By the third day of hard wind, the sea stopped feeling like something they crossed and started feeling like something they endured.
The swell had grown steeper through the night, rising in long rolling walls that lifted the ship high enough to show open distance before dropping it into troughs that erased everything beyond the bow. The sky held a pale, washed look, and the wind carried a bite that made even the sailors tighten their collars.
Akelldema stood near the main mast, bracing with one hand while adjusting the strap of his sword with the other. The deck moved constantly now. There was no such thing as stillness. He had learned to shift his weight without thinking, to lean before the tilt came rather than after.
Takeshi stumbled slightly beside him and recovered with exaggerated dignity.
"Careful there, Takeski!" Akelldema said with amusement in his voice.
"I don't know what youre talking about" Takeshi replied indignantly
"You slipped."
"I was just testing the studriness of the deck, I thought I felt a loose board" he said as he kicked the floor, determined to find this "flaw".
Masaru, who had overheard from a coil of rope, shook his head. "Both of you sound like children arguing over who lost footing first."
Akelldema grinned faintly and muttered under his breath "I was not the one to lose footing."
Takesgi just glared back at Akelldema.
Ren approached, steady even on the pitching deck. He did not waste time correcting their balance, because they were too busy correcting each other.
"Enough," Ren said calmly. "The sea is not interested in your pride."
Akelldema tilted his head slightly. "It feels personal."
Ren ignored that. "We will reduce sail slightly before dusk. The current is building beneath the surface."
"The captain already ordered adjustments?" Masaru said.
"Yes,and he will order more." Ren replied.
The ship dipped sharply, forcing the three younger men to widen their stance again. A sailor rushed past them with a coil of line, shouting something in dutch toward the stern. The air smelled heavily of salt now, thick enough that it settled on the tongue.
Princess Aiko emerged onto the deck despite the rough motion. Lady Emiko followed closely, gripping the railing more tightly than she would have liked anyone to notice.
"You should not be up here." Masaru said.
"I disagree," Aiko replied, though she had to steady herself against the mast as another swell rolled beneath them.
Akelldema stepped closer instinctively, placing himself between her and the open rail without making it obvious.
"What does the Captain say about the weather?" she asked Ren.
"It intensifies," Ren answered. "The captain believes we are crossing a stronger current band."
Takeshi glanced at the horizon as the ship crested another swell. "If this keeps building, will we be able to outpace them?"
Ren followed his gaze. The courier hull still trailed behind them, though now it rose and vanished in irregular rhythm with the swell.
"If they reduce sail first, they may preserve their rigging better than we do," Ren said. "If they press too hard, they risk tearing something important."
Akelldema wiped salt from his brow. "So they either slow or gamble their own safety."
Masaru watched the trailing vessel through narrowed eyes. "They are still matching our angle."
"They are definitely committed, they must be getting paid well." Takeshi said.
Akelldema smirked faintly. "I told you they would not give up."
The wind rose another notch, and this time it came with force enough to snap the forward sail sharply. The captain's voice rang out across the deck, commanding immediate adjustment. Sailors scrambled, lines tightening and shifting with practiced speed.
Akelldema grabbed a nearby rope instinctively as it swung by his head, and helped guide it into place as a crewman secured the knot. The rope burned against his palm, but he held firm until the tension settled.
When the surge passed, he exhaled and flexed his fingers.
Ren had watched the movement without comment. "You are quick." he said.
"I prefer the ground." Akelldema replied with a hint of sarcasm.
"You will not have it for weeks." Ren said.
Takeshi leaned closer. "You will miss the rolling once we are still."
Akelldema gave him a flat look. "I doubt that."
Another swell lifted the ship so high that even Princess Aiko's steady composure faltered for a moment. She caught herself quickly, but Akelldema noticed the brief tightening in her jaw.
"You should return below." he said quietly.
She glanced at him, slightly annoyed. "I am not fragile."
"I did not say you were." he said in defense.
"Then do not look at me as if I am about to fall apart."
Takeshi suppressed a grin.
Akelldema raised his hands in surrender. "I was mearly offering you convenience."
Aiko studied him for a second longer, then looked back to the sea. "If the wind weakens them before it weakens us, then I will consider this unpleasant morning worthwhile."
Masaru chuckled. "That is one way to look at it."
The courier hull crested another swell in the distance, and for the first time, it dipped lower and remained obscured longer than before. Its sail line fluttered awkwardly before stabilizing.
Takeshi noticed it. "They are straining."
Ren's eyes sharpened as he looked towards the distant ship. Akelldema leaned forward slightly, squinting against the salt spray. "If they tear a line—"
"They will slow," Masaru finished.
The wind howled again, forcing everyone to brace. The ship groaned under pressure, but the adjustments held. The courier hull wavered visibly this time, one of its sails snapping violently before being hauled in partway.
Akelldema felt something like satisfaction stir in his chest. "They are reducing sail!"
Ren nodded once. "They have no choice."
Princess Aiko exhaled slowly. "Then our distance grows."
"For now, it seems." Ren said.
The afternoon wore on with punishing consistency. The wind did not relent, but their ship maintained stronger alignment through careful trimming and constant correction. By late day, the courier hull had fallen noticeably behind, no longer able to mirror their pace without risking structural damage.
Masaru leaned on the rail, breathing harder than he would admit. "If they continue losing ground like this, they may abandon pursuit entirely."
"They may circle ahead toward landfall instead," Ren replied.
Akelldema wiped his hands against his sash. "Then we keep changing our heading."
"We cannot zigzag forever." Ren said.
"No," Akelldema admitted. "But we can make them uncertain."
Takeshi gave him a look of approval, but said nothing.
The sun began to sink, casting the sea in molten gold. The wind eased slightly, though the swell remained heavy. The courier hull now appeared far smaller than it had at midday, reduced to a distant presence rather than an immediate threat.
Akelldema rested both hands on the rail and allowed himself a long breath. The wind had tested them without blade or blood, and the ship had held.
Princess Aiko stepped closer beside him, her voice lower now. "You wanted them to commit," she said.
"I wanted this to be over." he replied.
"And now?"
He looked toward the fading silhouette behind them. "For now I am satisfied with distance."
Takeshi joined them, glancing once more toward the horizon. "Enjoy it while it lasts."
Masaru nodded. "They will try something else."
Ren folded his hands behind his back once more. "Of course they will."
Akelldema's expression shifted slightly, the earlier irritation replaced with focus. The mischievous edge did not vanish, but it sharpened.
"Good, let them come." he said.
The wind eased further as dusk settled, and for the first time since leaving port, the trailing vessel looked small enough to ignore.
But Akelldema did not ignore it.
He simply allowed himself to breathe without the weight of it pressing so close.