‘Gin!’

‘Gin…’

What?

‘Please listen to me.’

‘Please listen to us.’

Why?

‘Just listen.’

What if I don’t want to?

‘Then we’ll make sure you wake up.’

‘Then we’ll help you wake up.’

Gin couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t see. He lost feeling in his arms and legs and an obscene ringing butchered his hearing. Help…me… he wrapped his arms around his suffocating neck while the rest of him fumbled around in the darkness. The words he wanted to cry out never formed.

‘Leader!’

Gin’s senses snapped back to him. His eyes adjusted to the dim lighting and air rushed into his lungs. He could hear the footsteps of several mages rushing in and out of the cabin. The alarms from earlier didn’t come from Gin’s head but from the boat itself.

‘Leader?’ Sam’s voice echoed.

‘Uh, yeah. I’m awake. What’s going on?’ Gin clasped his head in sheer, throbbing agony.

‘We’re under attack.’

‘What?!’ Gin sprung up from his position, his heart pounding and the headache growing in size.

Without warning, several booms filled the room. Silence followed suit as everyone froze in place before their movements carried on, albeit at a slower pace.

Gin looked at his messenger. He paused for several moments. No thoughts ran through his head. No analysis. No orders to be made. Nothing. Yet, his body moved him up a flight of stairs. He climbed the first set then another until he could feel a drizzle of water hitting his face.

A fireball flashed past, forming a little puddle of fire on the top deck. In an instant, an ally water elemental put it out with the help of the rain. However, the manush just turned his head to where the projectile came from, his conscious not registering the danger that almost hit him.

Across the ocean, several squadron O ships floated on the water. Lights flickered in and out as if they told a message. Morse? Gin strained his eyes to figure out what they said. His eyes narrowed and narrowed as the lights grew and grew in size until –

Shields.

Gin raised his arms against a flurry of fireballs. They slathered against his torso and legs. Sweat dripped from his brows as his head and face remained intact. Whether from the heat or the adrenaline, he didn’t know nor did he care as his eyes darted in all directions, gaining as much information as possible.

‘Get into formation,’ he belted out at the top of his lungs with arms outstretched. His allies turned to their leader for a moment. They rooted themselves on the deck as if waiting for more…more…more what? ‘Ah, into –’

Into what? Gin’s heart stopped as his mind scoured for the right code. The right words. The right decision. Yet, that moment never came.

Drops of water pattered down faster than ever while the rest of the world slowed down to a snail’s pace. Gin’s attention wandered back to where the fireballs came from. His eyes widened as another barrage came their way.

‘Into two lines, juggernauts up front and water elementals backing them up. Now!’ Gin rushed his order. He braced for the hits himself while his battalion followed his instructions. His body screamed to run back down below deck but he convinced himself for the sake of morale. At last, the attacks stopped and allowed Gin to look back. ‘Everyone ok?’

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All the mages nodded, taking a small break during the respite as the rain increased in intensity. What now? Gin’s mind went round in circles. His thoughts didn’t form into an answer. His body almost tore into pieces as instincts and rationale collided. However, he knew all too well that he didn’t have the time to stand there and panic. Not when the ships appeared to come closer with each passing second.

‘Gargarensis, sir!’ Gin rushed to the tall, lone figure that oversaw it all. ‘I’m not sure which plan to go for and I need your help.’

The mage raised a brow. No other response.

‘I know you said you wouldn’t interfere but with the enemy getting more and more closer, I can’t hesitate further, even if I get punished for doing this,’ Gin carried on, taking a deep breath. ‘Since my battalion is mostly melee-focused, I would have suggested bolstering up defences up on deck and taking them head-on. So, uh…’

Gin’s mind went blank. What more did he want to say? Did he miss anything? Could he have missed an alternative? Think, Gin, think!

‘Have you done the basics?’

The basics? What basics? The world slowed down once more. The rain pattered harder and harder, its noise deafening all voices. The basics as in if the enemy weren’t there? What did I need to do?

Pitter.

Patter.

