The ship moves through the rough current of the black sea. Island after island surrounds us, some completely different from another and some similar.
Alexandria and I continue rowing the boat though we slow down. I just hope we are closer to the main team, and that they have not moved far away from the northern islands.
As we sail a distinct scent stops me, the smell of calm wood and something almost metallic. I turn to Alexandria. "Something is wrong."
She stops rowing and looks at me. Her face is as serious as ever as her hand instinctively reaches for her axe. "A monster?" Her voice is hushed.
"I also do not know, but be vigilant."
She nods and we continue rowing. Our weapons are close to us as our bodies move with the ship's movements.
We then see a much bigger island with numerous bodies of sea beasts by its rocky shore. My heart races as if I am getting ready for something. My body already feels goosebumps as we row closer to the island.
I look up and see a silhouette. The silhouette of a man standing on a cliff. He stands there as if he has expected us but one feature is distinctive. His golden arms.
Rowan.
Alexandria curses aloud as she tries to move the boat's direction. I grab the two oars and row as fast as possible.
A massive golden hand launches itself from the island gripping the boat's bow.
Alexandria moves swiftly, grabbing her axe and raising her arms in a wide arch. Her red lightning surrounds the axe head within seconds. She cuts the massive golden Lumin wrist only to cut a fraction of it.
More hands emerge from the large arm as they launch from the forearm towards us.
I grab my sword, shrouding it with Lumin cutting numerous of the smaller hands. More of them launch forward towards us and the boat.
Vrikni Barrage. I move the blade in a small dome of slashes cutting the small hands. Alexandria shouts aloud.
"Zain!"
I pause and look around, the ship moving faster towards the ship. Neither of us have moved the ship once.
Alexandria tightens her grip as red lightning surrounds her axe. She arches her body the lightning growing and deepening in colour.
She pauses. Looking at me then looking at the island where Rowan stands. Her eyes widen as if she has come to a grim revelation.
"We cannot stop him Zain." She breathes out as her lightning weakens. "Look down."
I look down and see a hand. A hand far bigger than any of Rowan's manifestations under the boat camouflaged by the black sea but its light is still visible.
Its fingers move and hold the ship gently. And ascends with the boat. Moving towards the island's rocky black surface. Rowan can do these things, I cannot even think straight as my gaze is still on the hand.
Has he noticed us? But I am in my helmet and Alexandria was behind me. I look up to the figure and see a gray glow as it flies around him.
"Zain, when we get to the island we must be ready to fight him."
"Kregg told us Rowan was dead. He even said Eighty members ambushed and murdered him."
"Kregg is a mysterious man Zain. I have not even talked to him once but almost every day he is with those people we saw previously. Rowan's most loyal mage they say."
"Most loyal my ass."
If he lied about this, what other things did Kregg lie about? He did ambush us with that giant ball of fire. I must be careful.
As soon as the boat collides with the island surface we jump to the island and walk. The scent of blood grows stronger as we continue walking.
My eyes are still focused on the hill. The figure of Rowan still looms but two other figures flank him.
Alexandria looks around and freezes. I stop walking and look down to see a dead body on my track. His face is bloodied and arms are broken.
No way. I look around and see two more bodies. One is heavily bruised and another has many arrows over her body and broken limbs.
Rowan did this? Wait, Kregg said that Rowan was ambushed by the Eighty and was killed. But judging by the circumstances, Rowan clearly won the altercation.
"Noir." A voice says.
I pull my shield blocking a crossbow bolt. I turn to look at Alexandria. "You are seeing this?"
Alexandria's eyes are still wide. "Zain, stop right now and look."
I lower my shield to see Rowan descending the hill with the two as that grey stone flies to his pocket. But something is wrong, they are smaller than Rowan, walking with him with such dependency. These are not warriors, they are kids.
Each of them is almost twelve to thirteen. One on Rowan's left, a boy holding a crossbow wearing a blue tunic and a black cloak. His teeth are gritted but sweat is over his forehead.
