Fighters on the Stormy Sea 2

The Artifact

The sudden appearance of Atlas interrupted the final battle between Bane and Franco, who are both vexed.

'Who is this meddlesome guy? I just need to sell some junk for money. Bane looked at the huge Atlas and scoffed, fearing that it might be Franco's reinforcement.

'Hey, big guy, what are you? Are you from a circus?' Facing the unknown mech giant, Franco didn’t show goodwill either.

'Human beings…human beings' desires are like the Abyss, whose bottom can never be reached.'

'Human beings are forever fighting and killing each other for what they want, but they forget to search for the meaning of life. Atlas’s empty and low voice came from inside the mech, leaving Bane and Franco's questions unanswered.

'I do not wish to get involved in your battle, nor to make myself your enemy.' In the distant Abyss, my people are suffering and waiting for my rescue.”

'So, get out of my way,' said Atlas, holding out his hands and lighting up the sea with a brilliant flash.

'That’s Aurora’s Heart!' Almost all the sailors called out its name at that moment. It’s a sacred artifact of people of Northern Vale for many generations, which everyone has looked at far away from the Shrine of Heroes. About a decade ago, it was lost for unknown reasons, and people of Northern Vale lost the protection of the sacred artifact as well.

'Ah, Aurora’s Heart!' Bane looks at it with strong longing in his eyes. Unlike others, he has once touched it with his own hands and even owned it. He knows what tremendous power it contains. His new body came from the Heart of Aurora as well.

With this powerful artifact, he can master the power of infinite resurrection. The Frozen Sea will no longer be the limit for him by then. He can conquer the entire Land of the Dawn, defeat the Empire and dominate the world.

'Turn the cannons around and aim at the big one.' Bane awoke from his daydream, his eyes filled with ambition.

While Franco has been enraged by Atlas's arrogance and rudeness.

'Look, I don't care about where you are from, Abyss or stinking ditch. That thing you're holding is the sacred artifact of Northern Vale.'

'Now, you’ve got two options. Give me Aurora’s Heart, and we will let you go, or, you get blasted into pieces!'

Franco ordered his ships to surround Atlas and all the cannons aimed at him, regardless of the fact that his men have become exhausted in the fierce battle with Bane. Thick smoke is coming up from Nightwheel.

'How arrogant you are, Mortal!' Atlas let out a strange and low growl. Atlas pounces on the Nightwheel, and with a single strike, he turned the damaged ship over.

The Nightwheel is sinking slowly with the crew’s swearing and cries for help. Franco fell into the sea. Then, with the fierce attack of Atlas, Franco's ships all fell apart and sank. There is no way to stop Atlas from leaving.

Franco struggles to get hold of a piece of deck and drifts toward the shoreline with the ocean current.

Seeing the defeat of Franco and the loss of the pirate fleet, the cunning Bane suddenly changed his mind and ordered his men to clear the way and let Atlas pass.

Bane is wily enough to realize that if he attacks Atlas now, he will only end up like Franco. It’s not the time now.

'Get a ship and follow this giant guy. I’ve got to get Aurora’s Heart.”

'The others go back to have some rest. We’ve got some big business to do!'

Hand-to-Hand Combat

The smoky Ymir returned to the pirates' lair. Bane did not eliminate his sworn enemy Franco this time, but he accidentally found Aurora’s Heart once again. Compared with dominating the world, regaining control of the coastline seems so insignificant.

The most important thing at this time is how to recapture Aurora’s Heart from the powerful Atlas, without ending up like Franco.

'Franco…Franco…' Thinking of Franco who fell into the sea, Bane suddenly narrowed his eyes. The annoying bumpkin lost all his ships. However, Bane always has a bad feeling about this, because he did not see him drowned to death with his own eyes.

Zygmunt thinks the same. After all, he had suffered a lot from Franco. To take Aurora’s Heart, they must eliminate Franco first.

Meanwhile, a message comes from the pirate ship tracking down Atlas. The huge mech is heading towards the north with Aurora’s Heart. His destination is the Abyss at the northernmost place of the Frozen Sea.

It is the end of the world and the tomb of civilization in the depths of the sea.

'Murloc helmsmen and Crab Swordsmen, take some guys and take out that annoying Franco on land, then come back to me.'

'Everyone, take the supplies and let’s go! Our destination is the Abyss' Bane rises up from his chair wiggling his big body, looking determined to win.

Drifting on the sea for three days, Franco finally managed to reach the coast of Northern Vale. Not only has he lost his fleet and weapons, but he is reeking of dead fish as well.

