Sia:

After that, we kept ahead of the pursuers and leapfrogged from island to island.

I even thought that the pursuers had lost us. I mean, they might have considering that initially our crew was only half filled and now, well now, the cheery fellows who’re smashing their glasses together in front of me fill the other half and we were racing forward.

Looking at the pirates making merry, a smile crossed my face.

They weren’t particularly bad ones. At least they didn’t kill anyone, or so we found out after interrogating several pirates separately.

They were part of a small island community that couldn’t live off their produce, so they pooled in their money and built that huge warship of theirs and lived as pirates, using the size of their warship to intimidate others before the sole gold rank pirate would make them surrender.

As for the women, well, they would be taken to the island and kept in captivity until they decided to get married to the islanders.

Coercion?

Definitely.

How did I feel about it? I wasn’t sure.

On one hand, I felt revolted.

On the other hand, I felt relieved that I wasn’t one of those women.

But the larger part of my mind dwelled on how it made sense, given that they didn’t have enough people to populate their island.

But then a smaller part would rebut, saying that overpopulation is what caused them to turn to piracy.

Frustrated because the teachings of the two teachers were fighting against each other, I blanked out my mind and lay down peacefully beside Faust, who had been carried ashore by Ares and I.

three weeks had passed since we had enlisted the pirates into service.

Initially, we had thought to take the lot, but after deliberation, we took only the rowers required to crew our ship to maximum capacity and left the others to the grateful pirate captain to get his ship back home.

We even gave them a bit of our supplies since we had a lot at that moment.

The Captain was so grateful to get to keep his pants and the supplies that he swore on the spot that his humble abode was our abode, should we so wish. Something which we politely declined.

Looking sideways at Faust, who hadn’t woken up even once the entire time, I whispered, “Faust... when are you going to wake up?”.

“It’s been over a month. I miss you... Ares, Sir Aaron, and Teacher keep coming to check on you and they look sadder and sadder every time they leave. Come back Faust, people miss you... and you need to fulfill your promise.”

Then I closed my eyes and rested, knowing that Ares was keeping an eye on things nearby.

------

A week later, we were heading for our main resting point, which also was the halfway mark for our journey.

The Middle Island of the middle seas.

Things had been tranquil, but the peace was destined to be broken and it happened in a manner that left my heart almost broken.

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For Faust suddenly began to bleed from his mouth, his nose, his ears, and his eyes.

Desperately, I called out for help and Sir Galen came running.

Looking aghast at the blood flowing out unstoppably, he quickly placed his hand on Faust and tried to sense his condition with warforce.

Only to jerk away as though a sting ray had shocked him.

Frantically, I looked at him as he again placed his hands on Faust’s wrist and then Sir Galen’s golden warforce flowed like a river into Faust.

I watched as Sir Galen frowned and then I watched as Sir Galen began paling as time passed.

Finally, he yelled out, “Get the Knights here! Now!”

Running as fast as I could, I gathered the Knights and brought them to the cramped hold.

Sir Galen, speaking fast, said, “I want everyone to take turns in injecting warforce into him!”

“What, he’ll explode,” Sir Patrick blurted out anxiously.

Without saying a word, Sir Galen grabbed Sir Patrick’s hand and brought it near Faust, where a stream of warforce was suddenly drawn into a long string that connected Faust to Sir Patrick.

Shocked, Sir Patrick looked at the warforce before stuttering out, “I-I didn’t circulate my warforce, it just... happened by itself!”

Grimly, Sir Galen nodded and said, “It happened to me too. He’s sucking in warforce from everywhere.”

“How do you know that?” Sir Aaron asked anxiously.

Silently, Sir Galen conjured strings of warforce in the air, which struggled for a bit before they began to be drawn slowly, yet surely, to Faust.

Dumb struck, everyone stared at the strings and Faust before someone asked with a quavering voice, “How and why?”

Shaking his head, Sir Galen said, “I don’t know how, but I think I know why. He’s awakening.”

Like a thunderbolt, the words landed and hope - that had been fading - in the gathered people surged like a tide.

Mustering his warforce, Sir Aaron moved forward to let his warforce also flow to Faust when Sir Galen caught his hand and shook his head. “Only gold ranks for now. We’ll take turns since we don’t know how long this will last.”

Looking at Sir Galen for a moment, Sir Aaron bowed his head before he backed away and stood in the corner with Sir Egon, who patted him on the back.

Then it was a long and excruciating period that followed.

Time slowly passed, and yet the flow of the warforce never stopped.

Haggard, the knights had to go rest, leaving one person to supply the warforce at all intervals.

Sir Galen took the first watch since he was the first one to rest and the others nodded before they left.

Teacher lingered behind and shooed me away, so I went away but I still heard what he said.

“I don’t know how he’s holding on. The potion couldn’t heal his heart, but he’s still alive. It’s a miracle,” Sir Galen’s gruff voice sounded out.

“I know what’s making him hold on,” Teacher’s tired voice said.

“The Girl?” Sir Galen asked, as his voice broke slightly.

“The Girl,” Teacher replied.

The girl, me, held back tears as I climbed on to the deck and stood against the railings.

“Faust….”

---------

Time passed, but nothing changed.

Ares, Damon, Sir Aaron, and all the rest of the knights and soldiers who knew Faust would visit him all the time.

I never thought I would see Sir Aaron cry, but he was crying as he came up after keeping vigil with Faust, a vigil that he had demanded I accede to since I was literally almost keeling over with tiredness.

--------

Time has passed yet again, but this time, we’re all worried. Faust keeps bleeding at times as though all the blood in his body is being bled out. Other times, he’s so still that we think he’s passed on.

The only thing I do now is to stay in the hold beside him, holding his hand, and wiping his blood, sweat, and my tears off.

The three things that I kept with me at all times while I kept my vigil were simple. My journal - gifted by Faust, my hairpin - gifted by Faust, and my shield - again gifted by Faust.

Laying my head on his chest, I closed my eyes, and I thought of him and troubled dreams took me, but I saw him in them and he saw me.

I think.

I hope.

I pray that my voice reached him.

And I hope that my tears did not.