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Jaegar\'s solitary vigil did not go unnoticed.

Cara, the red-haired woman from the tavern, made several attempts to engage him in conversation throughout the first day at sea. Each time she approached, her steps deliberate and her eyes sharp with curiosity, Jaegar felt a flicker of annoyance. He had no interest in whatever game she was playing and no desire to unravel the mystery of her presence on this ship.

Jaegar had no interest in playing along with her whims, as she seemed like a spoiled brat. Something that irked him very much. Her whole gang of men was always following her and seemed to be praising and pampering her very often.

"Beautiful day, isn\'t it?" Cara would say, or "I wonder what awaits us in the Empire." Each attempt at conversation was met with stony silence from Jaegar. He didn\'t even turn to acknowledge her presence, his gaze remaining fixed on the distant horizon.

Cara\'s persistence was admirable, if misguided. She tried varying her approach, sometimes asking direct questions about Jaegar\'s past or his reasons for traveling to the Empire. Other times, she would simply stand near him, as if hoping her presence alone would eventually break through his wall of silence.

But for Jaegar, Cara held no appeal. Her beauty, which had turned heads in the tavern, seemed hollow now, a mask hiding unknown motives. He wasn\'t in the mood for her games or anyone else\'s. His journey was his own, and he had no intention of sharing it with a stranger whose very presence on this ship raised more questions than answers.

As the days went on, Jaegar noticed Cara\'s attempts at conversation becoming less frequent. He caught glimpses of her with her warrior companions: Hegdal, the burly leader with the massive axe, Nelo, the man from the tavern; and the others whose names he hadn\'t bothered to learn.

They formed a tight-knit group, their easy camaraderie and warrior\'s bearing setting them apart from the other passengers and crew.

The ship maintained a constant speed, with the rhythmic creaking of wood and the splash of waves against the hull becoming a soothing background noise.

In quiet moments, when he was sure no one was watching, he would summon small sparks of his lightning magic to his fingertips, reassuring himself that his powers were still in balance after the intense meditation session in the inn.

As night fell on the second day of their voyage, a sense of unease began to creep over Jaegar.

The sea, which had been remarkably calm, seemed to hold its breath. The usual sounds of the ship cutting through water seemed muffled, as if the ocean itself were trying to hide some secret beneath its dark surface.

***

Jaegar stood at his usual spot on the deck, his keen eyes scanning the horizon. The moon hung low and full, casting an eerie glow over the water.

It was in this moment of heightened awareness that he first noticed the change.

The water on the left side of the ship began to gurgle and bubble up the surface, as if some massive creature were stirring in the depths below. There were faint sounds of humming, followed by screeching. It wasn\'t loud, but Jaegar could hear it clearly. His gaze intensified as she stared at the spot where the sound was coming from.

Jaegar\'s hand instinctively moved to his concealed wand, his muscles tensing in anticipation. The disturbance in the water followed in the wake of their ship, growing more pronounced with each passing moment.

Then, in a sight that defied belief, a massive black wooden ship seemed to emerge from the very sea itself. It rose from the depths like some ancient leviathan, water cascading off its dark hull, creating a bizarre and terrifying silhouette against the night sky.

Water splashed on either side, creating waves and enough noise to wake the crew.

The mysterious vessel pulled alongside the Blue Horizon, slightly smaller in size but no less imposing. Its sudden appearance sent a shockwave of fear through the ship.

A crew member on lookout duty was the first to fully comprehend the danger they were in. His eyes, wide with terror, fixed upon the flag that unfurled at the top of the ship\'s mast—a black banner adorned with a grinning skull and two crossed swords behind it. The universal symbol of pirates.

"Pirates!" The lookout\'s cry shattered the night\'s eerie calm, his voice cracking with fear as he frantically rang the warning bell. The sound echoed across the ship, a clarion call that transformed the peaceful night into a scene of panic and chaos.

Within moments, the deck of the Blue Horizon erupted into frenzied activity.

The captain, a grizzled man who had seemed unflappable during their journey so far, burst from his quarters, his face a mask of grim determination. He barked orders to his crew, who scrambled to defensive positions, their movements a mix of practiced drill and barely contained fear.

Jaegar was watching with a blank expression as he assessed the pirate and their ship. They just came out of the water, he wondered if they were moving under water. Truly, such a stunning feat, he thought. Whoever they were, they knew what they were doing.

He watched as grappling hooks and ropes were thrown from the pirate ship, arcing through the air before landing with dull thuds on the deck of the Blue Horizon. The metal hooks bit into the wood, securing the two ships together.

Shadowy figures began to swing across the gap between the ships, their weapons glinting ominously in the moonlight.

Jaegar could hear their war cries now, a cacophony of savage yells that sent chills down the spines of the Blue Horizon\'s unprepared passengers and crew.

As the first of the pirates landed on deck, Jaegar watched calmly, assessing the situation with the cool detachment of a seasoned warrior. He could feel his arcane powers surging just beneath his skin, like lightning trapped in a bottle, eager to be unleashed. But he held back, years of caution and survival instincts staying in his hand.

He needed to see how the situation would unfold before revealing his abilities.