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Esmyra

E smyra’s tail stirred the water as her webbed fingers held onto a cluster of jagged rocks off Lephyrin’s coast, watching the docks as her crew snuck away. Once they boarded their pinnace, they quickly rowed out of the harbor and toward the sea, where The Night Wraith awaited in a cove.

She dove back into the water and soared beneath the surface, the sea embracing her.

Esmyra’s long, midnight hair swayed gracefully like flowing ink while her cerulean tail shimmered with iridescent scales that matched those shielding her bare breasts.

Upon touching the seawater, the markings her skin had carried since birth shimmered, creating a subtle glow that bathed her surroundings in a turquoise light.

On land, the birthmarks resembled fiery red burns searing across her arms and down her spine, but beneath the ocean’s surface, they transformed as she did, as if they were delighted to be returning home. Esmyra never knew how or why it occurred and gave up on answers long ago.

Unbeknownst to her crew, she followed in the small boat’s wake, gliding just below the surface. Her tail, a sleek blade of muscle, cut effortlessly through the water, barely forming a ripple .

Within the sea, Esmyra was stealth incarnate—a wraith beneath the tides.

As she chased after her crew, her mind reeled with everything she compelled the woman to say. The king was after treasure, willing to risk angering the gods over it. If the mortal king refused to cower away from the gods, then she decided there was no reason she shouldn’t either.

There were three great kingdoms remaining within the Realm of Rymelle. Each territory had its own race, all of whom were servants to their ruling god. In return, the god bestowed gifts upon their inhabitants.

The elven Kingdom of Sumnae possessed gifts of mind and sight, which were given by worshipping Vydenne, the Goddess of Illusion.

The nymph and woodland Kingdom of Terrana possessed extraordinary gifts that allowed them to manipulate the elements of weather and soil by the God of Growth, Villaem.

And lastly, Irah, the God of Rage and War, was the ruling god of the mortal kingdom, Lephyrin. While his subjects possessed no gifts of magic, they were avid warriors and fighters—a race of destruction.

Rymelle once consisted of four kingdoms, one of them being the sunken Kingdom of Maerinys. Legends claimed the kingdom sank when the sea goddesses, Naerysa and Kaelypso, vanished without a trace.

It was that which resulted in the remaining gods to retreat behind the veil. They chose to no longer walk the same soil as their subjects, and instead observed from beyond.

But they were never far, always keeping a watchful eye.

Esmyra believed it was also how her father was easily able to claim the sea as his all that time ago—the absence of the sea goddesses allowed for an easy conquest. And with the power of his secret weapon, there was no one to challenge his claim, aside from herself.

The crew rounded the first bend in the land, now out of sight from the docks, and she poked her head above the surface alongside the pinnace .

“Esmyra, why’d ya have us leave so soon? We’d barely been there half a day before you rushed us out.”

Esmyra floated onto her back, her eyes roaming over the elven male. She observed the sharp tips of his ears as they poked out from the confines of his golden headscarf, a testament to the kingdom he abandoned to sail the seas on The Night Wraith .

It was uncommon for her father to take in outsiders to man the ship of nightmares.

But every now and then, if there were survivors from their attacks who didn’t cower beneath Captain Blackwood’s gaze, they would be offered a position on the crew, granting them power and stability in the sea.

If they declined the generous offer, they would be granted an instant death instead.

A violent one.

It was why The Night Wraith was crewed by every race that inhabited the Realm of Rymelle.

Neither Cyrus or Esmyra cared of the powers or appearance of who they sailed with—what they cared about was loyalty.

Show loyalty to their captain and they were untouchable in the seas, break his trust and they would find themselves sent to the depths faster than they could feel regret.

“I’m sorry, Riven, but is there a reason you deem it necessary to question my orders?” The edge in her tone made the rest of the crew straighten, remaining silent in their seats as she gripped the edge of the boat, grinning up at them.

“Of course not!” There was a slight panic in his voice. Esmyra tilted her head to the side in challenge. “It was just a question, is all. We had been set to remain in Lephyrin for a few nights, and I’m sure Captain will want an explanation.”

“Aye, and who’s acting captain in Cyrus's absence?”

“You, Esmyra.”

She pursed her lips as her stare drifted over the crew.

