SIA:

As the horn blew, the battle came to a halt as everyone felt a stifling pressure descend upon them.

Looking up in fear, they saw a funnel appear and swirl before it condensed into rain and thunder.

Amidst all of it, a boy stared at me and I stared at him.

Then he opened his mouth and roared,

“For The Draykes!”

And he charged past me and as I turned, I saw another man falling as Faust withdrew his dripping red sword while looking at me, and then I was charging past him as I shoulder slammed a woman who was about to swing her sword at Faust.

In a moment, the shield was in my hands, and the dagger in his hands.

And we advanced. Side by side. My shield was his shield. His blade was my blade.

Cutting our path through the enemy, we danced the dance of joy amidst death.

As we moved step by step, we were joined by others.

Ares, openly crying as he cut open enemies on the right side of Faust.

Damon who raised his sword in salute at Faust before charging back into the fray.

Then Faust stopped and grabbed the horn before he raised it to his lips and he blew the longest note that I have ever heard from the Horn of Valor.

Emotions bubbled within me and I yelled out as they exploded into a raging inferno that pushed my warforce to the peak.

I felt indomitable. Invincible. Unstoppable.

Looking around me, I saw that all our soldiers were also yelling out as loud as they could.

Then I turned to look at Faust and I couldn’t believe what I saw as crimson tattoos crawled like snakes around his body and he turned into a deep shade of reddish black.

Then he grinned at me, and I relaxed. Then Faust raised his weapons as he pointed his sword and dagger in a crossed position at the enemy ship on the starboard, the one that had started it all.

With a roar, Faust bellowed out, “We are Draykes. We cry! We weep! We laugh! We love! We live! We Rage! We fight! We Die! We set the world alight!”. “We are Draykes and by Falka, we will show them what we are made of. Board them!”

And then he was running, and with a giant jump, he was on the other ship.

As Faust looked back with a fierce grin that turned fiercer as he saw that I and Ares were right behind him, I echoed his call and yelled, “Draykes, Forward!”

And we went forward from the stern, all the way till the bow of the ship while our men did the same on the other ship.

Enemies came with their weapons raised.

They fell with their heads bowed and we marched on forward toward the bow.

At that moment, we heard a long cry, and looking at it, I saw a sight that I will never forget from this moment on.

Teacher blazed with golden warforce that slowly turned red before it stayed a brilliant red color that reached the sky.

As his warforce armor reshaped itself into the most perfect hoplite armor I had seen, Teacher raised his sword - now a spear - and pointed it at the enemy weaponmasters before he charged them, bowling over everybody in his way as he flashed past at an incredible speed, and then leaping in the air - the spear cut an arc and a weaponmaster fell with his head severed.

Landing heavily, Teacher slowly stood up straight and then let out a battle cry, “Alala! Alala! Alala!”

Thundering as we charged again, we bellowed out, “Alala! Alala! Alala!”

Losing ourselves to the frenzy of war, we cut and hacked our bloody way through the enemy ships. Men and women fell into the sea like leaves drifting through the air, but the slaughter went on.

For at sea, one cannot foresee when he will die.

But when the day comes, one will fight on until the odds are defied.

For the sea only takes mercy on those who tried and not those who died.

And we tried.

We tried to live.

So we lived.

But others died.

Their watery graves were unmarked and yet remembered by all of us survivors.

But I cared not for all that.

I only looked at the boy, who was gazing back at me with red eyes.

Then he was running to me, and I was suddenly in the air, being twirled around.

As I landed back, I punched his shoulder as hard as I could and then I grinned at him as I said, “Came back with a lot of courage, didn’t you.”

“Always,” He replied with a matching grin.

And I was at peace.