"Wait—what!? Are you sure about that? That's ridiculous! But wait, now you speak of it, I knew something wasn't right… But even so… there is no way what you're saying will work!" His eyes were wide open, and his ears still couldn't believe what Athena just had suggested. But Athena has spoken her choice of words, there's no going back, but she knew it wouldn't be that easy to convince Captain Alika.
She blinks.
And a halt to her lustrous emerald eyes occurred and pointed her finger to Hatim. "If you lose this battle. If Marina City falls into Devian hands, I shall grant you this slave of mine."
"What!?" Zera spoke in utter confusion. But for some reason, Hatim stood crossed arms. His sunflower eyes locked upon her, and yet he didn't utter a single word. For Captain Alika, there was this nostalgia deep in this lad's eyes that he just couldn't get out of his mind. He let out a breath of confusion. "Ok… But what if they launched the attack before you came back?"
"They would have if they could."
"Yes… but still…"
"Captain Alika. They will not strike." Somehow, her words seemed so natural and vibrant that he had to bow down his eyes. Accepting his loss and her victory, but maybe, he stood no chance, to begin with. 'It's a shame that I couldn't do anything against just a teenage girl…' He felt utterly defeated and yet amused and relieved all at the same time…
***
The departure of Athena and her troupe was the last hope of Marina City. As all of them walked behind Captain Alika who has a helping token to their journey. In the barn, he led them and stood before two horses. a black and a white. A female and a male. Upon their arrival, three soldiers found their way there. "Ah don't worry, it's me here! You guys can come out, there is no one dangerous here." Captain Alika waved a sign of no threat. And so, three figures arose in view wearing the clothes of farmers. Though within those three, was the old man who put the sheet on the field of Hyacinths, Hatim met earlier this morning. "Oh, it's you, how ya doin' now? I'd be jokin' if I said ya wouldn't look pathetic this morin'!" He waved a hand to Hatim and Captain Alika spun his gazes to both of them. "Oh, you know this lad?" The old geezer had a bottle of booze in his right hand and upon him waving like a madman, it spilt all over. "Ya bet I do!!" But he didn't seem to care. Captain Alika gave an awkward smile back to Hatim. "I'm sorry if he troubled you. He is a nice guy at heart." Though Hatim wasn't bothered even a little… rather he did not even care less about it and averted his gaze which sure seemed rude. Captain Alika felt a little uncomfortable but still, he continued. "Well, please meet them. The last veterans of Marina's Naval Force."
"Sir Stolos Dodiah." His finger comes to the old geezer first. At right, an old geezer had only white hair and a large beard and wore a green bandana over his head that covered his left eye. The smell of booze was stinging even in the distance they had. It sure didn't set a good example of introducing him first. Captain Alika felt even more uncomfortable, yet he continued.
"Here is Sir Navarch Ischyros." A bulky figure in the middle and next to the old geezer. He didn't have hairs on his head but a brown beard while his enormous eyebrows troubled Zera a little.
"And last but not least. Sir Polemiko Nautiko." He stood at left and looked the youngest and somehow Athena could feel an enormous bloodlust, lurking within his soul after just meeting his eyes. But it was not only her, Zera as her eyes wandered to all the scars that young lad had made her anxious. "Prince Leocus had three knights. The legendary strongest soldiers within his army." Captain Alika said aloud, though he was not trying to brag, yet him also having three last veterans as some kind of knight was not something to be proud of, after all, most other veterans died because of him, and he soon recalled that when his eyes wandered to uncountable scars on Polemiko's body… So he got back to point using his whirling sights back to the horses. "Here." He pointed at the black one that was male. "Bucephalus. He's an Akhal-Teke and I named him after a legendary horse in our history…" And then comes to the white female one. "And she… Pegasus… that was the name Prince gave her…" Zera instantly spun her snake-ish gapes to Captain Alika, averting from Bucephalus. Though, the horse was very unsettling in the presence of many guests. "Yes, little missy. This horse is the daughter of that legendary Pegasus Prince Leocus once rode upon…" And Captain Alika replied with a little pride and more sorrow at his core. "I took care of her in the best possible way, and I'm sure she is the fastest horse in this nation. But she is hard to control, and by that means, tiresome." As Hatim stood there, their eyes met. The horse saw a gaze, like a deep residing sunflower, somehow, it calmed her down. "Now, now, This is the first time I have seen her this calm around strangers." Captain Alika genuinely seemed confused, but Athena, when detached her emerald eyes and wandered to Hatim, once again lost her choice of words. "Perhaps, someone is not a stranger…" Her whisper couldn't be heard.
