The Chronicles Of New Havens

As General Illion expected, their pursuers confusedly retreated. There was no surprise there. If the Imperial Princesses were truly intent on seeking revenge, there was no need to draw such a complicated plan. Judging from the letter Ming sent, it was obvious what their stance was. Without any more pursuers, the Alzar soldiers reached the beachside and started boarding rafts before rowing out. Thankfully, the weather had not yet frozen the water. Such an occurrence was rare, but not impossible. Within less than ten minutes, everyone climbed onto the sh.i.p.s.

Due to how few soldiers remained, everyone should have fitted on three sh.i.p.s. However, the generals instructed that they use as many sh.i.p.s as possible, baffling the soldiers. As a result, about five sh.i.p.s were mobilized from the original fleet and they set sail. As Elizabeth stood on the stern of the frontmost ship, she looked back towards the coastline. It took so long and so many lives, but she would be finally returning to the Alzar Kingdom. She could only pray that Xiuying and Ming would be safe. Similarly, the two Imperial Princesses stared at the fleet departing, their gazes complex. The world really worked in mysterious ways for these three to meet!

Meanwhile, the two Alzar generals were uneasy. To be honest, they were never too worried about failing to reach the sh.i.p.s. The real problem laid in how easy everything was. For a trap setup by the Imperial Council, would they pin all their hopes on the two divisions? Any half-baked intelligent general would try to close all loopholes and ensure certain success. Hence, they were watching the waters as they exited the bay. As if on cue, a Xingyuu fleet emerged, ten ship strong, from behind an outcropping. The generals' eyes dimmed.

On a naval battlefield, there was less of an emphasis on quantity, and more on usage. For example, the five sh.i.p.s the Alzar Kingdom used were bulky, large warsh.i.p.s. They were intended for ocean-faring voyages, such as the one through the Maelstrom Gulf. Ocean-faring vessels needed to be large to handle the tumultuous storms out at sea. A smaller vessel would capsize without a doubt. Moreover, they needed to transport an enormous number of troops! To transport an army of fifty thousand, was that so easy? It was a monumental challenge just logistically! This meant the sh.i.p.s were slow and clumsy.

In comparison, the Xingyuu fleet used smaller, sleeker sh.i.p.s. Their nimble nature would allow them to prey on larger sh.i.p.s, such as the Alzar fleet. Until they entered the open waters, the Alzar fleet would be hounded by their enemies! Indeed, the Imperial Council prepared this trump card, in case the divisions failed. Their true target was to blockade the bay, to prevent any thought of fleeing, but it transformed into pursuit! Princess Ming saw everything while Princess Xiuying cursed under her breath. They were too far away to influence anything. Even if they shouted with all their might, the fleet could just feign ignorance. There was no stopping them!

General Illion snorted. He expected such a situation to develop. While he went below deck, the Brigade Commanders under his command shouted out their orders, following along with the plan. As it turned out, only one of the five warsh.i.p.s were carrying Elizabeth, her friends, the Ten Dawns, as well as the generals and Sir Winstin! The other four were decoys. Sir Lorenzo glanced at his fellow commanders, standing at the prows of their own sh.i.p.s, and saw their strong convictions. Lorenzo sighed and shouted! Together, the five Alzar sh.i.p.s began to split up… in five different directions!

The Xingyuu fleet captain quickly reacted, mirroring the Alzar fleet's actions. The ten-ship strong fleet divided into groups of two, each pursuing a ship! In this way, the concentration of force was diminished greatly. The chances of Elizabeth escaping were much greater! Unfortunately, it did nothing to help their current situation. Two pursuit sh.i.p.s were still chasing Elizabeth's ship down. Then, it devolved to the next stage.

Archers on both sides started exchanging volleys with arrows filling the dawn sky in a strangely beautiful show. In terms of firepower, the Alzar Kingdom had the edge. Their sh.i.p.s were equipped with mounted crossbows, enabling them to unleash a flurry of pain on their pursuers. But the Xingyuu fleet was comprised of small and nimble sh.i.p.s. With their mobility, arrows were little more than for show, not even catching their tailwind. The crossbows were the only effective weapons, with their superior accuracy and penetrative power. It became a contest of speed versus power. Soldiers died quickly, but not quickly enough. Some of the Alzar sh.i.p.s were boarded where a brutal bloodshed unraveled.

Before long, the five-ship strong Alzar fleet dwindled down to two. Two were boarded and captured, while one was shot to death. Thankfully, those three were decoys but over a hundred soldiers perished like that. On the other hand, the enemy fleet was still going strong. A mere third of their forces was taken out of commission, while the remaining two-thirds were in hot pursuit. Everything happened in around fifteen minutes as they were beginning to breach ocean waters. Elizabeth grew heated, watching things from a window. If the Xingyuu fleet caught up, then they would really be doomed!

Two minutes later, the last decoy ship was captured, leaving Elizabeth's ship to face the full brunt of the enemy fleet. Left without options, Sir Winstin joined the battle with the Royal Guards on the top deck. His appearance immediately ignited the morale of everyone as the combined Royal Guard aura surged. The enemy soldiers felt chills spread on their backs, although they were separated by water. However, it was a temporary effect. Naval warfare was different from land. At sea, how much damage could Sir Winstin accomplish? Not everyone was like Cardinal Hui, who possessed unmatched ranged ability. At most, the Royal Guards could only delay the inevitable!

The battle continued for another five minutes with the Royal Guards acting as guards for the soldiers. They would deflect any projectiles headed their way, thus tipping the scales ever so slightly in their favor. But Sir Winstin felt helpless. It was a battle of attrition now that their enemies could focus on one target. The Royal Guards had limited stamina and the soldiers had limited ammunition. Once that ran out, the enemy fleet would not hesitate to board… and kill them all! To be honest, it was a miracle they could last so long against such overwhelming odds. That was a product of General Illion and General Gordon's scheming. However, schemes could not take them further. It was only a matter of time now…

"Hold on for a little longer," a whisper entered Sir Winstin's ear. He looked around in surprise. His perception was already fully deployed, and he knew nobody was around him. For someone be so close, without him noticing, was that possible? Everyone else also shared the same surprise. What shocked them though was the next few words.

"I am Ten Dawn Iris Cisvernia, part of the Zino Kingdom's fleet. Our fleet is currently not far from you. If you delay your pursuers for another five minutes, then we will be able to assist you!"

Ten Dawn Iris Cisvernia! People knew her from her other name the White Healer! Famed for being the number one specialist when it came to Arcania injuries, she was regarded as one of the most famous of the Ten Dawns. Of course, to become a Ten Dawn, she required more than just that. She was also a formidable master of wind-type Arcania, proving her combat worth. Using her magic, she could transport her voice across the vast distance directly into the ears of everyone! When Sir Winstin turned in the direction of the voice, off into the far horizon, he saw a small series of dots. Even with his sight sharpened to the limit, he could barely make them out. It was the Zino Kingdom's fleet!