Gun of Ashes

Everything in view was shrouded in gray, with faint thunderclaps echoing from a distant place, as if a storm was brewing somewhere.

”Something’s not right. How long do you think it’s been since I passed out?” Lorenzo turned to ask Selyu, ”Judge with your gut, Selyu.”

”Uh... maybe a few hours?” Selyu said.

”We left when it was already late at night, factoring in the battle and the blackout.” Lorenzo’s expression grew serious; he started striding forward quickly, heading toward the deck.

”What’s wrong!”

Selyu struggled to keep up with him; her gear slowed her down considerably.

”Didn’t you notice? It should be almost dawn now!” Lorenzo shouted loudly, ”But everywhere is still pitch black, showing no sign of daybreak.”

The entire world seemed to have lost its light, buried under heavy lead-gray clouds, layered upon each other, like heavy city walls trapping everyone here.

”So what? It’s normal if the clouds are thick...”

Selyu said hesitantly, yet towards the end, her voice started to tremble. She was aware of something, something she had overlooked, something she should’ve noticed.

The corrosion affected not only the operation of the equipment but also people’s perception. Under the fierce battle and intense pressure, no one noticed those subtle changes.

At some unknown point, the deepest darkness had enveloped them, though no one had realized it.

...

”Has the fighting stopped?”

In the dimness, someone asked this question. After a while, another weak voice replied.

”Probably, there hasn’t been cannon fire for a while, it should be over.”

Galron responded to his second-in-command’s question, half-lying on the cold ground in the dark cabin.

This place was a cargo hold; perhaps these people didn’t expect to possess something akin to ”prisoners,” so they temporarily confined Galron and others here. Their attitude wasn’t bad, at least could be considered friendly.

The ship’s doctor treated Galron briefly, stopping the bleeding and using a few wooden crates to correct his ankle’s position, even providing him with a cane.

So for now, Galron wasn’t in any real danger... temporarily. Now that they were on a pirate ship, they were to a certain extent in a state where fortunes were shared and losses were shared.

”Sir, what should we do next?”

The second-in-command leaned toward Galron; he was currently the only one with the ability to move freely.

”I don’t know.”

Galron answered straightforwardly.

His eyes were hollow, scattered aimlessly around, a face full of resignation.

Galron had witnessed firsthand as Ice Bay fell into flames and saw Froki descend into madness. He didn’t care much about many things in his life, yet in one night everything crumbled.

He had completely lost what was called fighting spirit; his emotions inexplicably began to decline, darkness gradually devoured his heart.

”Sir, pull yourself together!”

The second-in-command couldn’t bear Galron becoming like this; he knelt beside Galron, trying to help him sit up, but Galron was limp, as though someone had pulled out his bones, utterly spoiled and dejected.

”What is there worth striving for, Cliff?”

Galron questioned his second-in-command in confusion, then he looked into the corner of the cabin; foul smell and urine stench wafted from that dark corner.

”I was originally a defeated slave, who killed my master and fled all the way to Ice Bay. I was wanted and hunted down, but Froki accepted me; he accepted all of us. From then on, I decided to dedicate everything to this land.”

In the dark corner, the hunched figure trembled; he mumbled incoherently, then followed with a foolish laugh.

Galron painfully closed his eyes; Froki’s madness wasn’t enough to break him, but when he saw the mass cannon barrage destroy Ice Bay, he was consumed by darkness.

For Lorenzo and these foreigners, they couldn’t have such feelings, but for Galron, this land had deep meaning for him; it was where he started anew, and it was where he pledged his loyalty.

Ice Bay suffered heavy damage, Lord Froki became a fool, and this place would turn into a battlefield contested by the King and the Lords. Even if he returned alive, he would inevitably be used or killed.

In one night, Ice Bay, familiar to Galron, drifted away from him. He tried his best to guard this land, yet it was all proven so vulnerable.

Cliff, seeing Galron like this, didn’t know what to say. He retreated to the side and slowly sat down, as their life and death now were at the mercy of Lorenzo and others, not knowing what might happen next.

Strangely, Cliff wasn’t too afraid anymore; perhaps like Galron, without any attachments, there was nothing to fear.

His origins were somewhat better than Galron’s, but only slightly. Cliff came from a remote, cold island, where after a harsh winter, he was the only one left in his village.

Then... then Cliff came to Ice Bay, starting a new life here.

”Ah... ah!”

Sudden screams jolted the two from their lows, and Froki began to struggle violently.

Galron and Cliff initially thought to try and calm Froki, but before they could act, they halted. A chilling, oppressive power burst forth; it had long been lurking beside them and only now showed its menacing fangs.