Chapter 15: It's the marines!
[8 years later]
[Year1464 after Anax establishment]
(Floating Trading harbor of Sera)
Harbor of Sera has always been a floating city above shallow water. Due to its location it north of Endeia bordering the Soldat and the Muno sea. it was a popular destination to sell merchandise and product and Anax hunters often visited to sell Leviathan parts after their hunts. A place where people gathered to tell stories from their countries and occasionally held intense ale nights.
"...Come here son and help me!"
A working man dressed in merchant attire shouted out across the bustling street of Sera.
There was a younger boy across the street speaking with the locals.
It was his first time in Endeia and curiosity got the better of him. Wanting to explore and learn he took every chance he got to leave, yet here his father called for him. Taking farewell with the vendor he had just spoken with he rushed towards his father with the crew he had arrived with.
"...You should be careful Jimo, If you get lost around these streets your mother would kill me".
"Hm? Can you even blame me! This is the first time you've ever taken me with you to Endeia!" He spoke with a pouting and irritated.
My name is Jimo, I come from Piromach a middle sized island with an average population of of 2.000 citizens. My father is the captain of a smaller merchant group where we supply hunters with food. Our land is known to overgrow most of our crops so we have a lot left to which we can sell.
"...The locals told me the hunters come very often here! I wonder if I'll get to see any of them during our stay". He said with enthusiasm.
His father chuckled seeing his excited son. It reminded him of his own childhood when his father before took with him too.
--Ding...Ding!--
A loud bell rang across the entire trading port signifying a certain arrival. People were starting to crowd people the open port watching a brig sized ship entering port.
Little Jimo's eyes started shining in excitement, his father noticing him and sighed.
"...Lets go watch them..": His father chuckled knowing his son was probably fighting the urge to run away and see for himself.
Joining the big crowd little Jimo fought again the wave of people to get a better view of the ship.
It was a brig sized fleet with two huge masts and two huge red sail with a golden insignia of a blade gliding towards port. A big crew standing by the railings waving towards the workers on the docks.
"Its the fleet scarlet harper!" One of the locals shouted amongst the crowd.
The crew of the scarlet harper threw a rope onto dock, the workers catching it and tying it to the supporting wooden pillars on the edge of dock.
***
Shortly after the docking went without a flaw they opened the gangway for boarding. Walking down the brow arrived the crew, made out of mostly men they were dressed in a red merchant uniform, Swords and daggers equipped throughout their waist belt. Some dressed more lightly then others but one thing in common they carried the insignia of the scarlet harper on their backs.
"...Woah! They look amazing!"
Little Jimo thought to himself watching in amazement.
Hanging from the open side of their fleet was a heavily netted leviathan of some kind. Slain and ready to be sold to the Leviathan enthusiasts.
Amongst the crew, one spectacular man dressed in more unique to the rest. Obviously the captain of the hunting group.
"We've returned from the treacherous sea of asura! and we've brought an huge beast along with us this time!".
The captain shouted for the people to hear and pointed towards the hanging leviathan.
The people watched in amazement and someone shouted.
"That's the Anax hunters for ya!"
"Let there be a big celebration tonight for the Scarlet harper!"
The captain walked down the gangway and greeted the crowd with a proud smile. As they continued marching through the crowd the captain noticed little Jimo and approached him.
"You... I've seen you before haven't i?" He asked curious.
"M-Me!?" Little Jimo said in surprised a bit startled by the sudden approach.
"...Its not him you've seen...". Another voice spoke from behind.
It was Jimo's father and the captain's eyes widened, like he was seeing a ghost.
"Hahaha! Well if it ain't the merchant Muro!"
'They knew each other?' was Jimo's first thought.
"...Its been a long time captain Klein..". His father said, a hard hand-shake almost plausible.
"Jimo, this man is an old friend of me who I used to sail with... and Klein, this is my son Jimo". Jimo's father spoke proudly.
"...Haha Really!? He looks exactly like you when we were kids! No wonder I thought I'd seen him somewhere!" Captain Klein laughed hysterically. It seemed his father had quite the long story with him.
***
Long after their arrival evening had already started the sky orange and the waves were calm. Inside of one bigger taverns the crew of the scarlet harper were drinking like it was no tomorrow. The atmosphere wild yet comfortable for anyone walking by having a chuckle every time they saw the wasted hunters.
