The central square of Male, wide and long, felt empty even with a company of the Kingdom’s men. Before the city’s taking, the square was a vibrant pulse biting at its centre. It’s heart. And as a heart, it had two arteries coursing through it: one flowing from the western shallows towards the fortress and another snaking its way north to south, connecting Male’s twin ports: The switch on the Ring of Commerce’s trade route.

  There, amidst cobblestones worn smooth, Ivy waited. She stood right in the middle, stance unwavering. Proud. Ahlong, flanked her right side. Adan stood at the other. Behind them stretched their people: their hearts etched with worry, yet faces calmed and confident. A Parle was sacred, all knew it. Yet, betrayal could come easily in the hands of Vega. And the navies surrounding the island city seemed to work for him. So, hands rested over swords’ hilts and pistol grips. Ready.

  From the north, Jo ships had descended upon the North Strait with terrifying ease. Their sails billowed in an ominous symphony of black and red canvases. Ready to invade and gain control through Male’s artery. To the south, Hanan’s fleet had mirrored their advance, engulfing Male’s southern waters with equal swiftness. But in the south, the Blue ship anchored, and as Hanan approached, they engaged in a brutal cannon fight, putting half of the kingdom’s navy ablaze. They had taken damage too: the Male fortress, to Ivy’s orders, couldn’t quiet upon seeing the attack on her ships. It was a brief exchange, and despite the initial attack, neither fleet dared to breach Male’s defences in full for a second time.

  As steps echoed through the alleys into the square, Adan muttered. “Vultures, that’s what they are.”

  Two groups reached from both flanks. Their arrival broke the stillness of the square. Each contingent numbered roughly fifty men, a meager force against the much larger number of defenders.

  “At the ready, people,” Adan said. “Don’t lower your guards, neither your spirits.”

  The first group, hailing from Uwe, arrived with a swagger born of untamed wilderness. They were a motley crew clad in worn leathers and ragged clothes. Few wore strange armors of woven silks and rods, while few others shared the parts of a whole between them. Expressions varied, from defiant to wary, but all eyes glinted with untamed spirit.

  In stark contrast, Hanan moved with chilling precision. Scarlet uniforms reinforced with plaques shimmering under Male’s rising sun. Each man moved in perfect synchronization. Not a single bit of rust on the metals, no wrinkles in their uniforms. In them, unlike in Uwe’s Pirates, bravery missed, and instead they radiated fear.

  The two groups split at the same time, three men advancing from each. Uwe, a familiar face to Ivy, took the lead from his contingent. From the other side, forwarded a man she didn’t recognize; a stark contrast to Uwe in every way. While Uwe was an old warrior etched with scars that spoke of a life of fighting, this other man possessed an almost ethereal beauty untouched by toil or hardship. As they drew closer, Ivy noticed more than just their outward appearances; Uwe may have exuded raw physical power by his demeanor, but his eyes revealed kindness of sorts.The newcomer could fool everyone with a wide, welcoming smile, but his gaze turned to be as hollow as if made of glass.

  Stench of sweat and drink reached all noses as AhLong stepped forward, his movement unexpectedly too straight for a man who had been drinking all night. “I never liked ye, Uwe boy,” he said. Voice thick but clear enough. “But I never lost respect. Now ye work for Vega... I sick... and sad…very disappoint!”

  Uwe’s translator bowed low, offering a smile Ivy took as a clue he’d not translate AhLong’s harshness in the slightest. “Uwe-Dana is also happy to see you again, Angler’s king.”

  AhLong returned the greeting with a spit and a subtle headshake. “And who’s the fancy?” he said, nodding to the other.

  “I Have as many names as I have titles. But you can call me Liew. That will suffice,” The Hanan envoy talked smoothly, with a charm matching his looks. “I come in the name of the new Harpy, ruler of—”

  “Shut it,” AhLong cut like a blade. He stepped closer, unbothered by the tensing of the Hanan soldiers. “The old Baba was a strong woman, Brave! She never sent maiden to speak for her. Also disappointing.”

  Unaffected, Liew widened his grin with an unnerving calmness.

  Uwe’s translator intervened. “Uwe-Dana wishes to end this without bloodshed. He accepts your full surrender of the city. You and the new finger will be taken under his protection. In exchange, he promises all your men will be pardoned. Ships will be arranged for them. No cannons but provisions.”

  Liew laughed, loud and carefree, like the idea of peace bored him to tears. “Nonsense!” he said. “What Uwe wants is to be the only Finger of the Fist. Then betray his deal to Vega. And to do so he needs the South East gangs alive. Am I wrong?”

  The translator, caught by surprise, stammered. “W-why would Uwe-Dana do that? There is a new harpy.”

  “Do you think I suck my thumb, talking monkey? She’s in the same bucket as the Jo’s sister. The one with tea that tastes like death.”

  The translator opened his mouth, but Uwe cut him off with a sharp, short roar. Words hissed from the pirate lord in quick succession. Upon finishing, his translator bowed low and relayed Uwe’s will in the common tongue:

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  “Uwe-Dana demands you must follow instructions. The girl must be delivered to-”

  “To the Seven Hells with Vega!” Liew’s amusement overflowed. “We are here to decimate this rebellion and cut off this new finger. Then let’s do it. I’m not scared of this old drunk like all of you. His legend? all smoke! You’ll see when I dispatch him in a swing! But hear my words. The girl won’t go with you. You want bargain chips for your political buffoonery. The Harpy too. Here is her deal. The head of the King and all his captains. Crews will join the Harpy or be put to the hangs. The girl will surrender and deliver her loyalty to the Harpy in a public-”

  Uwe turned, a muscle twitching in his cheek. He barked again, this time a shorter phrase, his voice tight with restraint.

