The Shatran Island is composed of tiny-islands mostly. The rest are giant islands, though smaller than the Tundrae they found, was still sufficient to be an island with a relatively good enough size to be considered one. There are also their coral homes that required more work than fighting them in the open.

The creatures weren’t incompetent. If they are a sentient race, then they are able to think of how to defend themselves. It’s reasonable to think that they would think of finding ways to kill the fleet.

Overwhelming firepower and thoroughness.

Methodically, the soldiers of the fleet destroyed their habitats and chased them out of their homes. Thousands of demikins are killed. With many more to come as the fleet gather ashes and sacrifice them to the beast.

Hills of ashes and burnt wastelands.

The dead corrupted the air and a mile away is enough to smell the stench of flesh and wood burning.

The soldiers have decimated most of the tiny islands. Every tribe of the demikin wiped out.

With zero illusions that they were the righteous.

It was a war that required the annihilation of the other. But at best the fleet was only numbered by thousands of fighting men and women. There’s also the armored treants and the vitae-wielding elven-kin who have finally moved to conjure rains of fire to soften them.

When the elven-kin fights.

They are like nature.

They can conjure the rain and wipe an entire tribe out with a few words of power and a command of nature.

Most of the elven-kin, the dangerous ones, were used to flush out the demikins hiding in their habitats. Their bodies were swept away by the tide of water, crushing them, and spilling them out of the islands.

Some of the bodies are floating on the surface of the water. The rest were on the shorelines where their bodies attracted various insects and creatures that started to feast on them.

The situation was critical and with the Elven-kin’s soldiers deployed. It was clear that the fleet had decided who to protect first. But they weren’t going to give up on what had already started. The battle continued, but this time with the help of the elven-warriors who sought destruction where they went.

The Shatran Islands were covered in all elements. But the biggest and newest trick that the elven had at their disposal was their use of dust to create destruction. They would tell the sprites to enclose the air around the desired spot, creating a barrier that is then suddenly filled with air and sparks to create this massive explosion that usually creates a crater.

Unironically, the one who concocted this devilish technique was Mana. It became a thing because he had yapped about it and she got the idea to tell the sprites about it.

Gabrio rode on the back of her Treant connected to her Vitae. He had tried to go alone, but her insistence made him unable to escape from her demand.

Not that it was a bad deal either. They were able to move along the islands on foot and with Mana around. He could make the Treant as a mobile medical tent which was helpful to the troops.

The Treant that Mana wielded didn’t have the armor, but had a harder bark on its skin which allowed it to move faster. It was carrying a wooden container, a backpack full of medicinal supplies that could be placed down.

Controlling a Treant required this kind of organ coming from the Treant to connect to the neck area of the one wielding it. The spine of the Treant, when connected to the spine of the rider, allows them to link up their movements and control every single part of the treant better than their own body sometimes.

As much as Gabrio wanted to wield one. His human body was incompatible with the Treant and he couldn’t possibly mutate outwardly into one of them. If he was able to, maybe then he would have begged Mana for it. The Vitae was good enough, but even he had dreamt of controlling his tree golem.

It was sincerely one of the most fascinating things that existed and at best he could make an armor to surround himself.

“Hmm, maybe you’d need another heart?” Mana said, flashing a grin at his face.

“How would that even work?”

Mana shrugged. “Maybe one day you’ll find another foolish elf to give you their heart.”

That shut Gabrio up. He looked away and turned to the rest of the walking giants of the Elven-kin displaying their formidable strength at the islands.

It was a complete wipeout. Craters upon craters of former structures purged into this flat land with only holes left.

Gabrio looked at the destruction. His hand holding on the revolving swivel gun attached to the shoulder of the treant. Mana’s Treant stood above the water. Seawater flooded the land as the crater made holes where the water flowed.

Most of the troops followed behind. On some of the islands they passed by, Gabrio saw the troops rounding out the demikins and the seakin tribes. The panic in their eyes as the fleet-kin shot their kin one by one was almost human.

Gabrio stared. His feelings remain unchanged. And yet somehow, he felt like maybe they could have done something. That’s impossible. He knew better how cruel they can be. If people sometimes can’t tolerate the color of a person’s skin, how would they treat another species at all? The reason why the fleet could even tolerate the elven-kin is because they were somewhat human in appearance and had long ears and a faint glow on their skin with hair that has the pigment of flowers. Through age, their hair would be a combination of white to mark their age, and the tint of whatever color their hair was to match the white hair that they have on them.

Some of the locks of her hair are green and some of it white.

Mana could feel his stare. She looks behind and smiles at him gracefully. “What?”

“Nothing. I just realized that our hair had turned white before we knew it.”

“That is true. Well, I consider myself fortunate in a way. Still having the man who took half of my life with me.”

