The sudden announcement of an attack sent everyone in the room into immediate action the men who could still move with relative ease reacted to the urgency of the situation, rushing out to confront the enemy, while Layla and her group of elven companions quickly drew their swords, readying themselves for the coming battle.

Marcus, amidst the chaos, turned to Layla "They regrouped sooner than expected" he shouted over the din of the ship "You have to leave now" he directed firmly at Layla.

"Is there another way out?" Layla asked, her voice calm amid the rising tension.

Marcus nodded affirmatively "There's another exit further inside, we managed to hide it before they found the crash site, you can use it to escape to a different island, Maybe they'll lose track of you if you keep moving".

Layla nodded at the simple plan, but her thoughts immediately turned to the pod containing her master "What about master?" she asked, her gaze shifting to the pod "We can't carry him like this".

Marcus thought for a moment while making a strange face inside his helmet, contemplating the difficulty of the situation "They actually never told us how to get him out" he admitted. Then with a resolve born of desperation, he continued "Screw it" and proceeded to break the glass of the pod.

As the glass shattered, the fluids inside the pod spilled onto the floor of the ship, and her master's body slumped within, Layla watched in a mix of shock and relief as Marcus carefully removed any remaining shards of glass and then gently lifted her master out of the pod.

As Marcus carefully placed her master down, leaning him against the pod, Layla finally had the opportunity to closely examine him, her master was clad in an unusual suit of armor, unlike anything she had seen before, it was crafted from what appeared to be a type of leather but was integrated with various metallic contraptions, the armor was not only functional but also carried an artistic flair, giving it a slightly ornate appearance.

The most striking feature, however, was the mask covering his face, it was complete and seamless, leaving no part of his skin exposed, erasing any human features, instead of eyes, there was a black visor-like strip slightly darker than the rest of the mask running across the mask, and where the mouth should be, there appeared to be a peculiar filter-like device.

Layla speculated that its purpose perhaps was a necessity for breathing in certain environments, or maybe it had been essential before he was placed inside the pod, while the reasons were unclear she did not have time to think deeply about them.

So she turned her attention back to Marcus, she saw he was speaking with one of his injured men, who, despite their wounds, wore a smile directed at his captain.

She overheard them talking about who should join them in their escape, and as the decision was already made by the time she looked at him, she decided to be direct "We have to go" she urged Marcus, her voice firm and resolute.

"Yes, I know" Marcus replied, turning his attention back to Layla, his gaze briefly swept over his injured men, then turned back to speaking with his injured soldier "Are you sure?" he asked, clearly unhappy with the outcome.

The soldier despite his injuries, nodded resolutely "You go with them, Captain they’ll need all the help they can get" he said with a smile of camaraderie on his face "We’ll stay and hold them off as long as we can" He extended his arm, and Marcus grasped it, giving a firm, brotherly shake.

Marcus then called to two other soldiers who were not injured to come with him, he then turned to Layla and instructed her to follow close behind, Layla nodded in understanding her focus unwavering, one of the soldiers approached and carefully hoisted her master onto his back, ready to assist in transporting him, With Layla's master securely in tow, the group quickly followed Marcus, moving away from the sounds of combat and deeper into the ship.

As they left, Marcus silently mouthed "May you die well, brothers" a solemn tribute to his men's sacrifice.

Back in the room, the atmosphere was charged with a somber yet resolute spirit the soldiers, many of them injured or maimed, rallied around their comrade's call to arms "We have one last battle to attend to, Let's make it our greatest" he declared with a courageous smile, this rallying cry was met with cheers from his fellow soldiers, a chorus of determination in the face of overwhelming odds.

As the sound of the approaching battle grew louder, the soldiers took their positions the best they could, with the ablest ones creating a human shield wall in the middle of the corridor while the rest took any position they could on the ground with what cover they could find in order to support their comrades with any ranged weapons they had to spare between themselves.

One soldier, embodying the spirit of their resolve proclaimed in a booming voice "My life for his" The response from his comrades was immediate and fervent "Always!" they shouted in unison, affirming their unwavering loyalty to their master.

"His orders" the soldier continued, raising his voice over the sound of the encroaching footsteps against the sounds of battle.

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"Absolute!" came the resolute reply from the group, their voices echoing with conviction.

The soldier then made a final declaration, a testament to their devotion and the cause for which they were prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice "Long live the lord commander!" he shouted with fervor.

In a powerful chorus of men united in loyalty to a greater cause than themselves, the men responded "Long live the lord commander!" Their voices resonated across the room a final battle cry before they faced the enemy.

And as the footsteps reached the room, a final battle amongst the ship’s hull began.

Inside the airship, further to the back where almost no light could pass through except the few hull breaches Marcus led the group to a hidden escape route, reaching what appeared to be a dead end Marcus stopped and signaled to his man, with the combined effort of both of them they pushed aside a wall panel of the ship, revealing an exit.

