Vessels in the water aren't something that's easy to get used to. Far away, it's simple to see that some are big and some are smaller, and their dimensions change as you get closer. The fleet has five ships that are larger, wider ships than yours but they don't seem as fast. These are heavy vessels and higher in the water, with four sails each. Trails of darkness lead onto the ships, and on each of them come sounds of pitched battle, yelling and confusion.

There's a vessel in the middle of this commotion, a wide and flatter vessel, and it would have three sails if its third hadn't been...well, chopped down. The soldiers on board are busy hacking apart logs and others are building what seems to be a pyre. Each man on board carries a bow and a full quiver of arrows, too.

There are also five other ships similar to yours, still larger and more like small barges, with two sails apiece, and many people on board, also entangled with shadowy figures. You pull alongside the closest of these, and when you board, aided by the two citizens from the town, many people, armed or otherwise, turn to look at you and go back to a pitched battle and go back to their fighting, but many look relieved. A man in grand and spiked armor, much like Kyorlin's newly shaped green armor, barks an order and one swordsman disengages from the fight to talk with you.

"Gusai Hakamoto at your service" He gives a formal bow to Kyorlin and after the Draegloth's greeting, he yells to many on the ship and ten plain-faced people wielding spears or makeshift weapons disengage from the battle and join him. He motions to your vessel and says, "You are to be escorted to Fundai Mura, citizens, where you shall receive aid!" After that, the soldier asks your extra navigators, "What is your vessel's capacity?"
"Sir! Fourty-six, including crew."
"Good." The soldier turns to Kyorlin again and asks, "Have you ever fought the Living Shadow? It must be cut away completely and it forms beings with surprisingly resilient flesh. Join us in battle!"

As the man goes to re-enter the fray a tentacle of darkness oozes past the gap the citizens had made and, upon seeing the samurai returning, straightens to a line. The man deflects the strike to his chest but it still catches his clavicle. He counter-strikes, not flinching, and the bisected tentacle of darkness flops to the floor of the ship, where it turns to dust. "Normally the Shadow wouldn't be capable of boarding our ships like this but it's been strengthened. We've been picking up citizens that fled from Kyuden Hida by boat, and there aren't many left. Can any of you help us with that while we battle?