Chapter 2.2. The Three Takaia Siblings
Shrouded in fog, the Winter sailed across the vast North Ocean, its black square sails stretched to their limit, rustling and rustling. The crew, clad in threadbare, thick-skinned katans, diligently scrubbed the decks. The boatswain brandished a long whip and rebuked them, his eyes filled with malice. The soldiers, led by Centurion Edmund, conducted morning drills.
Captain Dastan Lengyan was steering the ship. When he saw Darkus carrying a halberd and walking up to the deck, he quickly asked the first mate to take over the steering.
The captain and the centurion walked to where Darkus's swords were, bowed their heads, and said, "Good morning, my lord, and my lord."
Darkus sized up the captain, pondering, "Dastan Coldeye? The one who made a bet with Roxia the Corrupted Heart and destroyed the third Dark Ark in the Sea of Claws? He's a legend, too, but he's still a lowly captain."
Dacreus waved at Edmund, signaling him to continue training. He then spoke slowly, "Good morning, my captain. How long will it take us to reach the Kingdom of Charis?"
Without hesitation, Dastan Lengyan said, "Master, we will reach the Kingdom of Charis tomorrow." He hesitated for a moment before continuing, "Master, last night we encountered a warship bearing the emblem of the Kingdom of Yvresse. We took advantage of the darkness and fog to shake them off."
Ulthuan was like a toilet bowl, consisting of an Outer Ring and an Inner Ring of ten kingdoms. The Outer Ring's coastline bordered the Great Ocean, while the Inner Ring's lands circled the Inner Sea. Between the two rings rose a vast, circular mountain range, impassable only by a few designated passes and tunnels, punctuated by massive fortresses. Darkeus's first destination was the Outer Ring of Ulthuan, the Kingdom of Chrace to the north, and the Kingdom of Yvresse to the east.
Dacreus was stunned for a moment, then asked doubtfully, "Iris's warships? Appearing in the waters of Chrace?"
"Yes, sir."
"Did you come here often?"
Dastan Coldeye raised his head proudly and said, "Yes, sir. No Druzil knows the waters of Ulthuan better than I do. I often transport spies here."
Dacus suddenly remembered a saying from his past life: to succeed, one must possess unique abilities. He nodded and complimented, "Excellent! Go get busy."
Dastan Lengyan bowed his head and prepared to leave when Daquus asked again, "Do you know what year it is in the Imperial calendar?"
"Master, 2008."
Dacus was stunned for a moment, thinking in his mind: "Good boy! I'm still a 90s kid in this life, but if I'm lucky this time, I can live for 550 years."
Darkius walked to the edge of the deck, holding onto the railing. He looked at the canvas-wrapped Reaper ballista, then gazed out at the thick fog. The summer breeze caressed his face, and strands of black hair fluttered in the wind.
Darkus heard footsteps behind him and turned to see three figures approaching, only two standard Sitoan swords distance away from him.
Flannais, the eldest brother of the Takaia family, wore a well-worn suit of articulated plate armor forged from black steel. Tall and burly, he had the typical Druzian nobleman's face, ruthless and radiant, thick black hair. He was reserved and calm. Hadrika, with the white lion emblem around his neck, looked outdated and tacky, complementing the age of his armor perfectly.
The second oldest, Ryan, was the complete opposite, clad in a beautifully crafted suit of articulated black steel plate, adorned with polished gilt. He bore a striking resemblance to his older brother, a spitting image of him, yet possessed a touch of eccentricity and flamboyance.
The youngest, Alyssa, wore a tight-fitting black silk dress with a violet cape draped over her left shoulder. She wore a spiked crown, her black hair cascading over her right shoulder. Her captivating amber eyes made her resemble a rebellious leopard. In her hand, she held a staff, upon which coiled a golden snake. Its mouth, wide open, held a large emerald gem.
The three siblings saluted and said in unison, "Good morning, my lord."
"Good morning. We'll arrive at the Chrace coastline tomorrow. Would you mind telling me about the White Lion Trial?"
Franais glanced at Ryan, who understood and said, "Sir, our Takaya family originated from the Kingdom of Charis before the Great Schism. To be worthy of this family name, family members must return to the Kingdom of Charis, hunt and kill a white lion, and leave this land with its pelt. Of course, killing the false king's white lion lackeys will further prove their worth."
Daquus remembered his cousin's words before his departure: House Takya was one of the first houses in Chrace to recognize Malekith as the rightful Phoenix King. Upon learning of his future as the next False King while hunting in Chrace, Caledor immediately set out on the road to the Temple of Asuryan, where he was intercepted by Druzil assassins led by House Takya. The Takya would have succeeded had not a group of Chrace woodcutters emerged from the forest to protect Caledor. Later, those woodcutters became the False King's lackeys, bringing disrepute to Chrace. The White Lion's lackeys then expelled House Takya from Chrace.
When the three siblings were in their twenties, their parents were killed by Kain assassins, and they were subsequently taken in by an uncle. However, their uncle suffered from severe mania, and in desperation, the three siblings killed him one night in their fifties. They were then taken in by another uncle, Kulon, who had completed a raid. Kulon had offered to adopt them when their parents were still alive, but his father refused. Kulon had long recognized his nephew and niece as both charming and talented, compared to their father. Kulon used his limited sovereign to provide the brothers with a superior aristocratic education and sent Alisa to the Tower of Doom to learn to control the Ghor Wind. The three siblings are now over 110 years old, and the youngest, Alisa, has just completed twelve brutal trials at the Tower of Doom, graduating as a beast warlock. Kulon accompanied the elders of Darkius on the Dark Ark raid and has not returned since. Unable to maintain the ancestral home, the Takia siblings were called in by Darkius's cousin to help. In short, they are family.
Daxus didn't want to go into the woods, so he shrugged and said, "I wish you success. It's time to train." After that, he carried his halberd and walked towards the soldiers who were training and started warming up.
The three siblings looked at each other and shook their heads.
Dacus practiced with Centurion Edmund, practicing movement and coordination as well as stretching and distance. Although Dacus was only sixteen years old, years of aristocratic training had made him very proficient in the use of various Druchi standard weapons.
No one mentioned the crash, and no one dared to mention it.