The urgent ringing of the bell tore through the stillness of the afternoon.
Helgi hurriedly organized the defenses. Amid the rising panic and chaos, the pirates' triangular sails swelled with wind, their ships accelerating as they lunged viciously toward the disordered harbor.
Boom!
Suddenly, the leading ship was struck by a stone projectile, cracks appearing along its starboard side.
As a seasoned former pirate, Helgi had long been wary of rivals from the same trade. He had invested dividends from the Western Sea Fur Company and the Sugar Company into fortifying the castle, constructing ten torsion ballistae and six counterweight trebuchets.
The ballistae fired on a flat trajectory with high accuracy, but their lighter stones lacked destructive power.
The trebuchets, on the other hand, could hurl massive projectiles, though their high-arcing shots were less accurate. Not until the fifth volley did one finally hit its mark.
A fifty-kilogram stone, carrying tremendous momentum, crashed down through the center deck of a pirate ship.
Boom!
The violent impact caused the hull to lurch sharply. The mast groaned under the strain—
Crack!
It snapped and collapsed onto the deck.
Seawater surged through the breach, and the ship began to list heavily, sinking at a visible rate.
The situation was hopeless.
The captain immediately leapt overboard and swam away as fast as possible to avoid being dragged under by the whirlpool of the sinking vessel. The surviving crew followed suit.
Seeing wreckage and bodies floating on the water, the once-confident fleet began to waver.
A Change of Plan
Observing the castle looming on the northern hillside, the pirate leader felt a surge of fear.
Even if they captured the harbor, their ships would eventually be destroyed by the siege engines.
They needed a different landing site.
Soon, the remaining pirate ships turned sharply. Their great triangular sails shifted angle.
Instead of charging the harbor, they scattered like startled fish, fleeing southward at full speed to escape the deadly trebuchets.
Driven by the wind, the ships crashed toward a barren rocky beach several hundred meters away.
Their keels scraped against sand and stone with a harsh grinding sound.
Pirates brandishing curved blades and round shields leapt into knee-deep water, stumbling forward as they rushed ashore.
Defensive Preparations
Using this precious time, Helgi and his guards restored order at the harbor.
Residents were issued spears and crossbows, and defensive positions were organized along the palisade walls.
"The Moors trade heavily in slaves," Helgi shouted as he strode along the ramparts with sword in hand.
"For your own future—do not retreat!"
But his words had little effect.
Most residents were exiles, forced far from home to toil on this hot, desolate island. Their loyalty was fragile.
Some muttered quietly that their lives were scarcely better than slaves'.
Others secretly prayed that the count and the pirates would destroy each other—so they might regain their freedom.
First Assault
Half an hour later, 2,800 pirates launched their attack.
Holding round shields, they surged forward like a tide until they reached the ditch before the walls.
"Don't fall back—first up gets the prize!"
Urged on by their leaders, the pirates carefully avoided the spikes at the bottom of the trench and began climbing the palisade.
But lacking ladders and siege towers, their assault was inefficient.
After losing more than a hundred men, they withdrew on their own.
The defenders had survived the first wave.
The most dangerous moment had passed.
Now Helgi had to plan what came next.
Three Critical Positions
There were three places that needed defense:
The castleThe harborThe inland plantations
The castle, high and fortified on difficult terrain, was virtually impossible to storm.
The harbor, protected by walls and a trench, could also be supported by the castle's long-range fire if attacked from the sea or the north. Only the southern and western walls required serious defense.
The true concern was the inland plantations.
Sunshine Island had 3,000 settlers, more than 2,000 of whom lived inland.
Their labor—and their crops—could not be lost.
"Diego Gallos," Helgi called, appointing one of his barons to take full command of the harbor defense.
He then mounted his horse and rode west at full speed.
Inland Mobilization
Seeing black smoke rising in the east, plantation workers grabbed their tools and hurried back to camp.
Under the supervision of overseers, they were issued weapons.
Soon, the watchtower spotted a small group of riders approaching.
Recognizing the count, they opened the gate.
Helgi found the supervisor.
"Are all the workers here?"
The man pointed to groups resting in the shade.
"A total of 1,300 people. All present. Ready to defend."
"Send word to the farmers," Helgi ordered.
"Tell them to pack up and take shelter here immediately."
Besides the plantation laborers, there were more than 700 independent farmers inland—settlers who had come voluntarily, along with former laborers who had earned small plots of land after completing their contracts.
Helgi dispatched his knights to summon them.
After considerable effort, the farmers finally gathered at the camp.
Uneasy Waiting
At sunset, the dinner bell rang rhythmically.
People formed four long lines, holding bowls as they received their meals.
A typical supper consisted of:
salted fish
sweet bread (made with molasses)
a small cup of rum
In Britannia or Northern Europe, sweet bread was normally a luxury reserved for the upper classes.
But on Sunshine Island—the source of sugar—even the lower classes could taste this indulgence from their homeland.
The sweetness lingering on their tongues helped them forget, if only briefly, the hardships of life.
Growing Discontent
After dinner, a group of farmers approached the count.
"How long do we have to stay here?" they asked.
Helgi answered honestly:
"Until the pirates withdraw."
"What if they don't leave?" one man shouted, stirring agreement.
"Exactly—I need to tend my wheat fields!"
"If we stay away too long, the natives will steal everything. Those people love petty theft—even women's combs and mirrors!"
Desertion
On the second day, a small number of farmers slipped away, returning home to tend their crops.
On the third day, the enemy continued attacking the harbor and showed no interest in advancing inland.
More farmers left.
On the fourth morning, the pirates launched another assault using ladders.
Baron Gallos and his guards fought desperately, killing more than three hundred pirates.
But with supplies running low, the pirates changed strategy.
They sent scouting parties inland.
Discovering that the villages were virtually undefended, they abandoned the harbor assault entirely.
Instead, they surged inland—looting grain and capturing laborers.
Standing atop the watchtower, Helgi gazed toward the southeast, where thick smoke rose into the sky.
He sighed quietly.
"...You brought this upon yourselves."
He could only watch the consequences of the farmers' hesitation—and their misplaced hope.
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