Another is a dark skinned girl with white hair holding a spear and wearing a yellow gambeson. Her face is serious but her eyes tell the opposite.
My gaze moves to Rowan. "Rowan what is this?"
He looks at me, his expression calm as he steps forward. "They are kids Zain."
"I can see that!" I point my claymore at him. The kids go to their positions pointing their weapons at me.
Alexandria looks at them then at Rowan. Her stance is low. "Why are there children here? The association says that you have to be over nineteen seasons to join."
She looks at the children, as gentle as her expression. "Who are you two?"
They look at each other then back at Alexandria. The boy steps in front of Rowan.
"I am Georgios." He spits. The girl lowers her spear, swallowing hard. "I am Oolga from Frankried."
Frankried? Is that not a city in Drakva. During my training Draka told me that is where the prince was born.
"You are from Drakva?"
She nods as she looks at me with a focused gaze. Her spear lowers even more. I cannot explain it but she reminds me of Kora, her determination masking her fear. Her presence and her body language are almost alike. It is like she is a younger version of Kora.
I take a step forward before Rowan's golden hand stops me. "Do not step any closer to the children Zain."
Alexandria walks past the hand and goes close to Rowan, looking at him in the eye as lightning flickers on her axe.
"Why are they here Rowan?" Her voice hardens.
"They snuck onto the ship after lying to the receptionists about their age. Then during the battle royale I found them next to a dead mage. So I decided to let them join me."
"You did not even tell the moderators? Or anyone else?"
"Do you think the same people who organized this exam would not have noticed children on the ship?"
"We are not children!" The boy exclaims.
"You cannot even hold a crossbow right!" Alexandria roars. "I have been training with soldiers before I experienced my great change. I know what violence looks like, I know death, I have killed people, I have heard men old enough to be my father scream for their mothers before they died, I have seen the horror of battle and I learned something from that. No child should know, nor experience violence, even you. So let us be clear on this boy. You will get in the ship with your friend and we will take you back to the ship where you will be taken home safely. Do you hear me?"
Silence followed. The type of silence that just feels uncomfortable, the type of silence that almost feels forbidden to break.
Georgios looks down. Oolga does not even dare to look at Alexandria as if afraid she would attack her even if she gave her a glare. Rowan looks at Alexandria, his gaze lingering as it softens slightly.
I know Alexandria is a blunt person but I have never seen her this serious. Whatever she said sounded like it came from her heart, what she said was not even a lecture or instruction. It felt more like a confession.
"Fine." Georgios whispered. "We will go." Oolga muttered. Alexandria's gaze looks at the two, her face alleviates. "Good." She says firmly. "Get on."
The two almost rush to the ship with Georgios almost tripping. Rowan follows but Alexandria stops him with her axe. "Where do you think you are going Zealot?"
"With the children, they are still members of the Eighty and I am their leader."
She scoffs. "The person who sent people to their deaths? Saying you are a leader yet you command these followers to butchers."
Rowan's eyes are focused on hers, narrowed eyes and tightened jaw.
"He is coming with us Alexandria."
She twists her neck to me. "What?! After everything he did? If we leave him here he will just starve to death on this island, a good death for a man like him."
"Alexandria. He is coming with us, I made a promise that I will kill him, him dying of starvation will not be enough."
She looks at me then Rowan then scoffs. "Your hero complex is pissing me off. You better kill him before this exam ends Zain."
She walks to the boat where the kids sit. Rowan stands beside me looking at the boat. "You still want to kill me? You still want to keep that promise."
"I made that promise to you Rowan, and you agreed on it. Everything that has happened between us will culminate in it. And this is not the proper place for you to die and for us to fight. You understand?"
"Yes." He says as he walks to the boat. "Then be ready Berserker, when we fight, I will not hold back."
I watch him enter the boat and I follow. The current calms down but the clouds finally gather turning the sky onyx again.
"Good."