Not everyone can have that luck.

Human lifespan is short.

So tragically short that some of the elven-kin looked at them with such envy.

“Quite a sight, isn’t it?” Mana spoke first. “Though I prefer if we aren’t doing such deeds.”

“That’s right. It would have been fine if we kept on just sailing until we reached the thousand islands.”

Mana forces her Treant unto deep waters. Swimming like a frog as it moved to another islet where the rest of the crowd was.

“Do you think we’ll survive this?” Gabrio asked.

“Hmm?”

Mana didn’t know where he was going with this. Gabrio made himself clear, clearing his voice.

“I was wondering if we’d live to see the thousand islands.”

“Maybe we will. What brought this up?”

“The Blinder’s awake. You checked him?”

“I did. He has a steady heartbeat and maybe he’d wake up soon. I can feel a stronger light on him now.”

“Can you imagine that? Sleeping for so long you find yourself surrounded by only a few faces?”

Mana didn’t reply. He continued. “And he had to live with the fact that he’s still the Blinder. It really makes me think that I’ve gotten lucky.”

“I’d say it’s more of the luck you deserve. The Goddess rewarded you with your long life and I’m thankful for what you’ve done for me.”

“It’s been so long. You know, you never really bring that up or try to talk about it.

“Why would I shame myself?” Mana laughed. “I’m not fond of talking about the time I was cared for like a helpless infant. And the other embarrassing things you’ve done to help me.”

“True. Really, I wonder if I was posturing myself to death?”

“No, it was your true self. Some may say that you’ve changed, but as far as I know. You remain the same.”

“You are much cheerful yourself. I’d always thought you’d remain stoic and unfeeling.”

“After such an experience, I can’t allow myself that. Let’s just say that sharing half of my life with you has given me some form of enlightenment as well. Emotions bring color to life and I’m glad that I have gotten that emotion from you. Don’t forget that you weren’t the only one who gave. Also, unfeeling? Did you think that about me?”

“I did. Not anymore though.”

She grins. “Well, I’m glad you think so. Still, it's a bit odd of us to talk about this when we are surrounded by death and suffering of a species.”

Gabrio looked around. “True, then again, horrid rumors seem to be our forte in such times.”

“But you haven’t told a joke. I haven’t heard of you telling me one… which is strange itself.” Mana questioned.

“I’m sure I did.”

“Ah, then again, you always have your eyes on books and barely on me.”

“Is that a complaint?”

“Yes? You never take me out for a walk.”

“I do though?”

“Not always. Well, considering our duties.”

“And your obsession,” Gabrio interjected.

“My obsession? I’m not the one who spends time learning whatever he can in these past years. Which makes me wonder something as well?”

“What?”

“Nothing.”

She looked lost for a while before focusing on the swimming motions of the Treant. After a minute, the Treant took a hard step on the shore of the island that they were after and stopped as the soldiers started their assault, supported by the whole fleet.

Mana settled down. She plucked the rifle on the side of her treant and scanned the area.

“Seems clear. They should be able to do this on their own.”

“Aren’t they doing it on their own? It’s not like we are fighters here.”

“Indeed. We are the back of the fleet. Here to make sure that they return back to their homes in one piece.”

“You’re talkative today,” Gabrio observed.

“Someone has to be cheerful against these terrors we are doing, and it might as well be me. Oh Gabrio, you think that you can hide your thoughts from me?”

“Can I?”

“Nope. Pretend as much as you want, but I believe that there’s a good part of you that thinks we are doing something unacceptable. You are always a softie. A soft-hearted man, and that’s one thing that never changed. Hide behind masks all you want, but know that Mana can see through you.”

“Talking nonsense.”

“Am I?”

Gabrio’s face crumpled before it turned into a bitter one. “Yeah, it’s disturbing. They are the enemy. My damn head tells me, but if they are sentient, then they don’t deserve this.”

“Indeed. But unfortunately, we live in such times. I think that's how I justify all of this slaughter. And I think you agree that you’d rather want our side to win against these creatures. It’s us or them.”

“That’s right. I just hope that we’d do better than this. I know the fleet’s looking for an excuse to test weapons and draw blood to harden our soldiers… but we shouldn’t lose the humanity in us for the sake of that.”

Gabrio resented his easy acceptance of such things. But it’s how it is. If someone would have told the story of their fleet, they would refer to this as nothing more than a successful campaign where the heroic fleet turned the tide against the creatures of the interstice and its pus-ridden horde.

Those books wouldn’t tell of how they were mercilessly killed and butchered just because of one creature saying a threat that might as well have meant nothing to them.

But Gabrio wouldn’t forget. How their glorious victories are conducted by shutting their hearts out turning their steel-barreled swords at the enemies of the Lighthouse Fleet.