***
The horses were out of the barn after a long time. Bucephalus had a routine of training once a week or two, but Pegasus didn't like the outer air much, even after her stable was always kept free she barely took a step out, yet once she runs, it's a different story. The saddle was placed upon both while Athena made her grip strong at Bucephalus, however, for Hatim… Pegasus was very difficult to even lace up the right way, so riding her was merely irritation and exhaustion. She was unsettling like always. "Uhh… I think we should provide you with another one…" Captain Alika for some reason always felt immense pressure around this young lad. Hatim didn't reply rather he walked in front of Pegasus. Stood before what everyone calls an 'annoying' horse, meeting her eyes. He just stood there, he blinked a few times, so as Pegasus. Soon, slowly, he moved his head closer to hers, gently met it. His fingers gave her a calm and pleasant feel that swam across her face and a long-lost nostalgia. He let out a long breath and parted his head from hers. There stood Pegasus, calm like never before. Even the Veterans couldn't believe their eyes, after all, no man in the Naval Force has ever done this before, except Captain Alika's brother. "Wow, Hatim! You truly are capable of everything." Zera applauds his success. Hatim's eyes had a deep yellow tint, and somehow it always shone like sapphire whenever it saw a sparkle. He wandered his eyes across the orange tint the naval base was sunk into. With that far-flaming torch connected to his gaze, he somehow knew some long-lost words.
"I am a man. Not a capable one. Just better at some and worse at countless."
Wide-open Captain Alika's eyes finally came to know what this nostalgia was. He knew exactly who this lad was.
"Destiny Sure is a Bitch." ~
One of the Prince knights used to say that. That just seemed like a catchphrase, yet how in the world does that just convey so much meaning? He wanted to laugh his stomach out, but beads of regrets cramping in his eyes didn't let him. 'Oh Dear Lord, how foolish I was.'
***
Athena and her troupe departed back to Red Light Street as a final hope of Marina City. Sir Navarch approached Captain Alika who just kept his gaze at them, getting further each second. Sir Navarch was not quite old but in his late thirties, he too had fought a lot of battles and even after all the hell, he somewhere has a kind heart for people. "Capitan… are you sure to trust them with everything?" He genuinely looked worried, after all, at this point everything is at their stake. Whether that mysterious lady has the will to make a change or only she is another dice. Captain Alika just smiled. "I don't know, Sir Navarch. Yet, I believe in her, in that little child… in that young lad more than anything in this world. More than I believe in myself."
-He recalled an old memory for proof to this present that he let happen.
"We again lost many soldiers…" His gentle tone somehow felt comforting. "Say… Am I doing the right thing? Giving all authorities to that lady from Red-Lights… " Alika felt defeated once again. He stood desperately, to talk face to face. "I think we can't win this one. And maybe Devian is not that bad. Maybe, it could be better for Marina if they take us into their shelter, or maybe for Artelia…" Alika still remembers that tingling sensation of losing it all. And still, that smile his brother gave haunts him to this day. "Listen Alika. I didn't fight alongside Prince yet I was closest to him. I saw him battling everything and everyone. I saw him losing everything. I saw him wailing for S…" His tongue knew not to say forsaken truth and brought a halt to their conversation, which made Alika quite confused that he still wonders what exactly he meant? "I once asked him. How can he endure so much? How can he be so capable of everything? How can he be so strong?" He exhaled an exhausted breath.
"I am a man. Not a capable one. Just better at some and worse at countless."
"That's what Prince said, smiling…" He simply smiled at the end of Prince's phrase. Alika forfeited and came to know the means of what his brother was trying to say. "Listen, Alika. Don't give up, I'm sure someday you'll make the right decision." Alika still wonders what kind of pathetic expression he made that day. "Sorry. Yes, you are right, I am being foolish. I will not give up on Marina even if it costs me my life… that's the oath I made with the citizens of Marina." Alika whirls his gaze to the grey sky. "Thank you, Adrian… I really needed those words…" Alika always has high respect for his elder brother. He knows the words Alika always lacked.
-He came back to the moment.
'Adrian… Prince… I made the right choice…?'
"Destiny…"