The Wrath of the Unchained-Chapter 86 - The Cove of Ghosts

The sun rose over Shewa like a smoldering ember, its heat stretching out across the dry land as Khisa and Tesfaye coordinated the final wave of travelers heading to the coast. Quietly, deliberately, they sent them in waves—no group larger than ten, no one following the same route. Carpenters left first, disguised as fishermen and wandering tinkerers. Then came the sailors, acting like exiles in search of work. All were given strict instructions: speak little, listen much, disappear into the crowd.

At Assab, Biruk and the Three Shadows—Zuberi, Simba, and Wasike—had already begun their silent work. They were ghosts among the living, drifting from dockside taverns to merchant yards, always watching, never watched. It was during one of these silent walks that Biruk found it—a narrow path choked by thorny shrubs, leading to a rock face that opened into a hidden inlet.

A perfect cove.

When he showed it to the others, Zuberi’s eyes widened. "This... this changes everything."

"Prince Khisa needs to know about this immediately." Biruk said.

Wasike squatted at the water’s edge, dipping his hand into the sea. "No one would ever think to look here. We can hide three ships, maybe more."

They wasted no time. A pigeon was sent immediately, bearing the message in tight, coded script: Cove secured. Good cover. Begin movement.

"Do you think, we can win this? Prince Khisa has led us through some very hard times, but this is different." Simba said.

Zuberi sighed, they have all been through so much during their training period, although they are home sick, they were suddenly thrust into a war.

She grabbed Simba’s shoulder, offering silent comfort, "Prince Khisa knows more than anyone the stakes here, he put the whole world on his shoulders trying his best to make sure our kingdom and us are not used and sold off.

We took an oath, Simba to be the shadow that guided Nuri’s path. To be the shield and sword for our families back home and Prince Khisa.

He leads the way and we follow, the past few weeks have been intense and from how things look, it is going to take us years to be done with this but regardless when we are done here, Nuri will have a new ally and the foreigners will have lost control of our waters. That give us room to grow."

Simba sighed, he understood the importance of their mission but regardless it was never easy.

Khisa and Tesfaye rode hard for the coast, eyes scanning the horizon. Time was bleeding away. The Ottoman shipment was expected in just one week.

As they traveled, Tesfaye made his suggestion. "I know merchants. A few of them might be willing to smuggle the ships piece by piece."

Khisa’s brow darkened. "Too risky. If even one of them is compromised, we’re finished."

Tesfaye frowned. "So what, then?"

"We steal one," Khisa said, his voice like steel. "Better yet, we raid a pirate vessel. Let them think it’s another turf war. That way we stay ghosts."

Tesfaye stared at him, then broke into a grin. "You really are insane. I like it."

Five Days Before the Ottoman Shipment

Khisa and Tesfaye arrived at Assab and were met with Simba and Biruk.

"Did you get our pigeon?" Simba asks.

Khisa looked confused, "What pigeon?"

"We sent one when we found the cove, we thought it would be the perfect place to hide while we build our strength." Biruk explained.

"We must have already left when it arrived, take us there. This might give us an added advantage." They were quickly led to the cove.

[The shadows are turning out to be very competent]

’Yes they are.’ Khisa says smiling.

Assab reeked of stale beer, gunpowder, and sweat. Under cover of night, Khisa and the Shadows moved through the back alleys like a pack of wolves. They had scouted two pirate vessels docked just beyond the southern quarter—crews of degenerates known more for brawling than discipline. Many were drunk, their laughter carrying over the salty breeze like bells before a storm.

Khisa, axe strapped to his back, crouched near a crumbling wall beside Tesfaye and the fourteen Shadows—silent killers trained for moments like this.

"Go for the loud one first," Khisa murmured. "Drunk, off balance. If we’re lucky, they’ll kill each other in the confusion."

Simba grinned. "Luck is for men who don’t plan."

"No prisoners," Zuberi added.

Khisa stood. "Let’s bring thunder."

They struck like midnight lightning.

Khisa led the charge, his massive axe a silver arc in the dark. It cleaved through the first pirate’s neck cleanly, a silent thud muffled by waves. The Shadows moved in behind him, blades flashing, throwing knives hitting throats before screams could rise.

On the larger of the two ships, a pirate staggered out, bottle in hand. "Oi, what’s—"

Khisa hurled his axe. The blade buried deep in the man’s chest. The bottle shattered on the deck beside his twitching feet.

Tesfaye fought with dual daggers, slipping between enemies like smoke. A pirate lunged with a sword—too slow. Tesfaye spun, slicing through his tendon, then buried both daggers into the pirate’s chest before whispering, "Sleep."

But the noise had woken others. Pirates spilled onto the decks, roaring, half-dressed, weapons drawn.

Khisa retrieved his axe and roared back. frёewebηovel.cѳm

The deck became chaos.

Steel clashed against steel. Arrows fired from the Shadows on the rooftops above the harbor, picking off pirates like hawks diving for prey. One of the Shadows, Wasike, dropped onto the deck, rolled, and impaled two men with a single sweeping strike.

Khisa faced three at once—ducked a wild swing, smashed his axe handle into a pirate’s teeth, and turned to behead another mid-charge.

A pistol fired—missed him by inches.

Tesfaye tackled the shooter overboard. Splash.

By the time the last pirate fell, choking on blood and regret, the moon was high, casting silver onto a deck soaked with red.

Khisa wiped his blade, breathing hard. "Anyone wounded?"

Zuberi lifted her tunic to reveal a shallow cut. "Only my pride."

They loaded the two ships with what they needed: tools, weapons, and the few intact barrels of rum they could salvage.

By sunrise, the vessels had vanished from the harbor, gliding silently into the hidden cove like phantoms returning home.

At the cove, soldiers and shipwrights waited with bated breath.

As Khisa stepped off the first ship, he called out, "Begin construction. Build fast, build smart. We have six days."

He turned to his warriors. "You"—he pointed at a group of trained sailors—"teach the new recruits how to hold their guts on the sea. We don’t need experts, just men who don’t drown or panic."

Tesfaye dropped onto a crate, wiping sweat from his brow. "Think we can pull this off?"

Khisa looked to the ocean, then to the men already moving like ants across the beach.

"We have to."