“Information regarding the king was presented to me, and the captain will need to know immediately. It may derail any plans we had for the foreseeable future. That’s all I’ll grant you, and you’re barely even deserving of that.

” She winked, and Riven visibly relaxed .

Esmyra sighed. Each second that ticked by made her more eager to present her findings to her father. “I fear I’ve lost my patience for your slowness.”

A few laughs rang out from the crew.

“Well, by all means…a little boost would be appreciated,” Jak, a male of woodland descent, called from the front. He was one of the few Esmyra genuinely enjoyed the company of, deeming him the closest being she had to an actual friend.

With a subtle smirk tilting her lips, she lowered her hand to the churning water beneath the pinnace.

Her eyes began to glow, exuding an ethereal, icy light as she summoned her powers to wield the tides.

The waves instantly responded at her will, and the water around the pinnace surged, propelling the small boat swiftly through the currents as she held on tight, being dragged alongside them.

The crew quickly tightened their grip on their oars and lifted them to ensure they weren’t ripped from their grasp as they soared over the waves.

“ Kaelypso’s tits !” Jak bellowed with a laugh as the crew gripped the rail to avoid flying overboard, the wind whipping their hair violently. “A warning would’ve been nice!”

“Your challenge was the warning,” Esmyra mused, and a few wicked chuckles escaped them all as her powers glided them through a narrow channel, veiled by creeping mist and towering cliffs.

The cove opened into a tranquil lagoon, its waters a glassy emerald, while the air was heavy with the scent of salt and damp earth.

The crew finally reached their anchored ship and found Captain Blackwood waiting at its bow. Before they climbed up to the deck to meet him, Jak offered Esmyra his coat to hide her bare body as she shifted back into her mortal guise.

Their captain didn’t greet them willingly, nor was there kindness in his eyes as they roamed over each of them individually, halting on Esmyra.

His dark gaze met hers with a mixture of irritation and concern beneath deeply furrowed brows. Cyrus stood with his arms crossed, the edges of his long coat billowing in the wind. “Back already? What in all fucking gods happened out there?”

“Father,” Esmyra greeted as she stepped forward, water pooling at her feet while the crew shifted uneasily around her. “We need to speak. I overheard information in Lephyrin that I think you’ll want to know, and we need to move fast if we’re in agreement.”

Blackwood lifted a single brow. “Aye? You overheard something?” His tone made it clear he knew that wasn’t necessarily the case, and she had to suppress a grin. “And what news might this be?”

Esmyra let out a huff through her nostrils. “It’s matters that would best be discussed in private, Captain.” She flashed him a menacing smile.

His jaw locked, eyes raking over the crew once more. “Get to your stations and ready the ship.”

Cyrus turned on his heel and strode toward his office with Esmyra a step behind him, leaving the crew to tend to their own.

Blackwood’s office was carved out of the ship’s stern, lined with tall windows that arched across the back wall.

Esmyra confidently strode towards the center of the room, feeling the intensity of her father's gaze as he took his seat at his massive, weathered desk.

Its surface was scarred with dagger marks, scorch trails, and ink stains, while maps and charts lay scattered across it.

She took in the sight of her father—hair black as night, similar to her own, only he had eyes that nearly matched.

His face bore the lines of a man who had spent a lifetime beneath the sun at sea, but now it was etched with the unmistakable shadow of rage.

Esmyra stood before him, unyielding, challenging him as he tried to make her feel small.

“Do you have an explanation for me, or shall we get on with punishment for your defiance? ”

An annoyed cackle slipped from her. “Defiance.”

“Do you have another word for disobeying orders? You were to remain in Lephyrin for three days. Loot what you could. Stay hidden… Get something of value in the slightest. Yet you stand before your captain empty-handed.”

Esmyra didn’t always see eye-to-eye with her father. While she enjoyed the thrill of looting, she truthfully never wanted to deal with the politics of actually being in charge. It was the reason she never challenged him for the title of captain.

“I’m the acting captain once the crew touches the soil of the realm.” Her tone held every bit of the defiance he accused her of. “Since you’re physically unable to step on the land, the call was mine to make. I deemed it necessary to return upon hearing news of King Rowe and what he’s planning.”

“You’re the first mate of The Night Wraith .” He pounded his finger on the wooden desk three times. “You’re second-in-command and?—”