'That’s bad luck! I hate swimming so much.'

'I’ve got to have a big meal in the tavern!' Franco, tired and hungry, struggles up from the mud on the shore and limps slowly forward, not noticing that the sea monsters swarming behind him have tracked him down here thanks to his smelly body.

Just before he runs out of strength, Franco reaches a small pier. Lucky enough, there is a small tavern here.

'Looks luck is still on my side!' There is no one else in the tavern, Franco patted mud and soil off his shirt, sat down and ordered a lot of food and drink. Franco laughed contentedly. Only a day ago, he was drifting on the sea, hungry and thirsty.

But before he could enjoy the food and wine, dozens of ugly sea monsters poured into the tavern with piercing growls. At the order of Bane, they are here to kill Franco.

For a moment, the tiny tavern is filled with howls and the sound of flying sawdust. These minions were no match for Franco who is still hungry. He picked up a stool and knocked over a few sea monsters that were in his way, then jumped behind the bar counter. More and more sea monsters are coming like a school of piranha that found some delicious prey.

On another day, these minions are nothing more than sandbags for Franco to practice boxing. Now he knows well that they are entangling him and consuming what little energy that left of him.

Franco jumped out from behind the bar counter, darted to an anchor in the tavern, and used it as a weapon to knock over a group of the monsters before rushing out of the tavern towards the pier. The knife-wielding murloc helmsmen and crab swordsmen are chasing closely after him.

'What a bunch of idiots!' Franco is swearing as he scurried around the pier full of piled up goods. In order to kill Franco, the sea monsters also brought long-range weapons. Harpoons and javelins are coming into the cargo boxes, causing wood chips to break into pieces and cutting several bloodstains on Franco's face.

Franco found a cutlass that was not very handy and gritted his teeth to fight back. Apart from the prostration from several days’ drifting out on the sea, he suffered a few minor injuries. He is almost at his last gasp.

After avoiding wave after wave of attack, Franco has used up the last bit of strength, and can no longer take another step. Maybe this is where his life ends.

'Damn it! What is this? Fighting to death or running for life?” Franco gasped and swore as he leaned against some cargo boxes.

'If I am running for my life, I may not be honored in Valhalla. What kind of a warrior I am! Ha-ha!' Franco is exhausted and begins to lose consciousness. The last thing he saw was a beautiful and graceful woman, her body glowing.

'Is it Valkyrie. Is she here to take me to Valhalla?'

Valkyrie

'Take this! You bastard!' Franco woke up from his dream yelling. He found that he is not in Valhalla, but at a place where nothing is special.

Franco touched the wounds on his body. He can still feel the pain, but the wounds have been properly taken care of. Franco sat up and found a lot of food on the table, as well as his favorite wine. However, he did not see the host.

Franco is so hungry that he jumped out of bed and gobbled down all the food on the table, then tasted the wine.

'Have you always been so rude?' A voice called from behind Franco. Franco turned his head around and found Valkyrie, whom he saw while he was dying, standing right in front of him.

To be precise, Valkyries are female servants in Northern Vale mythology, who takes the souls of the dead soldiers to Valhalla, the shrine of heroes.

'So, this is Valhalla? It’s unlike what I have expected. Ha-ha!'

'Seems I’m dead now.' Franco bursts into laughs as he touched his head.

'You're still alive, but if you keep being so rude, I don't mind throwing you into the sea to feed the fish.' Valkyrie turned around and slapped her long sword hard on the ground. She is so dissatisfied with Franco's vulgarity and impoliteness.

Franco wants to say more rude words to vent his anger. However, looking at the solemn and beautiful face of Valkyrie, he swallowed the bad words back.

Almost in an instant, he fell the crush on her.

To break the ice, Franco smiled and chattered, 'Seems that I'm still alive. It must be you who saved my life from those monsters. Thank you very much, I will return the favor for sure!'

'I was not lucky this time. On another day, I could have crushed these ugly creatures with a few strikes.'

'By the way, my name is Franco, You’re Ms. or Mrs., or…?'

'Then again, don't you Valkyries live in Valhalla? What are you doing here?'

'My name is Freya.' Valkyrie frowned as if she has become so annoyed by Franco's chatter and does not want to talk to him anymore.

'Look, from now on, I ask and you answer.' Freya laid her sword on the table, pointing at Franco.

'You came from the sea?'

