Black thunder rolled through the lead-gray clouds as the Stormrider pitched like a leaf in the wind, tossed violently by the raging seas. Water mixed with shards of ice flooded the deck, whipped by the gale and striking the soldiers' armor with sharp cracks.

Though Tristan was holding onto the mast, his tailored coat soaked through with seawater, he still stood tall. When he looked ahead at the island's outline growing clearer through the storm, his frown suddenly relaxed, and his gaze sharpene