While the two were moving the panel the rest of the group quickly formed a protective semi-circle around the unconscious master, ensuring his safety as they made their escape.

Once outside, they were greeted by the breathtaking sight of the island's glowing flora and fauna, a spectacle of natural luminescence that provided a stark contrast to the darkness that settled in the sky, from the stars and the moons and the glow from the flowing barrier in the distance Layla could tell it was approaching midnight soon.

Once outside they began to move swiftly with purpose, the group traversed the terrain for several minutes until they reached the edge of the island, there, they found thick vines connecting their island to a neighboring one, and the proximity of the islands offered a viable route for their continued escape.

The two elven women, efficient and wordless in their coordination, quickly gathered smaller vines and securely tied Layla's master to the soldier's back, this ensured his safety during the crossing, minimizing the risk of him falling or getting injured during the journey.

The group then navigated the vine bridge to the adjacent island with surprising ease, Estelle, taking up the rear noted the agility of the human soldiers, while humans were generally less agile than elves, these soldiers moved with a proficiency that matched their elven counterparts, a testament to their training and adaptability she thought.

Upon reaching the safety of the other island, the group found refuge within the dense brush, this provided them with a momentary respite and a chance to catch their breath, It was a necessary pause to regroup and plan their next move.

In their temporary haven among the dense foliage, Estelle looked at the two elven women making a sign with her hand pointed upwards, the two nodded and swiftly ascended into the trees, blending seamlessly with the environment as they took up watchful positions.

Meanwhile, the man carrying the master carefully propped him against a tree, Layla approached him and bent down next to him, her hand gently touching the cheek of the mask covering her master's face, she whispered "Master" and waited for a moment but there was no response, a wave of disappointment washed over her as she sighed and turned back to Estelle and Marcus.

Marcus wanting to plan their next move as soon as possible, initiated the conversation "I’m guessing you got here by airship as well?" he inquired.

Estelle nodded in confirmation "Yes, it is located southeast of our position" she responded, then glanced at Layla "If this area is teeming with hostiles we should circle the islands and get there" she suggested.

Layla agreed with Estelle's plan and added "There is also the pirate ship, we dispatched a group to take it out, they should have it under control by now".

Marcus weighed their options "I doubt that the pirate’s ship will be as well-outfitted as yours, but it's good to have another option" he commented, Layla looked at him curiously "How would you know how our ship is outfitted?" she asked, a hint of suspicion in her tone.

Marcus responded, revealing a surprising detail "I guarded it for a while after we found it" he said, this revelation caused a look of surprise to appear on both Layla and Estelle's faces, the fact that Marcus had guarded their ship only after it was found, was a detail they were unaware of, adding yet another layer of complexity back at ‘home’.

But suddenly there was slight movement in the periphery of Layla’s vision.

The unexpected movement from her master immediately shifted the group's attention, They watched, a mix of shock and concern etched on their faces, as he showed signs of consciousness after appearing to be in a deep, motionless sleep.

Layla, her voice tinged with panic and hope, rushed to his side "Master" she called out, her tone a blend of worry and relief, she gently held him, continuously asking "Master, wake up, Are you alright?" Her voice was filled with urgency, her eyes searching for any sign of recognition or response.

Estelle and Marcus stood close behind, their expressions a combination of worry and cautious optimism, as they watched intently, unsure of what to expect.

As her master stirred more, slowly beginning to move his head, a tense silence fell over the group, everyone held their breath, watching every subtle movement.

Gradually, he lifted his head slightly, his gaze wandering as if trying to make sense of his surroundings, finally his eyes settled on Layla, who was leaning in close, her face a picture of concern and longing.

"Master," Layla exclaimed again, her voice breaking as fresh tears formed in her eyes.

The moment Max's hand reached up to fiddle with the mask, a sense of anticipation filled the air, Layla watched his every move intently, and when he finally removed the mask with a hiss, as if pressure was being released, everyone held their breath.

For the first time in what seemed like an eternity, Layla saw her master's face "Max" she whispered softly, a slight smile breaking through her confusion and worry, Marcus and Estelle also smiled, relieved to see their leader alive.

However, their relief was short-lived.

Almost immediately, Max's eyes shut tightly, and he leaned to the side, throwing up, The group's expressions quickly shifted back to concern as Max struggled to breathe, After a few unsuccessful breaths he quickly wiped his mouth and hastily put the mask back on, its locking mechanism clicking into place, with the mask back on, his breathing seemed to stabilize, but the concern among the group remained.

Layla, still deeply worried called out to him again "Master?" she asked, her voice filled with apprehension.

Max turned to her with his mask displaying no emotion, and with a strange voice that was almost completely devoid of any uniqueness, a kind that you’ll hear anywhere, a question came up, one that shuttered all present there.

"Who are you?"