'Yes. Two months ago, I went to the sea with my fleet. We found a huge Toothed Mech-Shark whale and chased it for over a month. I jumped on its head and kill it with some heavy blows with my hammer.'

'Look, I don't care about this.' Freya frowned. Apparently, she has lost her patience.

'Well, me and my men were going to go back to the port and sell that big thing for some big money.'

'But someone told me that bastard Bane was still alive! Did you know that Bane was arguably the biggest bastard on the Frozen Sea?' Franco swallowed some bad words about Bane and continued to talk about what happened at the sea.

'Knowing he was still alive and brought his circus back for revenge, I was sure I had to get busy.'

'So, I went to give Bane a lesson with my ships. Just when I was about to kick Bane's ass, a huge and grotesque thing suddenly emerged from the bottom of the sea with the sacred artifact of Northern Vale, Aurora’s Heart, in his hands.'

'Aurora’s Heart…' Freya interrupted Franco. 'Did you see it with your own eyes?'

'Absolutely, or else my fleet could not have been destroyed by that great creature. He was bringing the artifact to somewhere called the Depths of the Sea.'

'If it weren't for Bane, the would not have escaped like that.'

Franco said resentfully, not noticing that Freya was frowning.

'People of Northern Vale have been worshipping Aurora’s Heart for generations. But…what is it anyway?'

'To be honest, I don't want it to be taken away by that big guy, but I have no idea what it will mean to lose the artifact.' Franco scratched his beard and was full of questions.

'It means catastrophe. The end of Northern Vale.' Freya turned away, lost in thought.

Setting Sail

The Valkyries of Northern Vale live in Valhalla all the year round, and they never set foot in the outside world except to solve the disputes between tribes and take the souls of the dead.

Not long ago, the battle between Bane and Franco set the coastline ablaze, and rumors of the missing artifact, Aurora’s Heart, began to circulate among people of Northern Vale. Freya was one of them.

For Freya, Aurora’s Heart is not only the sacred artifact of Northern Vale that will decide its fate. It’s closely related to the accident more than a decade ago. For many years, Freya has been troubled by the whereabouts of Aurora’s Heart and her sister Skuld, and has always felt guilty.

In order to find fulfill her sister's wish and find her sister, once carefree Freya has now grown to be a Valkyrie guarding the land of ice. Now, Freya doesn’t know what the Aurora’s Heart was taken for, but she knows that once the energy in the artifact runs out of control, a catastrophe will come to Northern Vale.

Freya had witnessed the power and would never forget it.

'I promised my sister that I would always guard Northern Vale.'

'And I must find my sister.' Freya looked out of the window to the distance, determined.

She turned to Franco and said, 'We have to get Aurora's Heart back. Will you help me?'

'Absolutely! I’m at your disposal at any time!' Franco couldn’t believe Freya asked him for help.

Then they found an ordinary sailboat at the pier. Franco is very unhappy about it. 'They had been on their way for several days. Without a fast ship like the Nightwheel, it is almost impossible for us to reach the Depths of the Sea before Bane and the big guy.'

'It's a pity my fleet was destroyed by that bastard.' Franco sighed and spat into the water.

Freya ignored his vulgarity and said, 'Maybe we need some help.'

Without a ship, Freya and Franco have to remain at the small port while Bane is following Atlas closely with his pirate ships.

'The murloc helmsmen should have killed Franco and returned ' Bane murmured, with binoculars in his hands, looking at the splash made by Atlas as the giant thing cuts through the waves.

'Captain! We haven't heard from them yet,' said the sailor obsequiously. 'Perhaps Franco had already be eaten up by fishes. It would take them some time if so.'

'Go find them, now! Someone has to tell me Franco is dead!' Caught in a rage, Bane kicked away the crew. He has a bad feeling about this. Anyway, the most important thing for him now is to get Aurora’s Heart.

In Northern Vale, Valkyrie's order soon spread throughout the coastline, and the people of various tribes responded with great enthusiasm. Some of them brought the necessary materials for building ships, some donated their fishing boats on which they depend to make a living, and some volunteered to become sailors of the expedition fleet.

Within only a few days, people worked together in this small remote and formed an unprecedentedly powerful fleet. Ships as powerful as the Nightwheel have been refitted and are ready to go.

It is a sunny day at Northern Vale. In the morning, and the sun was shining on the sea, the water glistening. Freya boarded the new ship with her crewmen and headed for the edge of the Frozen Sea, the northernmost point in the world.

'Set sail, the Valkyrie!' Standing at the bow, Franco cried at the top of his voice.