Slack jawed, I stared back at the man who looked at me with his nose in the air.

Gulping back a mouthful of saliva, I slowly looked around to see if this was an elaborate joke but found that it wasn’t, as everybody present had thoughtful looks on their faces.

However, I didn’t have time to think about what Sir Galen had just announced as Sir Leonidas charged at me in a flurry of blows and reflexively; I took his blows on my crossed hands - my loose shirt flapping - and jumped back before fiercely stepping forward and exchanging one blow after the other with my teacher.

Then he stopped, and I stood panting as everybody stared at the two of us.

Thump. Bathump. Bathump.

My heart pounded in its powerful rhythm as reddish black tattoos crawled their way from my arms to the rest of my body.

The next moment, my body slumped to the ground as the tattoos receded in a wave and I convulsed as I lay there, my breath short, and my insides screaming in pain.

At that moment, I felt warm threads of something comfortable enter me and, greedily; I latched onto them and sucked them inside of me.

A few minutes later, I had recovered enough to push myself to a sitting position as I gasped and heaved for breath still.

Then, looking down, I saw threads of golden warforce stretching from my heart to Sir Galen, who regarded me silently.

With a miserable smile, I looked at him and said, “I’m sorry, Sir Galen. You’ve taken care of us really well, but as a disciple, I think I will be quite useless to you. So, I have to refuse.”

Sir Galen looked deep into my eyes and then he murmured, “You think that I pity you?” rhetorically.

Silently, I stared back and then he grunted as he said, “The offer is open. Make your decision any time and let me know.”

Gratefully, I half bowed to him from where I was sitting and then my vision went black for the second time in two days and I fell unconscious.

--------

The next time that I awoke, I awoke alone.

As I ran my hands through my hair and sighed, I heard footsteps before Sia came down the hold toward me, holding a pot of soup.

Seeing me awake, she smiled widely as she said, “Ever the glutton, aren’t you! You woke up only when I got the soup and not a moment before!”

Laughing, I defensively said, “Who’s the glutton here! I remember what happened before the festival that day!”

Rebutting me brutally, Sia said, “And I remember what happened during the festival, and on the-” as she counted off rapidly.

Throwing my hands up in defeat, I inhaled the smell and began drooling as I grabbed the piping hot pot from her hands and began drinking greedily.

Bemused, Sia stared at me before throwing her head back and laughing heartily as she spoke, “That’s the Faust that I know.”

Too busy with the delicious soup to answer, the only sounds that filled the hold were my loud slurping noises.

Done with the soup, I wiped my mouth clean and then jumped out of the makeshift bed I was lying in before gesturing around and asking Sia, “Where are the rest of the people?”

Reaching out for the pot and smiling as I held it away from her, she walked in front of me and spoke, “We’re beached at an island and everyone’s outside enjoying the land under their feet.”

“Land..” I murmured.

Then excitedly, with a whoop, I charged past Sia and jumped over the railings of the warship and my feet sank deep into the sand of the beach.

Putting the pot down near some sailors who greeted me friendlily, I nodded back at them before I stripped my shirt off and ran into the surf.

“Finally!” I almost yelled with joy.

Then, scrubbing myself vigorously, I cleaned myself up before wearing new clothes and feeling human again.

Cleaning up done, I walked over to where everybody was and bashfully grinning; I emptied another few pots of soup as the incredulous sailors watched.

A girl then walked over to me and, looking, I found her somewhat familiar.

Then she introduced herself and it hit me, she was Celine. My uncle’s daughter.

Gravely, I spoke out as she apologised, “There’s nothing to apologise for! Your uncle did what he thought was best and while I don’t understand why, he did what he did. I am alive, and everything is fine.”

Pausing, she was about to voice out something when she swallowed her words and smiled back, but I knew what she was thinking.

Waving a hand dismissively, I said, “Don’t worry. I’m a tough guy. I’ll be alright even if there’s a baling hole in my heart. See?”

And I jumped around like a monkey before running to Sia and grabbing her hand as I left a few words behind me, “At the end, we are Draykes. So there is no bad blood between us.”

I noticed the thoughtful gaze that followed me as I walked with Sia and I smiled, hoping that the chasm in our House would heal fast, because we were all in the same boat. Literally.

-----

The next two months passed by as I slowly found out the limits of my new abilities and, to be honest, they weren’t that great.

I was stronger than most awakened and on par with iron ranks on some levels... but I could only fight for a paltry few minutes.

Any longer, and I would deplete my warforce to the level where my heart would be affected.

If no one was around me when that happened, then I would most likely perish without an infusion of warforce into me.

But I was content. I could fight and fight well.

“Then why did I feel so sad,” I wondered idly to myself as I stood against the railings.

Then the lookout bellowed out, “Land ahead!”

Excitedly, I headed to the stern where Captain Saylor roared out, “We’re almost at journey’s end, lads!”

Then, looking apologetically at the women, he continued, “and lasses!”

Sniffing, the women of the crew continued their work, and I weaved my way to the Captain and asked, “Where are we?”

Looking at me and grinning broadly, Captain Saylor proclaimed, “The land of the Protons. The Merchari Empire itself!”

Looking ahead, I saw a vast port with a castle - rivalling our castle back home - standing proudly.

“Merchari empire,” I whispered.

I wondered what it was like.

I wondered how long I would be there.

I grinned fiercely as I clenched my fists and promised myself to do the best that I could to go back to Leon and reclaim Draconis.

My smile drooped as I thought of my parents and the ones left behind in Draconis city.

Then Sia was there, on my left, standing and staring out at the city with me.

Looking to my right, I saw Ares had already silently appeared there and was staring fixedly at the same place where we were.

Looking behind, I saw Damon smile at me as he played with the pommel of his sword from where he stood right behind us.

Looking ahead, my smile restored itself and I shouted out,

“Journey’s end! Here we come!”