CH8

“All attention” A voice rang out throughout the crippled fleet

“We WILL follow through; we WILL attack the scourges”

The soldiers cry out, today is their last day.

The sun sets the horizon, illuminating the ships with a golden hue

“We’re going to die today?” “Please…Please…Please”

“Has god left us?”

Many doubts, many cries, and face with truth.

“Many of you, will still feel fear. That is normal. But God has not left us!” Yama’s voice echoes.

“He WILL be in at the gates of death, welcoming our souls! But those at the throne? They won’t bat an eye. Our deaths will not shake their golden seats”

“So, WE will make the bat.

WE will make them FEEL

The Dunkirk WILL fall, let them know that we’re not pawns”

The silence is heavy and thick,

“These ships, they’re not the hands on the wheel, nor the feet on the deck”

“SO LET THEM FEEL, LET THEM KNOW”

“IT

WAS

YOU”

The fleet erupts with a thundering cheer. No one here has anything to lose, only their lives.

“May death free us all” Yama said, quiet but firm

The ships start to move like never before, the deck once filled with cowards, now flooded with determined soldiers.

“Hey! Mark what did you do?” Rose scream, confused at the situation

“They rejected” Mark said eerie calm

“You can’t just do this in a fit of rage, you know that right?” Paul chimed in

“What about her? What are you going to tell her? That HER life was going to end in less than 3 days?” Rose asked, pointing to the still unconscious Furi. “Are you broken that easily?”

“If you don’t want to go, I’ll go alone” Mark replied

“No, I’ll go with you” Paul said, walking to Mark’s side “No one is waiting for me back there anyway”

“Rose, your home is welcoming your back. Please, embrace its hug” Mark said, his voice saddens “And teach her it’s warmth, The Dunkirk has escape boats. Use it”

Rose stood there, unable to produce any words. Her tears dropped.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t visit Grinda once more” Mark said, turning and heading into the wheelhouse

“May we be friends in the next life” Paul uttered before joining Mark in the wheelhouse.

Rose fell to her knees, tears still running down her face.

Elsewhere, aboard the PINS Trojan

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

2 figures stand beside a wooden table in a small steel cabin

“I don’t want to do this” Captain Lucas said.

“Then what should we do, Captain” the other figure asked

“We will contact Zinovia, and tell her about this ‘plan’ of theirs”

“What if she rejects us again?”

“They won’t. Dunkirk is important to Caprico relations to Aquaria. And most of our ships comes from Aquaria” Lucas asks “This was Zinovia’s blunder”

“If we tell her, we should be getting some leniency on our punishment”

“Why don’t we just flee to Aquaria?” The other figure said

“That place is weird; I don’t want to go there ever, Lieutenant, have you never been there?” Lucas uttered, with a disgusted look

“No, sir” The Lieutenant answered. “But sir, how are we going to communicate with HQ? Isn’t the only messaging orb at the Mono?”

“That’s where you’re wrong, that isn’t the only messaging orb in this fleet. This ship, The PINS Trojan also has one” Lucas said proudly “I’ve kept it a secret for times like these”

“Where is it, sir? I’ll bring it here” The Lieutenant offered

“It’s in the storage, the box labeled ‘Fragile cargo’” Lucas said

The Lieutenant Walk towards the door, opening it with a metallic screech.

“Lieutenant” Lucas calls out, as if his heart is holding a secret.

“Yes, sir?” The Lieutenant turns to face him

“Do you know why I don’t believe in this ‘plan’” He said, with a heavy heart “My father, he…he served on the Dunkirk, and he…he told me…”

“He told you what sir?” The Lieutenant stops, anticipating the answer

“The Dunkirk has a remote controller”

In the Mono’s wheelhouse

“We will fire the salvos at this position” Mark said pointing to a map “Give it our all, no need to hold back”

“Let’s go out on a bang” Yama compliments, his voice filled with peace.

“Captains, sir!” A soldier barges in, shattering the calmness of the wheelhouse “We’ve arrived”

BANG!

An explosion shakes the Mono, startling Mark and Yama

Mark and Yama rushed out of the wheelhouse, they froze at the sight

A volley of fireballs arching across the sky, their target was the injured fleet.

A swarm of black mass appeared. Its presence devours everything, an army, No THE army of the scourges is rapidly approaching. Shrieking and clicking as it moves like black storm.

Yama rushes back inside.

“ALL HANDS AT BATTLE STATIONS! MAKE YOUR LOVED ONES PROUD!” He shouted

The cannon’s runes glow once more, firing spells into the land.

Exploding with force. The shockwave reaches the wheelhouse.

Mages on foot also fires, anything to kill these parasites.

BANG BANG BANG

The fireballs have finally found their targets, but their destruction does not come unchallenged

“The mana shield! It’s still works!” A soldier cries out

“We’re on bought time, people! Kill those scourges!” Yama’s voices echo throughout the fleet.

Explosions, beams of light, or gunshots might dwindle the scourges’ numbers, but that is their strength, overwhelming numbers, never ending, relentless assaults.

An insect leg appears on top of the railing of a ship.

“They’ve reach us!” Another soldier yelled, grabbing his sword and dashing towards it, “Die! You parasites!”

The scourge peers its head over the railing where the soldier’s blade was waiting. He slashes it, splitting its head in half, tainting his sword green.

However, three more peeks over the railing.

“The shield is almost broken!” Mark said “Rose! Board the Dunkirk! Take Furi with you!”

Rose, her tears still stream, got on her feet. Grabbing Furi’s body, and salutes

“I salute you. Captain” Rose said shakenly, tears painted her face.

Mark turns to face her, stunned. Salutes back.

“Good Luck Lieutenant, you are dismiss.”

Rose turns around, a disappeared into the chaos of battle.

“Brothers in arms, huh?” Paul said, facing Mark

“Indeed” Mark replied, tightening the grip on his axe. “To the end-”

An announcement cuts through the chaos, or peace before death.

“Attention, this is Aquaria High Command. The Dunkirk will be recalled. Effective Immediately”

Heads turn towards the massive battleship. Confusion spread among the surviving ranks, many questions thrown around, but the answer will show itself now.

Aboard the Dunkirk, a couple seconds ago

Rose places Furi’s body leaning against the wheelhouse’s walls. She rarely used her mana; her body unfit for using such powerful force.

She coughs blood

“Augh, my body really can’t use mana” she said, stumbling to stand, after some time she finally got on her feet.

Her friends are fighting to the last, people close to her leaving, like before.

“Damn! Why can’t people stick with me for long” She said in frustration, tears pouring from her eyes “Damn it all! Damn it ALL!”

Hitting the railing might not be smart, but it is natural.

She turns to Furi, seeking the last person still here “Don’t leave so soon, Furi” She approaches and sits down, leaning on the railing “I’ll show you this world’s light, although it is cloak in darkness. I promise, just like Mark said”

The ship shook, catching her off guard.

“Can’t they steer this thing better?” She grumbled

“Attention, this is Aquaria High Command. The Dunkirk will be recalled. Effective Immediately”

“What?” Rose got on her feet. Catching the railing. “Recalled? Now? At this time? What about us? What about THEM?” She screams out

Suddenly, it begins to move. Backwards