Pitter. Patter.

Pitter. Patter. Pitter. Patter. Pitter. Patter.

Oh. We needed to secure the ship’s stability in this weather.

Gin looked up and his heart sank to see the enemy boats closing in at frightening speed.

‘We don’t have time for that, sir. I…hesitated too long,’ Gin turned to his men. ‘Prepare for combat. Get reinforcements from below!’

Just as he left, Gargarensis called out. ‘What about your messenger?’

‘Oh, right,’ Gin stopped, forgetting that Sam’s the “core” that must be protected. ‘Below deck, I think.’

‘Isshenow,’ the poison elemental mumbled quick words before a final, ‘Carry on.’

‘Yes, sir!’

Gin set out his men into several lines, covering all angles of the top deck, even calling for some reinforcements stationed below. Those with medium range, like the water elementals, stood behind juggernauts’ protection while he kept most of his fire elementals below and dry.

Here goes nothing, Gin braced for the enemy ships crashing into them in five…four…three…two…

Wails of chaos ringed through the air as the explosive crash drowned the remaining sound. Some tumbled. Others managed to stand their ground. Gin himself almost slipped as, before he knew it, the enemy set out planks across the ships together.

Mind disarrayed. Body anchored to a ship without anchors. Organs failing to do their job. It was as if Gin saw familiar faces amidst shouting, screaming and self-forced, internal silence while the enemy poured from the planks and clambered up the sides of the ship.

‘Gin!’

The manush turned around. His eyes dilated and his head began ringing. He couldn’t believe what he saw.

‘Brim? What are you doing here?’ he muttered.

‘What do you mean? I’m here to fight and even the score,’ the fire elemental grinned, his red hair almost pitch-black in the rain.

‘What sco-?’ Gin came to a realisation. The familiar faces. The familiar ships. The familiar words. So that’s how it is. No wonder I haven’t been attacked yet.

Gin raised his blades and shield. He kept his stance straight. Brim reciprocated the challenge. What was the mage’s next move? A feint followed by a jab? A kick to the side? In this rain, Brim surely couldn’t use his flames so maybe Gin should go on the offensive instead, right?

‘Why aren’t you attacking?’ Brim taunted.

‘You really think I’d fall for that?’ Gin retorted.

‘No, but I can tell you’re hesitating. Are you afraid I’ll beat you when it matters?’

Gin gritted his teeth. He watched as Brim walked slow steps to the side and maintained his distance in response.

‘What about you? Normally you come out the gates against me,’ Gin attempted to play mind games of his own.

‘Are you kidding me? In this rain? My powers are worthless here,’ Brim smirked. He stopped for a moment before adding, ‘Or has your mind dulled that much that you couldn’t even figure that out?’

‘As if!’ Gin snarled. He kept an eye on those on deck, noticing the superior numbers and strength his battalion held. ‘Keep being so passive and you’ll lose this battle.’

‘Will I now?’ Brim looked up and embraced the drops of rain. His smirk widened. ‘Just saying but there’s a reason why I haven’t done anything. Or why we’re wasting our time “losing” up here. Haven’t you realised why we ran head-on into you?’

‘Eh?’

‘Oh, right. You wouldn’t know since your messenger isn’t here to tell you anything.’

Confusion settled within Gin. Then it hit him. However, he noticed it too late as several mages staggered their way up the stairs leading to the floors below. Mages that did not belong to Gin’s. They had his men on lockdown as they awaited Brim’s command to kill. One of which: Sam.

In an instant, Gin leapt from his position. He didn’t have time to waste a single second more on Brim. He let the man distract him for too long and now rushed to save his battalion’s core.

Brim came into action to stop him. All Gin had to do was duck and leap away. Duck and leap. Duck. Leap. Gin saw a fist hurtling towards him. Yet, he saw it! He could duck. He did duck. Now to leap away. But, at the very last moment, a large wave crashed against the ship. It swayed. Gin slipped. A second fist bludgeoned his head. Everything went black.

Damn. I messed up.