  “Dana says you speak too much for a man who hasn’t fought a single battle,” the translator said.

  “Oh, I see,” Liew sneered. “The old fighter believes he is still a tiger… maybe he was once one, but that time has passed. As the time of the Angler fool. You, too, are relics, that’s what you are. And… let me say I appreciate the old fart views on my experience in combat. That will be his last mistake.”

  “Hanan fool speak because he knows when fire comes, he burns first,” AhLong said coldly, his mocking tone cutting across the square. “Yer ships are wood. And wood burns, like men.”

  Liew blinked, and for a moment, something flickered in his eyes. Then he clapped his hands. “Amazing! What a display of wisdom!”

  “Ye both talk like Blue surrender already,” Ahlong said. “But Blue don’t. We stand ground. Understand? Hanan kid is blind. He doesn’t see well. But Uwe smart, ye consider and retreat. Can’t breach Male. No one can.”

  “You did.” The translator’s lip pulled slightly up.

  “Blue has fly wings!” Ahlong wobbled. Almost as if the stoicism hiding his condition escaped him with the words. “We manage because we rain fire from sky. Want to see how we do? You better leave, or yer ships burn!” He turned away, a hand waving. “This kid is empty coconut! And old dog is stubborn like rock! Ye try attack if you want, we blow yer ships! This my last warning. Think I lie? I don’t lie!” AhLong reached out and tapped Adan on the shoulder. “This is my best. He speak while old Long goes vomit.”

  As AhLong vanished into the crowd, Uwe’s expression shifted subtly, a glance shared with Ivy something she did not understand. The old pirate said something under his breath, and the translator hesitated, then relayed:

  “Uwe-Dana says: ‘The tides change quickly. He can’t promise when, but he promise girl will see moment waters let stranded ships go to sea.’”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” Liew scoffed, visibly annoyed the attention had shifted from him.

  Adan answered for Ivy. “We understand. But Ivy and all of her men will wait for that moment here. Not under your… protection.”

  Liew succumbed to the wait. Arms crossed and tip of his feet tapping incessantly. “I didn’t come here to hold a cheap poetry competition. What a waste of time! How about we duel? The three of us against each other. Winner gets it all.”

  In silence, Uwe bowed gently and withdrew, followed by his men. Of them, only the translator stayed. Opposed to him, Lew waited, as if he expected the absence of Uwe to be a trigger for the defenders’ surrender.

  Adan spoke again. “We have provisions in the city and plenty of powder in the fortress. You may try to attack, you may try to besiege us. But we can take both options easily. Reconsider your place and your alliances. You have nothing to gain here. Neither will you gain anything from Vega. No deal from that man is worth even a little. In the long run, whatever he promised you by coming here will be detrimental to your interests and those of the Harpy. But we keep our word. And we remember. There’s a new order coming and we are open to-“

  “Talk, talk and more talk…” Liew said. “First, What Vega promised us is already fulfilled.” Liew pointed at his hair, where a little bun was held by a golden pin-fork. “See, one of my titles. A big one! Pity my uncle still doesn’t know. Second… You talk like you have real options. We know you lack provisions. Wanna use those wings of yours? We know how to counter them. Wanna use that fortress? Go ahead. We have much more men and boats than you have powder and cannonballs. So, here my last words: surrender now or give me permission to raise my reds. I’m fine with both. But please stop the chatter. It’s giving me headache.”

  “We won’t surrender.” Adan said.

  Liew strode away, shoulders shaking as he laughed. “That’s the spirit! See you soon!” Opposite, Uwe’s translator waited for the time the Hanan troops left, then he bowed and walked away with measure and calm.

  As the square emptied of enemies, the kingdom’s men eased. Steps towards the streets behind began, and Adan followed. He halted and tuned. Ivy stood motionless. A statue carved with no purpose in mind. The quartermaster waited. If he was aware of how much her legs shook, she wasn’t sure. The weight on her, intense. A burden she was taking too long to process. Death was coming. There was little that could be done now. She should have escaped days ago, but her stubbornness, her desire to believe in Riko, had made her wait.

  “I should have-” she signed.

  “Stop it,” Adan cut. “We all wanted to wait. Don’t blame yourself alone. It’s done, and we’re all guilty. Now is not the time to mourn. It’s time to prepare Marie’s ships for evacuation.”

  “First the remaining citizens, aye?”

  “Of course.” Adan said. Exactly as if he had foreseen Ivy’s thoughts, he continued. “No worries, they will start with small incursions at night. To test our weaknesses. With men positioned along both banks to stop the boats and a fortress against their ships, we can hold them off long enough. We have ships returning from Bakon and Isa. They should be here within a few days to evacuate the rest.”

  “And how will we evacuate all these men holding them back?” Ivy signed. ”Troops around the city will be easy, but the fortress… The fortress is at the other side of the crossing. When they breach…”

  The question hung heavy, unasked for a while. Ivy knew Adam’s answer. Her question, a wish to find a way out of a terrible end. To her dismay, instead of delivering a much-needed solution, he took the easy path, that of a white lie.

  “Well… If boats reach land, we push the side defences while the fortress evacuates. They’ll notice of course, and the invasion will then unfold fully. We will have time… but we may have to run.”