It was no wonder Garrosh was puzzled; during the Kaldorei Empire's heyday, Vrykul could only live near their settlements, not daring to interact with the Kaldorei.
And now, just three years after the Kaldorei Empire lost the Well of Eternity, Vrykul dared to attack the Kaldorei?
"Judging by their attire, they don't seem like the Vrykul from Storm Gorge," a Mage reminded him. "They are ruggedly dressed, look unruly, and clearly accustomed to lawlessness."
Garrosh said coldly, "I don't care if they are accustomed to lawlessness; if they dare to be enemies of the Empire, then eliminate them."
He drew his sword. "Raise the moon flag and outflank the Vrykul fleet."
The cruiser captain immediately turned the helm, circling to the rear of the Vrykul fleet.
Soon, both sides on the battlefield spotted the cruiser. The Shadowsong immediately lowered its moon flag, relinquishing command.
Seeing this, Garrosh immediately ordered, "Signal all ships to target the Vrykul ships flying black flags and concentrate fire."
From the Mage Tower, the signalman immediately sent out the flag signal.
The Shadowsong Fleet reacted swiftly, aiming every ballista as precisely as possible at the Vrykul ships flying black flags.
"Fire!"
"Fire!"
"Fire…"
Following a series of commands, hundreds of long spears rained down on the black-flagged Vrykul ship.
The black-flagged Vrykul ship was the Vrykul fleet's flagship. Its Vrykul leader, caught off guard by the sudden concentrated fire, was instantly riddled with arrows like a sieve. Aside from those below deck, virtually no other Vrykul on board survived.
The other Vrykul ships were stunned by the horrific scene on their flagship. They had been chasing and attacking the Shadowsong Fleet; how had the situation suddenly changed?
With their leader dead, a Vrykul ship instinctively raised a black flag, attempting to take over command of the fleet.
Garrosh ordered again, "Continue to concentrate fire on the enemy ship flying the black flag."
The Shadowsong Fleet received the order and immediately adjusted the direction of their ballistas. In less than half a minute, they unleashed another volley of long spears.
This time, the black-flagged Vrykul ship was prepared and performed evasive maneuvers. Even so, most of the Vrykul on board were still lost.
The captain who had taken over command also had his arm pierced by a long spear. He struggled to his feet, shouting, "Full speed ahead! Seize this opportunity to board their ships!"
The Vrykul fleet was inspired by this fearless spirit, and the sailors vigorously rowed, charging towards the Shadowsong Fleet.
Just then, several meteors suddenly flashed from the Shadowsong, instantly striking the black-flagged Vrykul ship. One of them pierced through the captain and, with undiminished force, struck the mast. The mast could not withstand the meteor's attack and instantly broke in half, plunging into the sea with the black flag.
The other meteors shot into the ship's cabin, clearing out the rowing sailors inside, then exited from the stern, finally disappearing into the seawater.
The Vrykul on deck stood stunned; they had never seen such a powerful weapon. Soon, the captain reacted, sharply turning the helm. The Vrykul ship suddenly veered, kicking up a large spray, and fled like the wind out of the bay.
Garrosh sneered, "Approach the Shadowsong!"
The cruiser rejoined the fleet, and Mages helped Garrosh return to the Shadowsong. The moon flag was once again raised on the Shadowsong.
Garrosh ordered, "Full speed pursuit, destroy all ships."
According to Gale's naval strategy, which aimed to restrict allied naval development and completely dismantle hostile forces at sea, the Vrykul were not allies to begin with. Now that they had attacked the Imperial Navy fleet, their ships had to be destroyed.
The magical thrusters gradually increased power, and the Shadowsong Fleet quickly caught up with the Vrykul fleet. The ballistas began to attempt attacks, but due to the high speed of both sides, the long spears could not inflict much damage.
"Use the Sea Monster Killer!"
The ballistas ceased their attack, and the Sea Monster Killers began to aim. Soon, ten meteors shot out, and several ships lost power on one side, moving diagonally across the sea and colliding with nearby ships.
A minute later, another ten meteors shot out, and the Vrykul fleet came to a halt.
The sailors, seeing their dead comrades, were terrified and dared not row their oars.
The Shadowsong Fleet surrounded them. If any ship dared to move, dozens of long spears would be shot at it. At such close range, the long spears were sufficient to penetrate the ship's cabin. The entire ship would be riddled like a porcupine, and the sailors inside would certainly have no chance of survival.
The brutal tactics instilled fear in the Vrykul, who no longer dared to make a move.
Garrosh had Kaldorei who understood Vrykul speak to them, and all ships were captured and taken to Beta Port.
Upon entering the port, the Vrykul were forced off their ships, then confined by Mages using spells and thrown into cages.
Interrogating the Vrykul overnight, Garrosh quickly obtained over a hundred confessions.
The Mages compiled the confessions and extracted some useful intelligence.
"These Vrykul come from a clan called Kvaldir, professional pirates who frequently plunder other Vrykul or Tuskarr. Some Vrykul mentioned their leader, a woman named Helya."
"Helya?"
Garrosh frowned and asked, "Do we have this name in our known intelligence?"
"No!" The Mage gave a definite answer.
"Transmit the intelligence back to Nordrassil, report it to His Majesty!" Garrosh made his decision, then said, "Keep a close watch on these Vrykul. If they try to escape, eliminate them all."
These Vrykul were all seasoned pirates; letting them go would lead to endless trouble. If not for considering Gale's reputation, he would have directly ordered their execution.
The Mage understood perfectly. "Understood!"
As dawn broke, the Kaldorei fell into a deep sleep.
The Vrykul in the cages watched as the guards also struggled to stay awake, and their hearts filled with joy. Some Vrykul winked at their companions, attempting to tear open the finely crafted iron bars.
The fine iron was exceptionally sturdy; even Mages would have a hard time opening the cages. However, the Vrykul possessed immense strength and slowly managed to pull apart the iron bars, creating a gap large enough for a Vrykul to pass through.
The Vrykul escaped from their cages one after another. Some of the more aggressive Vrykul even approached the guards, raising their fists, intending to kill them.
"Bang!"
A magic shield appeared on the guard, who "woke up" with a start and immediately shouted, "The prisoners have escaped!"
In an instant, countless Kaldorei arrived from all directions, launching an attack on the Vrykul.
The Vrykul, unaware it was a trap, merely thought they had alerted the Kaldorei. They turned and rushed towards the port, wanting to reclaim their ships.
However, before they could get close, a volley from the ballistas struck down a swath of them.
The surviving Vrykul, seeing the dire situation, immediately jumped into the sea and swam out of the harbor.
The naval forces pursued in their ships, shooting down the Vrykul one by one.
Just as all the Vrykul were about to be killed, a sudden gust of wind inexplicably swept in, forcing the Shadowsong Fleet to retreat to the port for shelter.
Garrosh looked out at the sea, "What happened?"
No one could answer him. All the spellcasters nervously looked out at the sea, where a faint silhouette of a woman could be seen, glaring angrily towards the port.
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