The hunters were the pride of the people, beloved and respected by everyone their tasks was to protect and bring back spoils of the hunt back to their hometowns and celebrate. It was a job where one would risk their life to continue on the 'Anax's' legacy.
Jimo was tipping off on top of some crates, watching from the outside trying to see what was going on inside the tavern.
Under the utter chaos of drinking the captain and Jimo's father sat beside each other enjoying a drink reminiscing of their past.
"...So you finally married huh, that was the last thing i expected from you. the errand boy from the mighty Anax fleet 'Sindra's edge' found love!" He continued to laugh, his face red from all of the ale he had been served until now.
"Yeah and now I have a son and another one coming soon".
"Oh? Well lets drink for that!" as they toasted.
Muro sat in thoughts, contemplating about what to ask him.
"...Enough about me, How's has the sea of Endeia been treating you? it seems your doing quite well as a captain of an Anax fleet".
"...The seas are changing as always, a lot has happened since I last met you 8 years ago...". He said his voice finally lowered from the constant shouting.
"...We have been doing great here and there... but up to recently things have gotten harder for factions of Anax....". He said hinting to his irritation.
"...Hm? how so?" Muro asked confused and interested.
"..The marines have been constantly hunting down every Leviathans in the major seas. Dregmor, Asmor, Slavic seas... you name it". Captain Klein sighed in annoyance.
"the Anax factions have had no choice but to sail even further away from our homes to even find leviathans...".
Muro was shocked. The marines had been actively hunting Leviathans? It was known that they didn't bother with leviathans unless they were requested by the Anax order.
"Why? what happened-"
Before he could finish his sentence captain Klein smashed his ale on the desk.
"...Every captain of an hunting fleet knows what has happened...": His voice was laced with anger and irritation.
"...It was 8 years ago... when That guy appeared...".
"...8 years ago, Admiral Kesak found her next successor for her role as admiral... and her successor ain't no normal person.. Rumors say that he's a dangerous guy who truly despise us hunters... His appearance is also unknown, from what I heard he wears a silver helmet with a black veil covering his face...":
"...He's also the one who've been hunting these leviathans like a mad-man...".
A man hiding his face? Muro felt that there were more to the man he was speaking of.
"...Out of all the hunters who've met him and seen him and told that they all experienced a common thing... that he's an very uncomfortable person to look at..."
Muro laughed a bit
"He sounds like a real scumbag haha!"
"Yeah, from what I've heard he sure does sound like a scumbag". Klein's voice still composed as before.
Klein sounded very serious thinking thoroughly.
"...There's also another rumor about him... that he possess a vessel rivaling even old man Cain"
"...Cain? the current captain of the Sentinel fleet?"
"Yeah... The fact of thinking that another marine bastard possess a vessel just makes my body shiver... the marines have never been up to no good...".
"Isn't it well known that rumors are too be trusted within the Anax order?"
Klein laughed and said
"Well, yeah, that's true... If he continue like this I wouldn't even be sure that the Anax can live in peace...".
--Dong, dong--
The sudden sound of a previous bell rang, it loud dinging noise coming from the outside hinting to it that hunting ship was docking soon.
Captain Klein and Muro turned around, seeing people outside the tavern rushing towards the port nearby.
"...A hunting ship? at this hour?" Muro said confused.
Turning to Klein he noticed his darkened expression, his face turning serious out of the blue.
"...Klein?" Muro asked confused and worried about the grim expression.
"...Normally ports don't hit their bell after the sun has settled down... Which could only mean".
Suddenly a member of the scarler harper smashed the tavern door opened, seemingly in a hurry.
"C-Captain! A marine vessel is docking at port now!"
The marines? what could they possible be doing here in Sera? Was Muro's first thought.
All of the drunken members of the scarlet harper went out of the tavern to see what was happening and as Muro reunited with his son, he seemed excited to see another hunting ship.
Approaching dock a huge reinforced galleon stood before them, just finished docking. It was enourmes compared to the scarlet's ship and its sail was being raised up.
"...Talk about the damn devil...". Captain Klein muttered to himself.
Muro was confused by the commotion and the crowd.
"...Its the the Thunder spear... the fleet under admiral Kesak...".
***