara said with a shrug. "Some say new lands. Some say the edge of the world. Others say you find yourself staring back."
They set sail at dusk. The sun bled into the horizon, painting the sky in bruised reds and golds. Herzl leaned against the railing, his gaze locked on the endless expanse ahead. It was so different from the frontlines—no smoke, no screams, just the sound of waves licking the hull.
But peace was deceptive. The crew whispered about shapes beneath the water, and on the second night, Herzl woke to find the sea glowing faintly blue. Schools of translucent fish danced beneath them like living constellations.
"Not everything in this world wants to kill you," Kael said quietly, standing beside him.
Herzl smiled faintly. "Maybe. But I've learned not to trust calm seas."
On the fourth day, a jagged silhouette rose from the mist—an island shaped like a broken crown. Captain Ivara slowed the ship, her voice cutting through the wind.
"Welcome to Crownsplit Isle. Pray you leave with your mind intact."