"They're in the mist!" a holy sentry screamed.
Suddenly, the Purity tilted violently to the port side. Under the water, two of Syllaris's offspring—Kraken-Kin the size of small houses—had latched onto the hull. Their suckers didn't just grip; they leeched the holy enchantments directly off the wood, feeding the energy back into the Dungeon Core.
[Notice: Mana Siphon Active. +1,500 MP absorbed from 'The Purity'.]
"Board them!" Valen commanded.
The Sea-Guards didn't use ladders. They dove into the water, their powerful tails propelling them like torpedoes. They breached the surface and leaped twenty feet into the air, landing on the decks of the galleons in a spray of salt and violet foam.
The Paladins of the Silver Flame met them with glowing broadswords, but the mist worked against them. Every time a Sea-Guard was struck, their Abyssal Scales rippled, dampening the impact and lashing back with a spray of caustic brine.
On the Light-Bringer, High Priest Malachi saw his vanguard falling. He began to chant the final verse of a Tier 2 destruction spell. "Sun that burns the night, descend and—"
Squelch.
A black-glass dagger, dripping with Kraken-venom, protruded from his throat. A Shadow-Wraith had materialized from the very mist Malachi was trying to purge.
"The Sun doesn't reach the bottom of the sea, Priest," the Wraith whispered before dissolving back into the fog.
The Aftermath
By the time the moon reached its zenith, the harbor of Oryn was a graveyard of white ash-wood. Two galleons had been dragged beneath the waves to be processed by the Abyssal Forge, while the Sword of Sol sat derelict, its crew paralyzed by the Sea-Guards' venom.
Commander Valen walked to the end of the dock, looking out at the calm, violet-tinted water. A single, massive tentacle rose from the depths, waving in a slow, rhythmic salute before vanishing.
[Battle Resolved: The Siege of Oryn]
Enemies Defeated: 250 Paladins, 3 High Priests.
Resources Gained: 4,000 DP, 2 tons of 'Sanctified Ash-Wood'.
Reputation: Holy See (Hated), Coastal Cities (Awe-Struck).
Back in the Aurelian Spire, Kaelen opened his eyes. His thirty-foot frame uncoiled, the obsidian horns on his head glowing with the influx of new mana.
"They sent a fleet to test my shores," Kaelen rumbled to Prime. "Now they know. My kingdom doesn't end where the land does."
Prime bowed low. "Lord, the scouts report that the Seventh Crusade is mobilizing their land forces. They aren't coming by sea next time. They are marching through the Highland Pass with the Living Saints."
Kaelen's golden eyes narrowed. "The Living Saints... Level 60 warriors of the light. It seems the Pope is finally getting serious.